《Deep In The Heart》


 Chapter 1: Overture (August 24, 2014 Part 1)

    It¡¯s lunch time at El Dorado middle school. I walk outside to find my best friend, Aiko Soragami, sitting in her usual spot: the wooden bench that overlooks the tennis courts. She¡¯s a thin girl with long black hair, and the daughter of a couple of Japanese immigrants. She has a Hello Kitty lunchbox that had contained the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she¡¯s currently eating.


    ¡°Hi, Aiko!¡± I say cheerily, sitting to her right. ¡°I was hoping to find you here.¡±


    ¡°Hey Ashley,¡± Aiko says. For some reason, she sounds¡­ dull today.


    There is an awkward pause. I suppose it¡¯s time for me to spill what¡¯s on my mind.


    ¡°I was going to sit with Tasha and Nathan like usual, but¡­ they didn¡¯t¡­ they don¡¯t want me to sit with them anymore.¡±


    Aiko doesn¡¯t say anything at first. She eats the last bite of the sandwich and closes her lunchbox. Then she asks, ¡°You don¡¯t have any food. Aren¡¯t you going to eat something?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ well¡­ I had a big breakfast,¡± I say, blushing a little bit. (I was hoping that she might have some extra food, but it¡¯d be rude to ask for it now.) ¡°Aiko¡­ do you think that I¡¯m a braggart?¡± I ask her suddenly.


    ¡°Well, I have to admit, you¡¯ve let your skills in band get to your head a bit,¡± she says, still looking straight forward.


    I sigh at the ground. So it is true¡­ I guess I really do need to learn to reel it in. ¡°It feels like nobody wants to hang around me anymore,¡± I tell her.


    Because it¡¯s true. Everywhere I go, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that people are avoiding me¡­ and with Tasha¡¯s rejection still ringing in my ears, I can¡¯t ignore it any longer.


    Aiko doesn¡¯t say anything to that, so we just sit here for a while. I see her start packing some of her stuff up, making me realize that it¡¯s now or never.


    As I think about what I planned to do, I feel a fresh wave of anxiety¡­ but I just have to do it. I have to find out. It¡¯s going to tear me apart from the inside if I don¡¯t.


    I turn to her. ¡°But¡­ you still like me, right?¡±


    Then, my nerves get the better of me, and I grab her hand. She furrows her eyebrows and says, ¡°Um, Ashley¡­?¡±


    ¡°Because I like you,¡± I say very quickly and nervously, the words spilling from me before I can stop them. ¡°I like you a lot. Like, as more than just friends. And if you¡­¡±


    But then, she retracts her hand from me, looking shocked. She quickly gets up, and just stares at me for a few seconds, before turning around and sort of jogging away.


    And¡­ um¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to do from there.


    Maybe I should¡¯ve¡­ taken it a little slower? I may have freaked her out by grabbing her hand¡­


    Of course, I¡¯d been preparing myself for this¡­ she may not be interested in other girls, or in me¡­ and of course, I can¡¯t fault her for that. But somehow, I can¡¯t shake the plummeting feeling in my stomach¡­ had I just messed up our whole friendship? Aiko¡¯s the only one left now who¡¯s willing to be friends with me¡­ if I lost her¡­ or had she already been having second thoughts about me? She seemed so cold the whole time, even before I popped the question¡­ she¡¯s normally so sweet and polite...


    All of these thoughts are going to drive me nuts with anxiety, so I get up to head back into the school.


    As I go through the door, I see Emily approaching from the other way. I hold the door open and say, ¡°Hey Emily!¡±


    She glares at me suspiciously and uses the other door. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to me,¡± she says.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I say stupidly, as I feel another stab in my stomach. What on earth is going on¡­? We never knew each other that well, but I¡¯ve never seen her act like this¡­


    Then, I gaze down the hallway, and¡­


    I see a group of other girls partway down the hallway, all looking at me, some of them pointing.


    And in the middle of them, was Aiko.


    That was the moment that changed me forever.


    <hr>


    Even though I¡¯m only three quarters of the way through the etude, I stop there.


    Why¡­ did that memory come back just then? That was over two years ago¡­


    At any rate, it annoyingly completely killed my desire to practice. I sigh at this. I guess I¡¯ll put up now, even though I probably could have gone for another thirty minutes and been okay.


    I set my French horn back in its case, making sure to wipe it with my cloth real quickly as I do. According to my parents, the French horn is the most difficult brass instrument to play. The unique way it¡¯s coiled all up in a little ball gives it a harmonic series of pitches that are unusually close together, so it¡¯s all too easy to frack a note. And yet, here I am, at fourteen years old, and not only am I the best French horn player at my high school as a freshman, but I¡¯m also proficient in two other music instruments. Fun fact: The term ¡°French horn¡± is technically a misnomer, as the instrument originated in Germany. The International Horn Society is actually currently trying to insist that it simply be called the ¡°horn.¡± But well, it¡¯s my internal narration, so I can call it whatever I want.


    I shut the case, latch it, and put it up against the wall alongside my trumpet case. One look around my room should tell you all you need to know about my priorities in life. In front of me is a heavy-duty Manhasset music stand, which is piled with all-region tryout music, solo literature, and other etudes. Behind that and my two instrument cases is my cheap electric piano; we unfortunately still don¡¯t have the money for a proper upright. Against the opposite wall is a desk. Currently, the only thing on it is a generic school supplies list, but that will change very soon. My backpack sits in between the desk and my door. On the other side of the desk is my bed, and next to that is my nightstand.


    I space out in my desk chair for a while. It was never really clear to me what exactly I did to deserve that. She said that I had let my skills ¡°Get to my head.¡± Except I really was happy with how quickly I was able to progress in band. What¡¯s wrong with being proud of your accomplishments?


    I did have a bad habit of bragging about it too much. I admit to that. But I thought that Aiko and I¡¯s friendship was special. I never dreamed that she¡¯d totally abandon me over something like that. I was so na?ve back then; I honestly would have changed for her if she¡¯d asked me too.


    Though some of the others turning on me was less surprising. I already knew that Tasha had been souring on me for a while. I¡¯d known that since that one time at church camp the spring break before that. And now that particular memory is playing through my mind¡­


    <hr>


    I feel something warm in my arms. It¡¯s really nice to hold¡­ I¡¯d like to just sit here for a while and enjoy this. Why does it have to be so bright in here?


    ¡°Um¡­ Ashley?¡± A girl¡¯s voice says.


    I open my eyes. It turns out that the something I¡¯m holding is Kimmie¡­


    ¡°Oops, sorry about that,¡± I say quickly, retracting my arms and blushing.


    She smiles. ¡°It¡¯s okay... we can¡¯t control what we do when we¡¯re sleeping, now can we?¡± She winks at me.


    I¡¯m not sure how to follow up this enigmatic response. I look around the room. Tasha and Maria are already awake and dressed.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± I ask them.


    ¡°Breakfast in ten minutes,¡± Tasha explains. She doesn¡¯t seem to want to look me in the eyes for some reason. Well, what I did was very suspect¡­ I need to be more careful for the rest of camp.


    ¡°Darn, I overslept,¡± I say. ¡°Better get moving!¡±


    These three were my roommates for Spring Break church camp. Tasha and Maria I knew from school. Tasha is a bespectacled black girl with wavy hair that she usually keeps tied up. Maria is a plump hispanic girl with a whole lot of hair that trails behind her back and always gets blown around in the wind. Kimmie is the only one in our room who¡¯s not from El Dorado. She¡¯s also black, and small in stature, with hair that seems to naturally keep itself tidy around her shoulders. Being the only white girl in the room is a bit unusual, given that my city is over 60% white. Didn¡¯t bother me, though. After all, there was a totally different reason I was the oddball of the group¡­


    Anyway, Kimmie and I are able to get ourselves dressed and ready, and we make our way to lunch. The cafeteria is a short walk away from the cabin we¡¯re staying in. We¡¯re served fruit and crappy scrambled eggs. On the back wall is a ¡°list of sins¡± provided by our camp, which for some stupid reason contains ¡°Dungeons & Dragons.¡±


    ¡°Hey Maria, do you want to trade your peach for my banana?¡± I ask her as we sit down. No response.


    I look over at her, and she has her eyes closed and she¡¯s mouthing something¡­ oh, duh, she¡¯s saying grace. Forgot about that...


    ¡°Oops, sorry about that¡­¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Am I the only one who¡¯s starting to get a bit homesick?¡± Kimmie says as she sits down herself.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Tasha says, having just finished saying grace herself.


    ¡°I am looking forward to getting back to practicing,¡± I say as I start shoveling scrambled eggs into my mouth. They taste just as bad now as they have all week.


    ¡°Practicing what?¡± Kimmie asks, curious.


    ¡°Oh, my french horn!¡± I explain. ¡°I need to get back to that ASAP, because I¡¯m the best player in my grade. I¡¯m already able to hit a high G. Of course, I¡¯m already really good at reading music because of my training on piano. I had to learn to transpose, but that¡¯s not really that hard. So I was able to learn how to play a lot quicker than the rest of the class. Most of the other kids have difficulty hitting the right harmonics, but like¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, Ashley?¡± Tasha interrupts me. ¡°You do realize that none of us are in band, right?¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So, we¡­ don¡¯t really care that much.¡±


    I look at the other two to back me up, but they¡¯re concentrated on eating their food.


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± I say. To recover from the awkward moment, I start peeling my banana. It¡¯s already all bruised¡­


    <hr>


    The memory still makes me a little angry. Why did she have to interrupt me like that? Sure I was being a little annoying, but I don¡¯t think it was worth that cold of a response. Not like it matters.


    Aiko wasn¡¯t at that camp, as unlike the rest of us, she wasn¡¯t from a religious family. But I liked to imagine that if she had been there, she would¡¯ve come to my defense. Well, looking back on it now, she probably wouldn¡¯t have after all. I guess I was stupid for getting so attached to Aiko. She ended up being just like the rest of them. Sometimes, I wonder if all of them somehow already knew about me being gay, and they were just looking for a reason to get rid of me.


    So, I learned from my experiences that nobody wants to listen to me brag. That¡¯s fine. I decided that I didn¡¯t need anyone else to hear it. I stopped trusting in other people to get my self-worth. I redoubled my efforts in academics and music, and let my achievements do the talking. And I¡¯m still hated by people who are jealous of my skills. The difference is, now I don¡¯t care.


    After losing all my friends, I got a sort of second chance when my parents decided to move away from Concord, California, and came to live here in Enchantment City, Texas. Enchantment City is a thoroughly unremarkable town that may as well not even exist, planted right in the suburbs north of Austin. They came here for the same reason why Californians are flocking to Texas in general: Lower taxes and lower cost of living. In addition the live music scene in Austin is famous, hence why we¡¯re here specifically. Less time travelling to gigs is ideal when they¡¯re one of your only sources of income. The move to Texas also presented an additional opportunity for my dad; he¡¯s been using his compositional skills to provide music for churches, which has given us a nice cushion in our income for the first time.


    After we moved here, I made sure that nobody ever learned about what kind of person I am. To this end, I have very few friends, and I avoid interacting with most people. Even with my one friend who I genuinely like and trust, Zoe, I haven¡¯t gone into detail about anything that happened before I came here. Even though I¡¯ve unfortunately become attached to her in the same way I was to Aiko, I keep a bit of distance between us. There¡¯s no timeline involving me trying to escalate our relationship that has a positive outcome. Either she doesn¡¯t like me back, and it¡¯s Aiko all over again, or she does, and I end up dragging her into the type of bullying and torment I received in my final days at El Dorado.


    Anyways, now that my practice session has been ruined, I¡¯m not sure what to do. Maybe go to bed early, as it is getting dark. But¡­ I feel restless for some reason. I walk out of my room.


    In the kitchen, Mom is washing dishes. My mom and I look very similar to one another. We both have long red hair and bright green eyes. We¡¯re both on the tall side by female standards; I¡¯m about 5¡¯10¡¯¡¯*, and I think Mom is either the same or an inch shorter. That said, you can see some of Dad on me in some subtle details. For one, he¡¯s probably where the extra inch came from, as he¡¯s about six feet tall; and compared to Mom, my face is a bit thinner, and I lack her dimples. (Thankfully, I didn¡¯t inherit my dad¡¯s poor eyesight.)


    When she sees me walking by, she gives me a small smile. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s a big day for you, how are you feeling?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re nervous, you know,¡± she says. ¡°It¡¯s your first day of high school. You¡¯re going from being the top of the pack, to the bottom. Now you¡¯re going to have to compete with those upperclassmen.¡±


    This isn¡¯t true. Well, it is true that I have to compete with the upperclassmen, but they¡¯re of no concern to me. Even though I¡¯m just a freshman, I was let into the Symphonic Band, the higher of the two in the high school¡¯s band program. Only two other freshmen also made it in, one of them being Zoe. In her case, it probably helps that she¡¯s the only bassoon player at the school.


    Honestly, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not going to be that different from junior high. Just a bigger school with more assholes to deal with. Harder schoolwork, though it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t deal with. Marching band is a thing now, but to be fair that¡¯s already been a thing for the past few weeks thanks to boot camp.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Mom says, a hint of teasing in her voice. ¡°You¡¯re being awfully quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I say. To prevent her from asking me any more unnecessary questions, I walk into the living room, where Dad is watching TV.


    Unlike either of us, my dad has brown hair that is short, but reasonably thick, and he wears a round pair of glasses with a thin, metallic rim. He¡¯s watching some news channel. Apparently there are riots happening in Ferguson, Missouri. That¡¯s great. He¡¯s so engrossed in it that he doesn¡¯t notice me sitting down.


    Honestly, I¡¯m not sure why I came out here. This isn¡¯t making me feel any better. All it does is remind me the fact that my newfound mistrust in other people also extended to my parents somewhat. It¡¯s technically not their fault. But I have no idea how they would¡¯ve reacted to that particular revelation, and I have decided not to take the risk.


    That¡¯s another decision I made the same day that I fell out with Aiko. Once again, a memory flashes through my head of what happened when I got home from school that day¡­


    <hr>


    I feel numb. I feel nothing but numb. I don¡¯t want to think about anything. I can¡¯t.


    I hear the sound of the door opening and closing.


    ¡°Hey Ashley! I¡¯m home!¡± My father¡¯s voice says.


    I can¡¯t find it in me to respond. I just sit there. Blank. My eyes are glued to the television screen. I¡¯m watching a rerun of some old Nick show.


    After about a minute, I hear my father¡¯s voice again.


    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t we still have half a tub of ice cream left? Don¡¯t tell me you ate all of it! That¡¯s not good for your teeth.¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything. An empty tub of ice cream sits to my left, the spoon still sitting on the inside.


    I hear footsteps behind me, indicating that my dad has entered the room. I¡¯m expecting him to yell, but instead, there¡¯s a few seconds of silence. And then...


    ¡°Well¡­ on the other hand, I¡¯m not a big fan of caramel in ice cream, so I¡¯m glad you finished it off for me.¡± I hear him shifting around behind me, and then I feel him scratching my back. ¡°Rough day at school?¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything. How can I explain what happened?


    I already lost all of my friends. I can¡¯t risk losing my parents, too.


    ¡°Hey, I think I remember this,¡± my dad says. ¡°What¡¯s this show called again?¡±


    ¡°Hey Arnold,¡± I say weakly. ¡°It¡¯s an old Nickelodeon show.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that old!¡± my father says. ¡°I think this was coming out around the time your mom and I got married, when we had first moved here¡­ okay, I guess that¡¯s old for you.¡±


    There was a minute of awkward silence, and then he puts a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, um¡­ If you need to talk, you can always come to your mom and I. You can tell us anything, I promise.¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything to this.


    Still just numb.


    If only he knew...


    After a while, he sighs, and then exits the room.


    Meanwhile, in Hey Arnold, Arnold and an old man wearing a sort of pilot¡¯s hat walk through a door onto a roof. Everything up there had been trashed, and was lying in ruins.


    ¡°What?¡± Arnold asks. ¡°This is awful! Who did this?¡±


    The other man sadly begins walking away. ¡°People, Arnold,¡± he says.


    ¡°We can rebuild your cages¡­ and sweep up,¡± Arnold says hopefully, putting a piece of furniture back upright. ¡°Your birds will come back!¡±


    ¡°Of course they¡¯ll come back,¡± the man says, standing near the edge of the roof. ¡°They¡¯re birds. I trust them. I understand them. It¡¯s people I don¡¯t understand. You see Arnold¡­ it¡¯s time for me to leave here. Some people are meant to be with people. And some people, like me, are just¡­ different.¡±


    <hr>


    You know¡­ I changed the channel after that part, so I never found out how that episode ends.


    Damn it¡­ I hate this. I thought it was all behind me. Why do these thoughts about my past have to torment me now? I pull myself out of my memories, and get up from the couch to head back into my room.


    Truth is, I¡¯ll never forget how I felt that day. I felt like everyone hated me. I even wondered if God Himself hated me. I thought I was sick. I prayed to be healed¡­ and it never happened. Well, in hindsight, that should¡¯ve been obvious. He wasn¡¯t letting me out of that particular bind so easily.


    I just feel more and more frustrated the longer that I sit here. I grab my phone from my night stand and open up Skype. I feel like I need to get this off my chest¡­


    I¡¯m about to click on Zoe¡¯s name, but then¡­ I stop myself. Zoe¡¯s just about the only person I have left that I trust. If I lost her friendship¡­ well, I don¡¯t want to think about it. So no, I still can¡¯t tell her about this.


    Well, I guess there is someone else I could message: A sophomore trombone player in marching band named Anja. We didn¡¯t know each other before marching band boot camp. For our lunch breaks, most of the other kids would go home to eat, allowing them to come back for the afternoon session showered and with a change of clothes. However, there was always a pocket of ten or so kids who sat and ate sack lunches in a hallway near the band hall. At some point, Anja randomly started sitting by me and making conversation. I¡¯m pretty sure she only did it because she doesn¡¯t really have any other friends. But regardless, she eventually harassed me into giving her my Skype info.


    But who am I kidding? Telling her about any of this is out of the question. I barely know who this person even is, and she could be a gossiper. She doesn¡¯t really seem like it given that she¡¯s not exactly popular, but Aiko didn¡¯t seem like a gossiper either, so there you go.


    Well¡­ I¡¯ve never really been into journaling, but maybe now¡¯s the time to take a stab at it. The trouble is, I don¡¯t know if I have any spares. I have several new ones that I got for school, but I¡¯d prefer to keep more personal things separate from that. I decide to check and see if I have any extras in my closet.


    After digging through it a bit, I do find an empty journal. It¡¯s a thin, brown one. It looks old and tattered, but nobody¡¯s ever written anything in it. Where did this thing come from? I don¡¯t remember ever seeing it before. Well, it¡¯ll do, anyway. I open it up on my desk and start writing.


    ¡°Entry date: August 24, 2014.


    My name is Ashley Davis. As an experiment, I would like to begin keeping a private written journal. The key word there is ¡®private.¡¯ That means that if anyone else is reading this, you must close it and walk away right now. If I ever discover that you read past this point, you will be subjected to unimaginable pain. This is your last warning.¡±


    I figured it was only fair to give the hypothetical snooper a chance to back away now, so I make a page break and continue on the other side.


    And¡­ I write for quite a while actually. I write about how angry I still am at my friends. And about how that anger got turned around towards society as a whole. I wrote about how I feel about Zoe, and how afraid I am of her finding the truth about me.


    I stop for a minute to admire my work, to check it for any grammatical inaccuracies, and to appreciate how cleanly I managed to articulate myself.


    And then, I watch every word I just wrote fade from the page, and it reverts to looking as if it had never been written on.


    Nothing could have prepared me for something this utterly absurd. Immediately, I am on high alert, mulling over every possibility of what this could be. Am I dreaming? Is there something wrong with the paper, or the pencil? Is there some serious supernatural bullshit happening? Am I hallucinating?


    And then, something appears in its place right before my eyes, something written in a loopy handwriting that is not my own.


    ~Beginning of Movement I: Shattered Dreams St.~

 Chapter 2: Immune System (August 24 Part 2)

    ¡°Hi Ashley. I am terribly sorry, but I just read what you wrote. I promise I didn¡¯t mean to. I really didn¡¯t have a choice.


    ¡°I know exactly how you feel. You have to put on a facade to hide what it is that you truly are, because you believe that it is shameful, or at the very least everyone else does. It¡¯s a horrid existence. I knew it once, for all too long.


    ¡°I think that perhaps I can help you. I can tell you¡¯re the type of girl who has a vision. Who wants to make an impact. If you follow my advice, you can do much more than you ever imagined was possible.¡± Then, after I read it, the text fades, leaving the page blank once again.


    Well. How do you respond to that?


    Let¡¯s start with a recap. So, I write my deepest trouble into this dusty old journal that was inexplicably sitting around in my closet. My writing disappears, and now disembodied text is telling me that it wants to¡­ what? Give me therapy? Get me to do its bidding?


    I do not have too much unusual supernatural experience. I¡¯m a Christian, so obviously I believe in the supernatural, but¡­ not THIS kind of supernatural.


    My first inclination is not to trust this. This is some type of spirit trying to fuck with me, or worse. If it needs a vessel like this to talk to me, there¡¯s no way that the nature of this thing is benevolent. On that note, I have already told this thing way too much. I should not give it any more personal information.


    Further, I wonder if I shouldn¡¯t just destroy this book right now. Then again, with no basilisk fangs lying at my ready, who knows if an object such as this even could be destroyed.


    Ultimately, I decide to try and question it.


    ¡°Who or what are you?¡± I write.


    The words fade and, on the page appears this:


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, you need to trust me. Check your phone.¡±


    And what is there to do but check my phone?


    And that¡¯s when I see it. A new app has appeared, a jarring black and red icon that resembles an eye.


    And that¡¯s the moment that I decide I¡¯ve had enough.


    I shut the book and, to be on the safe side, throw it across the room. I then go to delete the red icon¡­


    But when my finger touches it, I get a dizzy feeling and the world itself seems to shimmer. And when it focuses again, I find myself somewhere I¡¯ve never seen before in my life.


    Well, actually that¡¯s not completely true. The place I end up in looks exactly like my room; same dimensions, same furniture, etcetera. Except for the tiny detail that everything, the walls and every piece of furniture, is dark and untextured, and the only light comes from glowing red and purple veins that run across everything.


    I jolt to my feet, my brain charging to try and make sense of everything that has happened, emotions crashing into me like tidal waves. Confusion, anger, and worry setting in.


    And though I hate to admit it, there is one emotion I feel more strongly that all of the others: Fear.


    <hr>


    Where am I now? Am I in the same place, but my vision is distorted? Am I in a parallel world? Is this all an illusion? Am I just developing schizophrenia? (Probably not the last one.)


    I look to the other side of the room, where¡­ the book is gone. Well, that¡¯s just peachy.


    I get my phone back out, but I¡¯m not able to unlock it. That damn thing must not want me to leave just yet.


    I take off from my room and down the hall. Passing the bathroom, I notice that the toilet looks just as weird as everything else. If I have to pee while I¡¯m in here, I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m going to do.


    I head to my parents¡¯ bedroom. As I pass through the living room, I feel a strong presence coming from their room. I can¡¯t describe why I feel this way, it¡¯s like¡­ my body is anticipating something. Or someone.


    However, when I walk into their room, there is nobody there. Interestingly, there is a red aura lighting the room, as if there¡¯s some giant lamp I can¡¯t see hanging overhead.


    I wonder what my parents would think if they could see me now. Would they be angry? Concerned? Either way, they probably would not give me a free pass to mess around with this supernatural stuff to my heart¡¯s content (if that¡¯s even what this is.) I decide that I probably should not tell them about this unless I have to. Another secret to add to the list.


    My next stop is the front yard. If the inside of the house looks this fucking bizarre, I can only imagine what it looks like outside.


    The outside does not disappoint. Everything else looks just like the inside of my house. The sky is pitch black, with not so much as a star or the moon to light it. In the distance, dark fog obscures the horizon. No sign of any other life anywhere. Just me.


    And then¡­ my cell phone rings. I pick it up. Unknown caller, no number. Well, not answering that.


    The unknown number immediately calls back. I hang up again. This happens about three or four times in a row, and then I start to get seriously unnerved by it.


    So, I can¡¯t use my phone in this weird place, but I can still receive calls? I think this may be the same being that was talking to me through that journal. Well, maybe I should answer, then. I¡¯ll give the bitch a piece of my mind for violating my privacy.


    ¡°Hello there, Ashley!¡± Says a woman¡¯s voice on the other end.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think you have the wrong number,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are. Please don¡¯t call this number again. Bye.¡±


    I hang up. I don¡¯t even have time to think for a second about what I¡¯m going to do next before it rings yet again. Guess that didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Hello there, Ashley!¡± The woman says again, as if the last call hadn¡¯t happened.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask sternly.


    ¡°My name is Lucy,¡± she says.


    ¡°Are you the bitch who read my journal?¡± I ask her aggressively. ¡°Because I think I made myself perfectly clear that was supposed to be PRIVATE. If you tell a single soul what you read in there, I will find out where you live and tear out your lungs with my bare hands.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone. I promise.¡±


    ¡°You better fucking not. And you should really ask people before you¡­ uh¡­ do whatever it is that you did.¡±


    ¡°So assertive. I think that we¡¯re going to get along very well, Ashley. I¡¯m taking a liking to you already. You¡¯ll be perfect for what I have in mind.¡±


    ¡°And just what is that?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯ll discuss it as we go. First things first, I want you to head to whatever church you attend. If you¡¯re not a churchgoer, just go to whichever one is closest to you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain when you get there.¡± She hangs up.


    Wow, what the fuck. That literally didn¡¯t explain anything. Is there any way I can call her back? Huh. Looks like I actually can, surprisingly.


    ¡°Ashley? What¡¯s up?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Yeah, can I have a moment of your time? I have a quick question,¡± I say in a fake polite voice.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this??? Where the hell am I??? Am I even still alive? Why does everything look weird? Where are my parents? Who the hell are you? What¡­¡± That¡¯s it. Just ¡°What.¡± That pretty much says it all.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you the rundown. Sorry about that,¡± She says. ¡°You¡¯re in a world that¡¯s parallel to your world. For the time being, it should be mostly empty. You won¡¯t see anyone else in your town walking around. Actually, if you did, that would be a huge problem¡­ Any more questions?¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, just one more teensy thing. Why should I trust a single thing you say or do a single thing you tell me to?¡±


    I hear her giggle from the other end, which annoys me. ¡°Well¡­ do you want to have the power to change the world or not?¡±


    This makes me pause for a moment, admittedly. I¡¯ve generally given up on trying to ¡°change the world¡± and instead have been focusing on survival. But¡­ if given the chance, there are definitely some changes I¡¯d like to make.


    ¡°Lucy, are you a demon?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m a human, just like you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s almost worse, honestly,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Why? Are you misanthropic?¡±


    ¡°Kinda.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a common belief among people that the rest of the world has forgotten about. It is rather discouraging, just watching other people destroy each other for no good reason. But¡­ Ashley, do you still believe? That good will triumph in the end?¡±


    ¡°Define ¡®good,¡¯¡± I answer.


    ¡°Hmm. Smart girl. Okay, I¡¯ll tell you what. Head to your church like I asked you, and we¡¯ll talk more when you get there.¡± She hangs up.


    Well¡­ that at least explains a couple of things. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that this whole thing is utterly insane. A parallel world? Of all the theories I rapidly came up with, that was the one I considered the most unlikely. And the fact that I don¡¯t even know the nature of this world is worrying. Lucy seems to want me to help ¡°change the world¡± so that ¡°good will triumph,¡± but that language is so vague that it borders on emotional manipulation.


    Still, I can¡¯t go back to my world for now, and I don¡¯t have any other leads on what to do. I guess I''ll go back to church for today to hear her out. Then, I¡¯ll be able to judge for myself whether this is really something I should be involved with, or just a siren song for the foolish.


    It¡¯s a pretty decent walk to get there, about 20 minutes. But I guess I¡¯m in good enough shape thanks to marching band that I¡¯m able to go the whole way without getting tired¡­ in fact, the walk doesn¡¯t make me feel any sort of fatigue at all.


    The church is in the middle of a residential area, surrounded by small houses. It¡¯s not quite a mega-church, but it¡¯s still pretty big, probably the largest one in town other than the Catholic church.


    I walk up to the sign in front of the building. Normally, the words ¡°First Baptist Church¡± are printed there, but now it¡¯s blank, only covered by one particularly large vein that goes straight over the top. Very helpful.


    I enter through one of the side doors. Inside the building, the veins become thicker and more plentiful, sprawling around in every direction across it. And there¡¯s a very faint crimson-colored tint to the place. Like the black fog outside, it becomes more noticeable the further I look into the distance. I go through the wooden doors to the right to get to the sanctuary.


    The sanctuary¡¯s pretty decently sized, a stage in the front to my left, rows upon rows of pews, including a balcony in the back. Right behind the stage is an enormous stained-glass window. There is no design on it; however, it seems to have a strange quality; it¡¯s black like oil, but also strangely shiny.


    Now that I¡¯m here, I call Lucy back. ¡°I¡¯m here. You better start explaining yourself,¡± I say.


    ¡°Good. Are you in the sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Do you see anything unusual there?¡±


    ¡°This whole place is unusual. That said¡­ there is something weird about the stained-glass window in the front.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that. That¡¯s what I call a ¡®seal.¡¯ If you break it open, you will gain the potential to have tremendous power.¡±


    ¡°And what would I do with that power, hmm?¡± I ask, reminding her of her promise from earlier.


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s discuss that. The world you¡¯re in is known as ¡®The Metaverse¡¯. Specific actions taken in here can affect the normal world, and I think that you may be strong enough to change the trajectory of society as a whole.


    ¡°Wait, change the trajectory of society as a whole?¡± I question her. ¡°Wow, when you said ¡®change the world,¡¯ you really meant it literally?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I certainly did. You see, Ashley, our nation is sick, and people like you and I are like white blood cells.¡±


    ¡°But what exactly is your moral compass?¡± I question her. ¡°What exactly would we change?¡±


    ¡°Well, for one, since we are among the very few in the world who are able to access such powers, it¡¯s our responsibility to deal with people who act out of malicious self-interest.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I say ¡°Can you give an example of what you count as ¡®malicious self-interest¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Quite the skeptic, are you? Well, that¡¯s good, honestly. Examples would include: teachers who abuse their students, people who engage in other types of child exploitation, crime bosses, CEOs of major companies who treat their workers like dirt, legal system workers who try to subvert the judicial process, and national leaders with autocratic tendencies who engage in shady business to gain or hold on to power. That should give you a general idea of what kind of people we¡¯re talking about here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Okay, that seems to check out,¡± I say. ¡°I agree that each of those hypothetical people are bad. However, there are a fair number of unscrupulous people like that in the world, so we¡¯d have to take down a lot of them to really change the overall course of society.¡±


    ¡°Well, that brings me to my next point. I have reason to believe that there is a demonic entity that has taken root in your region of the country,¡± Lucy explains. ¡°The goal of this entity is unclear, as are its motives; this kind of stuff is a rather fuzzy science. However, there¡¯s one thing I know for sure: this entity can and will create more of these people by directly distorting their desires.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s concerning,¡± I say. ¡°So you want me to go kill it for you?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that simple, I¡¯m afraid. The only way to find this being is to take down a large number of people whom it has had direct influence over.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ killing evil demon things is one thing. Leaving a bloody trail of people I don¡¯t like, on the other hand, sounds like something I¡¯d rather avoid. I¡¯m not that misanthropic.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to murder them. The Metaverse allows you to force them to have a change of heart.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Now that¡¯s very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Intrigued? Well, the first step to all of that is to break open the seal.¡±


    I look back at the stained glass. I have to mull it all over for a little bit. On one hand, she makes a pretty good case. The more I listen to her talk, it seems as if she is definitely out to have a genuine positive impact on the world. That said, this situation calls for some level of caution. Literally just an hour ago, I had no idea any of this existed. I still don¡¯t understand it very well. It¡¯d be hasty to commit myself to anything without more details.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I say. ¡°For the time being, what exactly is going to happen if I touch that seal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll give you an opportunity to awaken your Persona,¡± she says. ¡°Your Persona is your true self, the side of you that you keep hidden from the rest of the world.¡±


    ¡°Really? How exactly is that going to help me?¡±


    ¡°Well, awakening it will grant you a great amount of power while you¡¯re in the Metaverse.¡±


    ¡°But not in the real world?¡±


    ¡°Correct. There are certainly links between the two- I mean, it is the ¡®Meta¡¯ verse, after all- but your powers will only be active while you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly are these powers?¡±


    ¡°Your Persona will stand with you while you fight, allowing you to perform magic attacks. Personas can be strengthened through battling, so think of it as being like in a video game, where you have to get experience points to learn new skills. In addition to the Persona itself, you will be granted a spangly new outfit and some sort of physical weapon. Some enemies go down more quickly the old-fashioned way.¡±


    I get a brief mental image of myself with war stripes on my face, brandishing an AR-15 while a wispy version of myself stands behind me.


    ¡°Hmm. Okay, then. I guess it doesn¡¯t hurt to try it,¡± I say.


    ¡°Excellent. Let me know if you are able to awaken it,¡± she says. She hangs up.


    I look at the stained glass once again. She didn¡¯t really explain how I¡¯m supposed to ¡°break it,¡± but I¡¯ve had enough talking for now. I¡¯ll figure it out myself. I walk straight up to it and reach out with my hand.


    Before I can even really touch anything, I am rewarded by being blinded by a bright light, as well as the ear-splittingly loud sound of breaking glass. It takes me some time to come to. And when I do, I turn around and survey the sanctuary to find six creatures circling around the stage like a pack.


    They resemble coyotes, but they have blood red fur, and their legs and paws are made up of a strange, angular pattern.


    They look pretty hungry¡­ I start feeling my body up and down, but I don¡¯t feel any different, nor do I have any weapons. Damn it, was this all a ruse to get me killed? It was stupid of me to trust someone I just met.


    I look to my left or right, and I don¡¯t see any easy way of escaping. I guess this is the end, then. I always pictured my death happening under more¡­ ordinary circumstances. And, you know, later. But at least the last few minutes of my life were interesting, I guess. It¡¯s probably better this way, if I¡¯m being truly honest with myself.


    Then, I get a strange feeling¡­ I hear a voice in my head. Not my own, but a man¡¯s voice¡­


    So this is it? You¡¯ve hid from the world in fear for years now, and now you¡¯re just going to accept your fate? What of the next person who has a story like yours? What will happen to them, because of what you left undone in your cowardice?


    I¡¯m not a coward! I think back indignantly. I¡¯m not afraid of anything.


    Then prove it. Prove to me that you have the resolve to do this. It¡¯s time for our final stand.


    I nod to myself. These odds may not be good. But if this is the end, I may as well go down swinging. I move to the front of the stage past the choir pews. I make a wide stance and draw my fists, as they¡¯re basically all I have right now. And it''s at this moment that I feel something change.


    <hr>


    I¡¯m in some sort of vertigo. I¡¯m floating freely in space, surrounded by different shades of purple, pink and red, forming strange patterns like an old Windows screensaver.


    Then, I see a man in front of me with flowing, shoulder length curly hair, two enormous wings, and a warrior¡¯s garb.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I am Saint Michael,¡± he says.


    I blink in surprise. ¡°Saint Michael¡­ why have you come to me?¡±


    ¡°I am here to awaken the spirit of rebellion that resides within you,¡± He tells me sharply. ¡°It is time for you to stop hiding from the world. Vow to me, and I will give you the power to do what you know you must.¡±


    ¡°Really? You want me for this?¡± I ask, taken aback by this. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right. But if that¡¯s Your will, so be it.¡±


    ¡°Very well then. I will give you my power. With the help of the one I sent, you will be able to crush your enemies beneath your feet!¡±


    <hr>


    My body convulses. I feel uncomfortably forced forward. It makes my arms tremble and knocks the breath out of my lungs. Without thinking, I reach up to my face, where a white mask has formed, which I promptly tear off. It hurts like hell, causing blood to pour out of the open wound, but I bear with a wince¡­ Then, my whole body is engulfed in blue flames. When they burn out, I''m wearing a golden set of armor and brandishing a silver longsword. In the middle of my chest plate is a small indentation. And behind me, I could see the ghostly figure of St. Michael.

 Chapter 3: Divine Purpose (August 24 Part 3)

    The animals standing below me ought to be afraid, but they do not back down, growling more menacingly than ever. And so, feeling much more confident, I make the first strike.


    I lunge forward, sending my new sword crashing down into two of the coyotes and knocking them into one of the pews with a thud. From there, the coyotes dissipate, disappearing into a dark mist.


    But then, the others pounce onto me before I can reorient myself from the last attack. I pivot quickly to the left and manage to knock one of them backwards with my sword, but was too late to stop the others, who topple me onto the floor.


    And so here I am, sitting here on my stomach, defenseless, feeling the other coyotes frantically scratching at my armor, trying to find bare flesh to tear into. I try to push them off, but they¡¯re too heavy.


    And yeah, I guess that¡¯s pretty much it. I¡¯m fucked.


    At that moment, I hear a bang from right above me that echoes throughout the sanctuary in a cacophony. I feel a weight lifted from my back, and so I scramble to face forward and find that the four remaining coyotes were blasted several yards towards the other end of the sanctuary. They are badly hurt by whatever the hell just happened. The one I had knocked back now dissipates into the darkness with the first two, and the other three begin bounding around and back towards the stage area. They sail over the stairs, and then the choir podiums, until they go straight through the stained-glass window in the back.


    And with that, it is dead silent.


    I get to my feet and begin slowly turning to check my surroundings. And I''m quite startled when I find that on the stage behind me, a large blue armadillo stands on its hind legs. It''s standing at only about 3 feet tall, has a red bandana covering its neck, wears a ten-gallon hat, and has a revolver in the holster of its belt. The armadillo tips its hat to me, and speaks in a deep, manly voice with a thick, southern accent; ¡°Howdy, pardner.¡±


    After all the confusion, stress and fear of what had just happened, I come very close to just bursting out into laughter right there. However, I manage to keep it together.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I say to it. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you''re the one who just saved me from those things, are you?¡±


    The thing just looks at me, which I take as a yes.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that literally nothing that has happened so far has made any amount of sense, I probably would have been freaked out by this turn of events. But given everything else, sure, why not, why not just have a friendly chat with a talking armadillo that speaks like a stereotypical cowboy? That makes sense, right?


    ¡°Are you associated with Lucy?¡± I ask it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is,¡± it replies.


    Hmm. That¡¯s interesting. Actually, wait a second¡­ Lucy! She didn¡¯t tell me I was going to be attacked! I get out my phone, which is now situated in a groove in my armor.


    ¡°Ashley! Were you able to awaken it?¡± She asks, sounding excited.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. I also almost fucking died, so thanks a lot for that.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for the trial by fire. Were there enemies that appeared nearby?¡±


    ¡°No shit there were! I got jumped by about six of these weird looking coyotes!¡±


    ¡°There were six of them? Oh my, that¡¯s rather more than usual. And you fought them all off by yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, I would¡¯ve died if I hadn¡¯t been saved by this little talking armadillo guy.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Ashley. Are you sure that he¡¯s not just another one of the enemies? On rare occasions, powerful ones may try and talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not attacking me, now is it?¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of something like this happening before. Ashley, you need to find out what it wants.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well, maybe I¡¯ll do that on my own time. I don¡¯t really want to talk to you right now.¡± I hang up.


    I let out a large sigh and turn back to the armadillo, who was waiting patiently for me to finish my conversation.


    ¡°Thanks for freeing me from my prison,¡± the armadillo says, tipping its hat politely.


    ¡°Um¡­ you¡¯re welcome?¡± I respond. ¡°Not sure what I did, exactly.¡±


    He gestures backwards towards the not-actually-stained-glass window.


    ¡°So you were trapped in there?¡± I ask it.


    It nods in reply. ¡°As a thank you for freeing me, I would like to give you this gift,¡± it says.


    It pulls out a small, glowing pink object, and hands it to me. Observing it up close, it is clearly some type of gem.


    ¡°Um¡­ thanks,¡± I say, taken aback by this.


    However, the armadillo is pointing at me now. I look down and find that it¡¯s directed at the small indentation in my armor.


    Which looks like about the right size for the pink gem to fit into.


    I go ahead and put the gem in there. I find that it sort of locks into place; like it was meant to be put there. Odd.


    ¡°Uh¡­ so what exactly is this?¡± I ask it. ¡°Is it just decorative, or does this actually do something?¡±


    It shrugs. ¡°Hell if I know,¡± it says.


    So even the armadillo who gave it to me doesn¡¯t know what it is. This... raises more questions than it answers. But I have more pressing things to worry about right now.


    For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m starting to take a liking to this armadillo thing. It did save me from being mauled to death, and unlike Lucy it¡¯s not trying to boss me around.


    ¡°Do you have a name I can call you?¡± I ask it.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Yep. Call me Ted,¡± it says. Or ¡°he¡± says, I guess.


    ¡°Ted, huh. Well, thanks for saving me,¡± I tell him.


    I pull my phone out again to try and find out if I have full functionality of it now. I have a little more freedom than before; most of the apps don¡¯t seem to work, but I do see that ugly red app from earlier. I try to click on it again.


    Suddenly, I find myself back in the real world, back in my pajamas. It¡¯s still dark because the lights are out, but it¡¯s regular dark now. I¡¯m still standing in the middle of the church, but now everything is back to normal, with the slightly ugly green carpet and wooden pews.


    I look at the ground where Ted was standing, to see that he is now a regular-sized normal armadillo.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Ted? Is that you?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Yep. Still me,¡± he says. That voice coming out of a regular armadillo is¡­ quite the experience.


    ¡°This is crazy,¡± I say. I click the app again, which sends me back into the so-called Metaverse. My armor reappears, as does the armadillo¡¯s anthropomorphic form.


    ¡°Well, then¡­ Ted,¡± I say, ¡°It¡¯s been a lot of fun, but I¡¯m going to go home. I need to be up early for school tomorrow.¡±


    I take off for the exit doors, but the armadillo calls after me. ¡°You gotta take care when traveling outside in this world,¡± he says. ¡°The shadows have been released.¡±


    The shadows¡­ does he mean things like those coyotes?


    The ones which almost killed me?


    ¡°Hey Ted, how about you walk with me then?¡± I ask him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem particularly tied down right now.¡±


    He nods in agreement, and we both exit the church together.


    <hr>


    As we both walk back towards my house, we don¡¯t have any more creature problems. I swear I can see some shadows lurking around in the distance, but nothing approaches us yet.


    ¡°So, Ted,¡± I say, ¡°How did you get here?¡± Then I think better of that. ¡°Actually, wait, better question. Who are you, exactly?¡±


    ¡°A forsaken soul,¡± He answers.


    ¡°The forsaken soul¡­ of an armadillo?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± He answers. ¡°I was a human. When I died, I was given this form and trapped in the Shadow Realm.¡±


    I don¡¯t like the implications of that.


    ¡°So,¡± I ask, ¡°Does this happen to everyone when they die?¡± And that makes me think of another point. ¡°Were those coyotes we took out also people?¡±


    ¡°No to both,¡± he says, which is a big relief because I wasn¡¯t happy with the idea of spending the afterlife as a talking animal, wandering around an empty shell of the place I used to live. ¡°I am a human soul who was trapped here for a purpose. The shadows are not like me,¡± he explains.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about you?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°I was given a chance for redemption,¡± he says.


    ¡°So, if the shadows are not like you,¡± I ask, ¡°What are they, exactly? Are they demons?¡±


    ¡°Lost spirits,¡± he explains, ¡°Aligned with neither good nor evil.¡±


    ¡°Well, those ones at the church seemed pretty evil,¡± I say. ¡°If they¡¯re not evil, why did they attack?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just like regular animals; they need to hunt to survive,¡± he explains. ¡°Some may be more intelligent than others. But most of the spirits who have grander agendas won¡¯t bother passing over.¡±


    ¡°So, these coyote-like creatures just so happened to be wandering around that seal before I broke it?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Coming into the Metaverse from the Shadow Realm required them to take on a form,¡± Ted explains. ¡°They¡¯ll resemble wildlife that¡¯s from around here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, why?¡±


    He shrugs.


    At this point, we are about to arrive back in my neighborhood, but I still have more questions. ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Before I was sent here,¡± he explained, ¡°I was told about this place by St. Michael.¡±


    This catches me off guard. St. Michael¡­ isn¡¯t that the form that my Persona took?


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m pretty sure I just saw that exact same guy,¡± I say, ¡°Helping me back with the coyotes.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you saw His figure means that He¡¯s marked you as His emissary,¡± he explains.


    ¡°Wow¡­ really?¡± I say, amazed at this. ¡°Well, I have no clue why He picked me, of all people. It kind of goes against conventional wisdom. But I guess Moses and Paul were both murderers, so it might as well be me.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t have a response for this, so we walk in silence for a little while longer.


    I try to think back to when my Persona awakened¡­ Even though it only happened basically a few minutes ago, I find that it¡¯s difficult to recall that specific part of my recent memory. It¡¯s like I temporarily went feverish. I can vaguely recall that I heard His voice in my head before I took the mask off, but I can¡¯t really remember what we talked about¡­ It bothers me. I feel like what we talked about was very important.


    Then, I remember something else¡­


    ¡°So, if you were trapped here by the actual St. Michael,¡± I ask, ¡°Where did you get that gem that you gave me back there?¡±


    ¡°St. Michael gave it to me,¡± he explains. ¡°Said to give it to the one who frees me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ He didn¡¯t tell you what it did?¡±


    ¡°Nope. But if He sent it with me, it must be important somehow.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯d think so.¡± Wow, is that really the only explanation I¡¯m getting for that? Maybe Lucy will know something¡­ But I don¡¯t really feel like talking to her any more tonight, so I make a mental note to ask about it some other time.


    Eventually, we arrive back at my home. Which means it¡¯s time to do some housekeeping.


    ¡°When I went back into the real world,¡± I explain to Ted, ¡°You came with me. You took on the form of a real-world armadillo. That means, you¡¯re going to need to stay somewhere safe while I go about my regular daily life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very kind,¡± he says.


    Maybe he¡¯s thinking that I¡¯m going to let him stay in my room, so I need to dispel that misconception as soon as possible.


    I point down the short end of the street. ¡°Down there is a Methodist church that is next to a forested area. That would probably be the best place for you to hang out. If you hang around in the neighborhood, you¡¯re liable to get yourself shot.¡±


    ¡°Are you coming back to the Metaverse?¡± he asks me.


    Which is actually a great question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say. ¡°It seems like we can talk to each other just fine in the real world, so if you don¡¯t wander too far from that church I¡¯ll come tell you myself when I figure it out.¡±


    ¡°When you come back, the shadows will be prevalent,¡± he says. ¡°They sleep for now, for they have just been freed. But when we come back, they¡¯ll be harder to avoid. You¡¯re gonna have to learn how to fight, lassie.¡±


    I wish I could argue, but I was the one who almost got my own dumb ass mauled not long ago.


    ¡°So learn to fight, I will,¡± I say.


    And so we part ways. I head back inside my house so I can go back into the real world in the same place I left it.


    <hr>


    I re-enter the real world once I¡¯m securely back in my bedroom. The first thing I check is the place where I threw the journal earlier. It is indeed there, right where I left it. So, I guess not all objects from the real world follow me into the Metaverse. Similarly, not all objects from the other side follow me back, which is good, because I don¡¯t think I have the closet space for a sword and a suit of armor.


    What does alarm me is that the journal is a bit different than it was when I had it last. The pink gem that I had placed into my chest plate is in a groove in the center of the cover.


    This is puzzling, but I try to put it out of my mind for the time being. I check my alarm clock to find that it¡¯s 9:42, which means that actually barely any time has passed since I left. It seems that in the Metaverse, time progresses much more slowly.


    Anyways. Since I¡¯m no longer feeling my restlessness from before, I really should just go to bed now.


    That said, my brain is still reeling from the events of the day, so it takes me a little while to drift off. I just lay in bed for a while, my brain full of Should I learn how to fight? And Is Ted a shadow too? And Have I really been chosen by an angel? And White blood cells? And What would Zoe think about all of this? And all sorts of little tidbits like that. But eventually, I finally fall asleep.

 Chapter 4: The Soapbox (August 25)

    <Ashley>


    And now it¡¯s my first day at Enchantment City High School. After my mom drops me off, I enter the band hall, which thanks to boot camp is about the only part of this school that¡¯s already familiar to me. I look around for a flash of blonde hair, but I don¡¯t see her. So I take the time to put up my instrument.


    As I put my combination lock back on, I see Mr. Castro, the band director, approaching from my right. He¡¯s a bald, black man who always walks with a spring in his step.


    ¡°Good morning Ashley,¡± he says to me, with a slight bow.


    ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± I say. He¡¯s probably the only person in the world right now who¡¯s really happy that today is the first day of school. Still, I don¡¯t mind him. From what I¡¯ve seen so far, he¡¯s competent.


    Then, I see someone else approaching, who happens to be Anja. Big ol¡¯ glasses, medium length brown hair, and an inexplicable smirk. Though she is in the year above me, you¡¯d be forgiven for thinking she was actually younger; I tower over her by several inches, and her stature is tiny.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a trumpet? What are you doing with that?¡± she asks me.


    ¡°Jazz band,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a big shot,¡± she says, and even though it¡¯s true she says it in a sarcastic tone of voice. ¡°Show me your schedule,¡± she says abruptly, pulling out her own, which had been folded up in her pocket.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a sophomore?¡± I ask. ¡°We¡¯re probably not going to have any classes together.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she says, ¡°I just wanna see if we have lunch together.¡±


    I set my backpack down on a nearby chair and fish out the folder my schedule is in.


    ¡°Awh hell yeah,¡± she says, ¡°We do have the same lunch! I¡¯m gonna go check Nova¡¯s,¡± she says, right before suddenly running off.


    I spend a few seconds wondering who or what Nova is before my attention is drawn to the one person who I actually did want to talk to this morning.


    There¡¯s Zoe, who had just walked into the band hall and was being greeted by some preppy girl. She¡¯s got floofy blonde hair and blue eyes. She¡¯s a bit shorter than me, but not as much as Anja, and with a bit more body. Today, she¡¯s wearing a frilled light blue shirt, with sleeves that flutter and hang halfway down her upper arms, and a pair of close-fitting dark blue jeans.


    I make my way for her just as that other girl fucks off, and she waves at me and gives me that sweet, genuine smile of hers.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Good!¡± she says. ¡°Do you know where our first class is?¡±


    We already compared schedules yesterday during church, and we both have first period English together.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to find out,¡± I say. And so we take off to do just that.


    <hr>


    Three classes and a band rehearsal later, we¡¯re sitting down for lunch.


    ¡°What did you think of Ms. Truman?¡± Zoe asks, Ms. Truman being our new English teacher. ¡°She seems nice.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t really like her,¡± I say.


    Zoe looks surprised. ¡°Really? Why?¡±


    ¡°Something about her seems off to me,¡± I explain. ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s a little too happy to see us.¡±


    Then, someone sits down at the table right across from us. Oh yeah, Anja is in this lunch period. I had forgotten about that.


    ¡°Hey there Ash,¡± she says to me. Then, she sees Zoe and extends a hand out to her in greeting. ¡°My name¡¯s Anja. I¡¯m in marching band with her.¡±


    I glance over to Zoe¡¯s face for a hint that she¡¯s annoyed with the sudden interruption, but Zoe is receiving her warmly and shakes her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯m Zoe. You¡¯re in the trombone section, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure am,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ uh¡­¡± she suddenly looks at us with a confused look. ¡°I was trying to think of a trombone-related pun, but I couldn¡¯t come up with anything in time.¡±


    Zoe giggles at her. ¡°I¡¯m in the saxophone section,¡± she says. ¡°Though my main, uh, my primary instrument is bassoon.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yet another multi-instrumena¡­ instruma¡­ mul-ti-in-stru-men-ta-list ,¡± she says. She grins, and gives me a knowing look that annoys me for some reason.


    Then, someone else sits down next to her. It¡¯s a brown boy about Zoe¡¯s height who looks like his hair has never been brushed before. I guess that¡¯ll be Nova.


    ¡°Oh, h-hello there!¡± Zoe says. She¡¯s trying so hard to be friendly, but her confusion at the sudden visitors is starting to show a little bit, as she seems more nervous than before.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Nova says without looking at her.


    ¡°This is Nova,¡± Anja says, gesturing at him. ¡°He¡¯s one of my trombone pals. Nova, this is Ashley and¡­ Zoe, right?¡±


    Zoe waves cheerily at him. He¡¯s still not looking at us and is instead reaching down to his backpack for something. I notice that he doesn¡¯t actually have a lunch tray.


    ¡°So, Nova, what¡¯s your story?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°What¡¯s my story?¡± he asks. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He jerks his head at Anja. ¡°She said I could sit with her.¡±


    Anja smiles at me. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±


    He pulls something out of his backpack which looks a lot like that Nintendo DS I used to have, except a bit blockier. Must be a new model or something. Without saying another word, he starts playing it. Definitely not the social type, it seems.


    ¡°So, um, what do you guys think of your first day?¡± Zoe asks, nervously trying to steer the conversation back on track. ¡°Any teachers you like?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anja says, ¡°My chemistry teacher literally dresses like and acts like a cowboy.¡±


    A cowboy¡­ for some reason, this stirs something in my memory.


    Oh yeah, I remember what it is. All that weird shit from last night, with the armadillo. That actually happened, didn¡¯t it. I guess I¡¯m going to have to deal with that sooner or later.


    Just to make sure that it wasn¡¯t a fever dream, I take my phone out of my pocket, all the while Zoe is saying something about her French teacher that I don¡¯t quite catch. I unlock it, and sure enough, there¡¯s that fucking app. It really is quite an eyesore.


    Something must have been showing on my face, because I can see Anja curiously leaning over to see what I¡¯m looking at. Shit.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡± Anja asks.


    I instinctively yank it down and out of sight, which may not have been the best move because she¡¯s now glaring at me suspiciously.


    ¡°It¡¯s a smart phone, Anja,¡± I say. ¡°They¡¯re quite popular these days.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean that weird-¡°


    I cut her off before she says anything else. ¡°It¡¯s none of your fucking business, okay?¡± I tell her in a low voice. ¡°What¡¯s on my phone is private. Learn some manners,¡± I continue, barely resisting the urge to adorn the last part with a choice insult.


    Anja blushes slightly, looking mollified. Thankfully, she makes the wise choice to drop it after that.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a sophomore?¡± Zoe asks Anja, covering up the awkward moment. ¡°Do you expect your classes this semester to be difficult?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be all the usual shit,¡± Anja replies, seizing the opportunity to get the conversation back on track. ¡°I just can¡¯t wait until my senior year when I take US Government.¡± Anja continues.


    ¡°Ah, you interested in that type of stuff?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s actually somewhat of a family thing for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You see¡­ my mother was Ellen Beatty.¡±


    Oh wow. That¡¯s really interesting.


    For background, Ellen Beatty was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2006. She ran against the incumbent Richard Schneider, who was elected in 2002 after upsetting Perry in the primaries. I was really young at the time and still living in California, so I don¡¯t really remember it. But I do know that apparently it was actually a competitive race for once due to Schneider being unpopular. But then, a month before the election, Beatty suddenly died of medical complications, despite being very young at the time. Schneider kinda won by default, and has been in office ever since, which makes him the longest-serving governor in Texas¡¯s history. He hasn¡¯t had to deal with any seriously contested elections since then.


    Zoe gasps, seemingly also recognizing the name. ¡°You mean¡­ the one who ran for governor?¡± She asks.


    Anja nods solemnly. ¡°Nearly turned Texas blue again, she did. And now, that probably isn¡¯t going to happen for a very long time¡­¡± Anja sighed wistfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re an odd breed around these parts, Anja,¡± I comment.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Anja says, ¡°Wish I could have grown up in California.¡±


    ¡°Uh, no you don¡¯t,¡± I assure her. ¡°The dumbasses who run that state have no clue how to manage the economy. There¡¯s a reason why we moved here, you know.¡±


    She gives me a suspicious glare for a few seconds¡­ But then, she relaxes a bit and asks, ¡°Out of curiosity, what do you parents do for a living?¡±


    ¡°Musicians, both of them,¡± I say.


    ¡°Ah, that does explain a lot about you,¡± she says, which I take as a compliment. ¡°My dad¡¯s a psychiatrist. That¡¯s unusual, though; you make it sound like your parents lean Republican, but I¡¯m pretty sure most people in the arts are liberal.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, fine arts people do by a huge margin,¡± I agree. ¡°But no demographic of people is monolithic, even though media outlets try to make it seem that way.¡±


    ¡°So, why did they come here, then?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they, is the better question,¡± I say. ¡°Lower taxes and lower cost of living; a lot of businesses operate out of the state for a reason. Not to mention that Austin has a strong live music scene. We are also within driving distance of San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas, presenting more gig opportunities; and we can even make it to New Orleans and Kansas City for overnight trips.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve been to New Orleans?¡± Anja asks, suddenly looking more cheerful.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve gone with them there a few times.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ anyway,¡± Anja says, bringing back her intense gaze. ¡°If you ask me, there are far more important things than how well the economy is doing. For example, I think it¡¯s extremely important that we take care of those living in poverty.¡±


    ¡°The poor get helped too when the economy is doing well!¡± I retort. ¡°My family was struggling to get by before. It¡¯s only since we came here that we¡¯ve become an actual middle-class family. Everyone is a part of the economy.¡±


    ¡°But nowadays, most of the growth goes towards making the rich richer,¡± Anja replies. ¡°So is economic growth really a good way to measure how well the needy are doing?¡±


    I sigh. ¡°It was never supposed to work that way,¡± I explain. ¡°Economic growth should go to the working class. That¡¯s how the competitive spirit of capitalism sustains itself. The new capital can go towards starting new businesses, which makes it so the already big businesses can¡¯t get too fat and happy. But yes, recently it hasn¡¯t been working as it should, because the large corporations in power have used government policy as a weapon to suppress competition.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Now you¡¯re speaking my language!¡± Anja agrees excitedly. ¡°We need to get corporate money out of our government. No arguments there.¡±


    ¡°But think about it on another level. With the system in place as it is, large corporations have the jump on any changes to regulations or tax policy. They use their expert advisors in public policy to evade these policies, while small businesses are crushed by mountains of red tape. This encourages the constant buyouts, mergers, and consolidation that we see today. That is how big government economic policy often has the opposite effect that is intended.¡±


    ¡°But it would work if we got rid of the corruption!¡± Anja argues.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you listening? It doesn¡¯t matter what the intention behind the policies is. They don¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°So what? Is your solution to just remove all regulations? Do we not need laws to ensure workplace safety or environmental protection?¡±


    ¡°I never said that!¡± I growl, getting irritated with her attitude. ¡°That¡¯s a straw man argument, Anja. You¡¯re trying to make me sound like an anarchist or something.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s just what the Republicans in Congress want to do. They¡¯re trying to get rid of all the regulations that they can, no matter how useful they are.¡±


    ¡°Well, how is that my fault? I don¡¯t want that. I think we need some regulations. We just have too many of them right now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Anja narrows her eyes, as if surveying me intensely. ¡°You¡¯re all over the place with this stuff, Ashley. What would you consider your partisan affiliation to be?¡±


    ¡°How can I have one? I¡¯m not even old enough to vote.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. Which side do you lean more towards?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to pick one?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I suppose not.¡± She turns to Zoe, who has a slightly dazed look on her face. I get the impression that she lost track of the conversation a while ago. ¡°What about you, Zoe?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know much of anything,¡± she says nervously. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about any of this stuff yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, you still have time,¡± Anja says. ¡°What about your folks?¡±


    ¡°Um, they¡¯re Republicans,¡± she says.


    ¡°Ah. Outnumbered, I see,¡± Anja laments. ¡°Unless¡­ Nova can help me out here?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did someone say my name?¡± Nova asks, looking up from his DS.


    ¡°Who do your parents usually vote for?¡± Anja asks him.


    ¡°Oh, Dad doesn¡¯t even bother,¡± he says. ¡°He says that politicians don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about any of us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, I guess I can¡¯t blame him for that,¡± Anja says solemnly.


    <hr>


    After lunch, I made a quick bathroom stop, only to find Anja waiting for me outside the bathroom.


    ¡°What do you want? Here to cram a copy of A Treatise on Money down my throat or something?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m sorry I was looking at your phone earlier,¡± she says timidly.


    ¡°Uh, apology accepted,¡± I say. ¡°Did you really wait for me just to say that?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ not exactly. What was that weird app on your phone?¡± She asks me in a low voice. ¡°That red symbol that looks like an eye?¡±


    Damn it. I need to remember to not open my phone in public as much.


    ¡°It¡¯s just one of those stupid programs that phone companies put on there that nobody ever uses,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what it does.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen that symbol somewhere before, though,¡± she whispers. ¡°Ashley, are you into the occult, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. I¡¯m a Christian, Anja,¡± I say. ¡°I need to get to class. I don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    Before she can say anything else, I take off for my next class. Hopefully she just forgets about that¡­


    <hr>


    3 more classes, and then a marching band rehearsal, and I¡¯m done for the day. Back at home, I take a few minutes to rest and drink some water before starting on practicing for all-region band again. Since I have a moment, I might as well give Lucy a brief update on what happened last night. I don¡¯t think that giving her the cold shoulder for too long is in my interests.


    When I¡¯m alone in my room, I re-enter the Metaverse. Since I¡¯m inside, I shouldn¡¯t have any trouble with being bothered by shadows while talking to her, as they¡¯re all wandering around outside. I give her a call, and she answers very quickly; must not have much of a daily life.


    ¡°Ashley! I¡¯m glad to hear from you again,¡± she says.


    ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t exactly in a huge rush to connect after you almost killed me,¡± I tell her snidely.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ashley. But the awakening of one¡¯s Persona requires them to face their fears head on; to unlock the spirit of rebellion inside of them. That¡¯s hard to do when there¡¯s nothing around to fear.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. So, it wasn¡¯t breaking the seal that unlocked my Persona; it was being attacked by the shadows?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your Persona awakening could¡¯ve technically happened at any time. But like I said, it generally has to be when you¡¯re about to face an enemy. Without breaking the seal, those would¡¯ve been very difficult to come by. So I hope you can understand why I told you to do what I did.¡±


    ¡°So all of that was just so I could unlock my Persona? There had to have been some other way. Even if we disregard the fact that I almost died, there are going to be shadows crawling all over the Metaverse around here because I broke that seal! Isn¡¯t that just going to slow us down?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. You¡¯re thinking about this backwards. Remember when I said that you can strengthen your Persona through fighting?¡±


    I think back to last night. ¡°Yeah, you might¡¯ve mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you need to prepare for the upcoming challenges. Having a bunch of weak, neutral shadows loose is a good thing, as they¡¯ll be perfect fodder for you to hone your technique and eventually gain new skills.¡±


    ¡°Huh. And what kind of skills will I be gaining?¡±


    ¡°As you battle more, your Persona will become more powerful. That means that you¡¯ll have new magic abilities that you¡¯ll be able to use.¡±


    ¡°And how will I know when I get these?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll just¡­ know. I think you¡¯ll find it quite intuitive.¡±


    ¡°Well, okay then,¡± I say. I would¡¯ve preferred a better explanation than that, but if she¡¯s correct, I suppose I don¡¯t need one. I guess I¡¯ll take her word for it, for the time being.


    I still don¡¯t really understand why she couldn¡¯t have at least warned me about the shadows. But at this point, I¡¯d rather just move along with the conversation. I give her a brief recap of what happened after I hung up on her, including the information I was able to glean from Ted.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s very interesting,¡± Lucy says. ¡°He says he was sent here by St. Michael, the literal archangel Himself? That would be¡­ entirely unprecedented. I¡¯ve plunged the Metaverse for decades now and have yet to make any contact with heavenly beings. I think it¡¯s probably more likely that he¡¯s just a little bit on the cuckoo side.¡±


    It¡¯s a bit disappointing that she thinks that. Maybe I¡¯m being stupid, but I found the idea that I have the approval of an angel very validating.


    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m going to keep him around anyway,¡± I tell her. ¡°He seems like he may be useful in battle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°And by the way, there is one other unusual thing about him. After I released him, he gave me this sort of pink gem¡­¡±


    Before I can even finish my sentence, Lucy audibly gasps. ¡°Really? A little bit larger than a grape?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Do you know what it is?¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh, Ashley. That¡¯s terrific news. But how¡­¡± She stops talking for a little while.


    ¡°Uh¡­ how what?¡± I ask her, growing impatient.


    ¡°There are¡­ other gems like that in existence, but very few,¡± Lucy explains. ¡°I have one myself that¡¯s purple¡­ and there are two others in existence that I know of. I have never heard a single thing about there being a pink one. Hmm¡­ maybe Ted really is an agent of a higher power.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold a moment. Why is this little gemstone so important? He didn¡¯t even tell me what it did.¡±


    ¡°It probably won¡¯t do much at first. But¡­ if you grow your Persona to a certain point, the gem will grant you an extremely potent extra set of powers. Each gem has them, and they¡¯re all completely distinct from one another. For example, my purple gem gives me one combat ability and one general one. In battle, it gives me the power to create powerful wind attacks that my regular Personas can¡¯t, such as the ability to form tornadoes which can tear through my opponents. It also gives me some limited ability to influence the minds of others nearby me and hear what they¡¯re thinking. Your stone¡¯s abilities won¡¯t be exactly like that, but that should give you a general idea of what kind of thing we¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m just gonna have to figure out what it does on my own?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Once again, you¡¯re not going to see the effects of this immediately, since you¡¯re not even done exploring your own Persona¡¯s power. But¡­ when you are able to take into the power of the stone¡­ you¡¯ll know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, that¡¯s a really lucky find then.¡±


    ¡°Yes it is. I expect you¡¯ll find plenty of use for it in our mission eventually.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of the ¡®mission.¡¯ How do I get started with changing people¡¯s hearts?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Wow, for someone who was so cynical of me yesterday, you¡¯re very eager to get started now,¡± she says teasingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious. I¡¯m not promising anything yet,¡± I clarify.


    ¡°Alright, then. Well, first, you obviously need to find someone whose desires have become distorted. Generally, the biggest cases will be people in positions of power. Power tends to corrupt, after all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, that¡¯s interesting to hear. So someone with any kind of concentration of power is liable to have their desires distorted?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d say so. Power is by no means required to be a bad person. But more power means more influence, so it¡¯s these types of people who are most prone to be targeted by the entity I mentioned yesterday.¡±


    This catches my interest. From the way she¡¯s describing this, you can use this power to dish out vigilante justice to politicians and corporations alike. As well as any other institution¡­ this may be exactly the type of thing I¡¯ve been hoping for.


    ¡°Anyways, you should then find at least one person who has been directly hurt by this person¡¯s actions,¡± Lucy continues.


    I groan. ¡°You mean I have to get other people involved in this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ashley. What kind of revolution is carried out by just one girl and an animal sidekick? Anyways, you¡¯ll then need to find the villain¡¯s palace. Palaces appear in the Metaverse as manifestations of one¡¯s distorted desires.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ what exactly do you mean by a ¡®palace¡¯? You mean these distorted desires will form fancy looking buildings?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe, but the term ¡®palace¡¯ is also more general than that. It can take any number of forms. The only clear marker is that it¡¯ll be clearly distinct from the rest of the Metaverse.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. What do I do when I find one?¡±


    ¡°These palaces will be filled with puzzles and enemies. They will be themed around what type of distorted desires that the villain has. This is why it¡¯s really helpful to talk to someone who¡¯s been directly hurt by them; they¡¯ll be able to tell you about them before you enter, so you can be prepared for the types of challenges you¡¯ll face. At the end, you will need to fight the boss, who will likely take on a more monstrous form.¡±


    ¡°A ¡®monstrous form?¡¯ Like what?¡±


    ¡°It can be any number of things; anything from a giant, twisted version of the person¡¯s appearance, to some type of animal, to a mythological creature, or even something more abstract. Whatever it is, you¡¯ll need all of your wits about you to face one of these. Personally, I wouldn¡¯t even try it until you have at least four people with awakened Personas.¡±


    ¡°Damn. That sounds like quite an undertaking.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you want to change their heart, that¡¯s what you have to do, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Well, you¡¯ve given me¡­ quite a lot of information. I need some time to mull this over.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be here when you¡¯re ready.¡± She hangs up.


    I take myself back into the regular world, and just sit on my bed for a little while.


    Well, that¡¯s all very interesting. It makes me wonder what kind of villainous people may be living nearby. I bet at least one of the teachers at school has skeletons in the closet. Of course, I¡¯m not really one to know about rumors like that. Maybe I should ask Zoe¡­ or maybe there¡¯s a more direct way of learning about things like this.


    Anyways, guess there¡¯s not much point in worrying about it now. For the time being, I try to get myself focused on practicing and doing homework.

 Chapter 5: First Impressions (August 26)

    <Zoe>


    ¡°Hey. Hey. Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup-¡±


    It feels as if someone is shaking the bed. I try to remember what I had just been dreaming about. It had been a happy one. I believe that it had something to do with Ashley, but the details are slipping away now¡­


    ¡°Hey, you gotta get up, Zoe. Mom¡¯s about to finish breakfast!¡±


    I give up and open my eyes. There, at my bedside, is my younger brother, Collin, no doubt sent here by my parents.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± I tell him to calm him down.


    He grins. ¡°About time! I¡¯ve been here for like a minute.¡± He then proceeds to jump to his feet and take off out of my room in almost a run.


    Collin is only one year below me in school, but somehow through the years he has yet to lose his youthful spirit. You can tell we are siblings by our matching blonde hair and blue eyes, which are also shared by my mother and my two older brothers. His is getting to be almost as long and curly as mine, which is something I expect our parents will put an end to soon.


    So, I arise from my bed, get dressed as best as I can, and head downstairs.


    My mother is indeed already setting the table with plates of scrambled eggs. My father is sitting on the couch, holding a newspaper in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other, as is his typical morning routine. My second oldest brother, Derrick, is setting his backpack on a chair by the front door. (My oldest brother, of course, is not here; he is beginning his first year of college at Texas A&M.) Collin is mysteriously absent. (Where could he have wandered off to since waking me up? Perhaps he is washing his hands.) And finally, our own golden retriever, Shadow, runs straight up to me for attention.


    I¡¯m Shadow¡¯s favorite. I was the one who convinced Mom and Dad to take him home. They wanted to get a dog who was younger. But I just fell in love with Shadow as soon as I looked into his literal puppy dog eyes. The vet said that his previous owners abused him. It was hard to even take him on walks at first. He would take a few steps and then just stop, worried that he was about to be punished for something. It just broke my heart.


    ¡°Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± I croon at him, as I pet him along his back.


    My petting of him is interrupted by my mother, who had finished setting the table and is now letting him into the back yard. Afterwards, she turns to me, and subsequently puts her hands on her hips. For such a thin woman, she could, when desired, create quite a foreboding presence.


    ¡°Why, surely, you do not intend to wear that to school today?¡± she asks me sternly.


    I feel a stab of shame. I had dressed in my favorite pair of jeans, and a red t-shirt from the junior high I attended last year, Bynum Intermediate School.


    ¡°You¡¯re a high school student now,¡± she says. ¡°You can¡¯t be walking between your classes in a regular old t-shirt. You¡¯ll be outdressed.¡±


    This is not necessarily the case. Based on what I observed yesterday, most students seem to dress at about the same level as I am currently. Ashley was even wearing sweatpants.


    ¡°I will change, then,¡± I tell her, turning back to my room to do so. Satisfied, she hovers away to begin rounding up the boys for breakfast.


    It is not my place to question my mother on these things. Being the only daughter of four children, my mother and I always had a special one-on-one relationship. Growing up, she was my teacher in all feminine matters.


    As I am walking back to my room, Collin suddenly bursts out of his, as the doors to our rooms are right next to one another. So, he was not washing after all.


    ¡°Why did you go back into your room?¡± I ask him, curious. ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he says, seeming annoyed with me for asking. Without further ado, he takes off for the breakfast table.


    Ah, his evasive manner is not unusual these days. I¡¯m afraid he is going through quite the rebellious phase.


    <hr>


    My first class after lunch is Pre-AP Biology. Unfortunately, Ashley is not in this class with me, though she does have the same teacher the period after me. Fortunately, I have other friends in this class: Terra, Diana, and Yonca.


    As I take my seat at our table, they are already in the midst of chattering about something.


    ¡°I heard a rumor that he only got into Symphonic Band because his dad is friends with the band director,¡± Diana is saying. Diana is close to my height and has straight, dirty blonde hair that she usually keeps in a ponytail. Her sweet-looking, dimpled face masks a vicious gossiper. Many of her sentences begin with the words ¡°I heard a rumor that¡­¡± and it seems as if now is no different.


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± I ask curiously.


    ¡°She¡¯s talking about Mason,¡± Terra explains. Terra is the tallest of our group and has a cool and in-control temperament. She has brown hair which is very neatly kept; there¡¯s not a single loose hair sticking up. ¡°Diana, are you sure you¡¯re not just jealous that you didn¡¯t get into Symphonic Band?¡± She asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous!¡± Diana replies, going a little pink in the face. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, think about it. We all knew Ashley was going to get in, the showoff that she is. And she-¡± she gestures towards me- ¡°Got in because the other bassoon player quit. But why him? What¡¯s so special about him?¡±


    ¡°Well, he is a very good player,¡± Yonca argues. She has olive skin and long, dark hair, as well as being very short; I¡¯m not even sure if she¡¯s five feet tall. Despite being unusual around here for being a Turkish immigrant, she¡¯s a very sweet person. ¡°Remember how he made first at the all-region tryouts in 8th grade? He might be good enough to be in Symphonic Band already.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that was junior high. High school is a whole different ball game,¡± Diana insists.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s possible that Mr. Castro let him in to keep Ashley¡¯s ego in check,¡± Terra theorizes while giving me an odd smile. Mason and Ashley have a notorious dislike for one another.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ yeah, maybe,¡± Diana says.


    ¡°How¡¯s your first week of school so far, Zoe?¡± Terra asks me.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been going pretty well so far,¡± I say. ¡°I made some new friends yesterday during lunch!¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s good to hear!¡± Terra says. ¡°Just make sure that you¡¯re not getting involved with anyone of the wrong sort.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that,¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh, you know¡­ Anyone who¡¯ll drag you into doing something you shouldn¡¯t be doing,¡± she explains. ¡°Anyways, I think class is about to start¡­¡± Indeed, I can see Coach Everheart standing up from his desk to address us.


    I¡¯ve been friends with Terra and Diana for years, as we all go to church together. That said, when Ashley moved in, even though the two of us got along really well together, she never seemed to gel well with Terra or Diana for some reason.


    Yonca moved in back in fifth grade. When we first met, she was a super shy girl who could barely speak English; but we decided to show her kindness and invite her into our group, and since then she¡¯s adjusted pretty well. Even if it¡¯s a small thing, I¡¯m really pleased that we were able to make a difference for her.


    <hr>


    <Gregg (Ashley¡¯s dad)>


    It¡¯s a warm summer afternoon. Alyssa and I happen to be free for a few hours, so we¡¯ve decided to drop by on a local politician¡¯s rally. I strongly feel that it is necessary for a democracy to function that the citizens keep a close eye on what their representatives are doing. We can¡¯t stick around for too long, however, as we need to pick up Ashley from school a little over an hour from now.


    The public servant whom we are checking in on today is the local Justice of the Peace, Timothy Pavia. ¡°Justice of the Peace¡± is a somewhat odd and archaic political position. Most states have done away with it entirely; however, Texas still continues to carry them. (Not surprising when you consider that this is the same state that still has a ¡°Texas Railroad Commission,¡± which is actually responsible for energy regulation.) Even more unusually, the Justice of the Peace position here actually has a fair amount of duties; for example, he resides over some civil cases.


    The rally is a decently sized crowd of people gathered under a pavilion that is next to a line of soccer fields. People are seated at picnic tables eating various home-cooked food items, mostly barbecue and mashed potatoes, and chattering amongst themselves.


    ¡°Think we should introduce ourselves?¡± Alyssa asks me, gesturing towards the front. Near the speaker setup, I see an older, balding man with tiny circular glasses. He would look rather like an old priest, except he¡¯s dressed himself in flannel and jeans, clearly trying to fit in. That is most likely the man of the hour.


    ¡°Yes, perhaps we should,¡± I say in agreement. ¡°It appears as if we still have a few minutes before the thing starts.¡±


    We walk over to him, and Alyssa catches his attention by asking, ¡°Good afternoon. Are you Justice Pavia?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, why yes I am,¡± he says, turning his gaze towards us.


    Alyssa extends her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Alyssa Cooper.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± he says, shaking it. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met before.¡±


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t. This is my husband, Gregg Davis,¡± she says.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we could make it out here today,¡± I tell him as we shake hands.


    ¡°And what do you two do for a living?¡± He asks us.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re musicians,¡± Alyssa explains, grinning at him cheerily.


    ¡°I see. Well, we¡¯re going to start pretty soon, so feel free to take a seat somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± I say, and we walk towards the picnic tables set up under the pavilion to do so.


    Hmm. Our reception felt lukewarm to me. Sure, we are mostly nobodies around here, but I feel like that is no excuse for a politician to not try to be friendly. A while back, we had the pleasure of meeting our state representative, Andrew Casey. He seems like a very nice man, gave us the time of day and everything. Ah well. Pavia has been in office for quite a while, from what I can tell, and politicians who are in office for a long time have a tendency to become out of touch.


    We are scanning the tables and are pleasantly surprised to see a couple of friends of ours sitting near open seats. The people in question are Abram and Marie Parker, who we know from church.


    The Parkers have a few children, one of them being a girl about Ashley¡¯s age named Zoe. Ashley and Zoe seemed to have developed a very special bond. I think it¡¯s been very good for Ashley to have such a good friend, as she¡¯s been very reclusive since we moved.


    ¡°Oh, why hello there!¡± Marie says in greeting as we sit across from them. ¡°Fancy meeting y¡¯all here!¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s funny we ran into you two, since we were going to ask you something,¡± Abram says. ¡°Since you got a lesson with her after band anyway, would you mind giving Zoe a ride home from school today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no problem at all,¡± Alyssa says. Alyssa has been giving Zoe lessons on saxophone for a few months now. Zoe wanted to be in jazz band, and there aren¡¯t exactly a lot of opportunities out there for jazz bassoon players. The timing worked out pretty well; bassoons don¡¯t appear in marching band either. Now that she plays saxophone, she can play that for both ensembles.


    I feel a bit hungry, so I take a look at some of the food that the volunteers brought. I pick up a rib, but something looks funny about it¡­


    ¡°You think these are fully cooked?¡± I ask Alyssa.


    ¡°Yeah, of course it is,¡± she replies.


    ¡°The meat looks rather red.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s barbecue sauce, dear.¡±


    She turns towards Marie. ¡°He¡¯s still getting used to the way things are around here,¡± she jokes, putting on a slightly southern accent for effect.


    She¡¯s referring to the fact that Alyssa actually grew up here in Texas, so our move a few years ago was a return to somewhere familiar for her. However, for me, it¡¯s been quite the adjustment, given that I lived in California my whole life up to that point. It somehow gets even hotter here during the summer, for example.


    ¡°So, how is Patrick faring at A&M?¡± Alyssa asks.


    ¡°Oh, it sounds as if he¡¯s been doing well so far,¡± Abram says.


    ¡°He¡¯s gotten himself into a good faith group up there!¡± Marie says excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m proud to see him spreading the gospel to others his age. It¡¯s upsetting to see so many of these Millennials rejecting faith.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Alyssa agrees. ¡°Though I think that some of what¡¯s been going on in mainstream religion is partially responsible for that¡­¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s what¡¯s happening in Washington D.C.!¡± Marie says, visibly starting to get worked up. ¡°It¡¯s bound to happen when you have a Muslim in the White House¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on now!¡± I interject. ¡°There¡¯s no evidence of that. And even if it was true, it¡¯s the policies that matter the most.¡±


    ¡°I mean. He clearly hates America,¡± Marie insists. ¡°And if it¡¯s policies you care about, those have been a disaster too.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t dispute that much,¡± I say. ¡°The Affordable Care Act should have never been passed¡­ Congress passing a bill so long that its members didn''t have time to even read it was bound to backfire. And his foreign policy has been far too similar to¡­¡±


    I am then interrupted by the horrible sound of microphone feedback. Justice Pavia picks up a microphone that was connected to a set of speakers and begins making opening comments.


    ¡°Good afternoon, everyone,¡± he says in a southern accent that sounds somewhat forced. ¡°It sure is a pleasure to see you all- er, to see y¡¯all here. I¡¯m Tim Pavia, your incumbent judge. I just want to thank all of you for coming here in support of my re-election effort.¡±


    I suspect that he has other motivations for holding this rally than re-election, since he¡¯s only facing token opposition. The Democratic Party isn¡¯t even bothering to run a candidate against him. His only opponent is an independent running from the right of him, who has no chance of gaining traction due to his previous ties to white supremacy. It¡¯s more likely that he¡¯s using this rally as a chance to connect with constituents; or, more likely, find new high dollar donors, given our reception a few minutes ago.


    ¡°I have been truly blessed to serve the people of Enchantment City for the past few years,¡± he continues. ¡°It says in Romans 13:1, ¡®There is no authority except that which God has established.¡¯ So I will uphold my personal duty of being the hands of God¡¯s morality in this world.¡± Applause from the crowd. ¡°The righteous in society will be blessed with riches; that is what is written. And so you have all gathered here behind me¡­¡±


    I kind of zone out about this time. It¡¯s pretty normal for politicians around here to invoke religious rhetoric, but the way he¡¯s doing it sounds quite egotistical. Well, I¡¯m still glad we came here. This is the kind of look into a public servant¡¯s mind you can¡¯t get any other way than listening to how he addresses his supporters.

 Chapter 6: Darkrai (August 27)

    <Nova>


    It¡¯s June 11, 2013. Two players, Lilyana Kuznetsov and Nova Mosely, are sitting under a large screened area which contains a dirty glass table and chairs. In the corner sits a dilapidated hot tub. At the table, we¡¯re locked in combat playing Pok¨¦mon Black 2 and White 2, the most recently released main series games in the Pok¨¦mon franchise. However, things unfortunately aren¡¯t going so well for me.


    ¡°Are you shitting your pants yet?¡± Lily asks me.


    ¡°No!¡± I exclaim. ¡°That¡¯s gross!¡±


    Lily is my best friend, who lives in the same neighborhood as me. She¡¯s rather overweight and likes to keep her hair on the short side, though the hair she does have is just long enough to be kept in a ponytail. I come over here to play video games with her all the time; and today, we¡¯re battling each other in Pok¨¦mon.


    Well, it¡¯s more like we were. The match just came to an end, as my final Pok¨¦mon, Scrafty, faints after a second Thunderbolt from her Darkrai.


    Darkrai is an unfairly overpowered legendary Pok¨¦mon that she loves using against me. It has unique access to a move called Dark Void, which has a 4/5 chance of putting the opponent to sleep, which basically just means that your Pok¨¦mon is useless for several turns while Darkrai tears through it with its terrifying offensive stats. I thought that Scrafty would be a good counter to it due to its typing and ability, but nope.


    ¡°We¡¯re battling again,¡± I tell her, incensed. ¡°And this time, you¡¯re not allowed to use your goddamn piece of shit Darkrai.¡±


    Lily cackles evilly. ¡°You mean you¡¯ve had all these years and a whole new generation, and you still haven¡¯t found a better counter?¡±


    ¡°That thing is fucking broken!¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s an unfair f -¡­¡±


    She shushes me before I can finish my thought. ¡°Stop swearing,¡± she whispers. ¡°I hear someone coming.¡±


    A few seconds later, her grandma has come out onto the porch with us, holding a small box that''s wrapped with multi-colored wrapping paper.


    ¡°Oh man,¡± I say. ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s your birthday present,¡± she says. ¡°Consider it a thank you for being such a good friend to Lily all these years.¡±


    She lays the box down on the table. I begin tearing it open anxiously. I can¡¯t believe it¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ I honestly had forgotten it was my birthday today, but I guess it is...


    ¡°No way!¡± I shout, as I see exactly what I hoped it would be: a new 3DS! ¡°My mom¡¯s gonna be p- ticked off at you guys!¡± My mom has been getting onto me for my video games a lot recently.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to keep it our little secret,¡± Lily says, winking at me.


    ¡°You may want to be heading home soon,¡± her grandma says. ¡°I¡¯m sure your parents will want to spend your birthday with you.¡±


    I''m not so sure about that. ¡°I¡¯m not in a big hurry,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Yeah, grandma, it¡¯s only four!¡± Lily says quickly. ¡°He can stay a little bit longer. We still have business to settle, after all.¡±


    Her grandma chuckles. ¡°All right, just don¡¯t be out here too late.¡±


    After her grandma goes back into the house, Lily looks at me. ¡°Are your parents¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say quickly, because I know exactly what she¡¯s going to ask and I don¡¯t want to hear her say it out loud.


    As I take the system out of its box and turn it on, I start thinking about what games I would like on it. There are a few staples I know I need to play, and the next Pok¨¦mon game is coming out by the end of the year¡­


    ¡°Oh yeah, before I forget,¡± Lily says, ¡°You can have this now.¡±


    She gives me another wrapped box, this one smaller and square shaped. I have a feeling that there¡¯s a game in there, and sure enough, it¡¯s Mario Kart 7!


    ¡°You guys are so cool,¡± I say to her, feeling even more appreciation for her and her family. This reminds me of something, though... ¡°Shit. I forgot to tell your grandparents thank you!¡±


    Lily laughs at me. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but to ¡°sweat it¡±, though. I know from experience that people get angry at you if you don¡¯t thank them when they give you presents.


    While I¡¯m entering in my name and the date and everything, I can¡¯t help but to start thinking about what I was trying not to earlier.


    ¡°Man, I hope that I don¡¯t have to move,¡± I say. ¡°You know I¡¯m not too good at making new friends.¡±


    Lily doesn¡¯t have a response for this.


    <hr>


    To take my mind off of the depressing shit, I plot a new counter for Darkrai while I ride my bike home later. However, when I arrive at the back door, I can hear the voices yelling from inside¡­ I take a deep breath and open the door.


    ¡°...won¡¯t even please your own wife!¡± My mom¡¯s voice shouts as I enter. ¡°What kind of man are you?¡±


    I quickly shuffle through the kitchen, trying not to be seen. To drown out their voices, I try and focus harder on my previous train of thought¡­


    ¡°One who wants some peace and quiet that YOU won¡¯t let me have!¡± My dad shouts back.


    Whew, I managed to get by without them noticing me. Anyways, maybe a Breloom with Technician could work. Boosted Mach Punch could lay it out before it has a chance to¡­


    ¡°Well, newsflash, Jace, the rest of us in society don¡¯t get any peace and quiet! We won¡¯t until we¡¯re dead.¡±


    It¡¯s really hard to concentrate when there are people yelling nearby¡­ Let¡¯s see, maybe I¡¯ll try to distract myself by playing a different game.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you ever gonna chill for just two seconds! You ain¡¯t human!¡±


    Hmm¡­ how about Star Fox Assault? I still need to finish that.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t soft like you, I work for a god damn living and I¡¯m tired of getting questions about why I still put up with you! It¡¯s no wonder you don¡¯t even know how to raise a child right!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You know that boy isn¡¯t right, Jace!¡±


    Damn it, I wish they would shut up. I don¡¯t see Kat anywhere, I bet she¡¯s hiding in her room again.


    ¡°You heard what that doctor said! It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about any doctor! You¡¯re too weak to knock any sense into him, that¡¯s what the problem is!¡±


    Let¡¯s see here¡­ what was I doing in the game last time? Oh yeah, hunting for Pigma¡­


    There is a loud clattering of dishes from the kitchen, followed by footsteps. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna be knocking anything¡­ you¡¯re crazy, woman!¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME!¡±


    Suddenly, a huge crash sounds from the kitchen as a plate was hurled against the wall.


    ¡°JESUS CHRIST!¡± the man yells.


    That¡¯s the second time that¡¯s happened this month. Can¡¯t they just let me play my games in peace?


    <hr>


    ¡°Nova! There¡¯s someone knocking at the door!¡± My dad¡¯s voice says from behind me.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± I ask, confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s your friend, right?¡± he questions. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you get it?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I guess so,¡± I admit, standing him. I see him leaning against the entrance to the kitchen, chuckling at me.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What were you doing, boy?¡± he asks me.


    ¡°I was just thinking about stuff!¡± I defend myself. He just keeps chuckling and walks into the kitchen. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that funny.


    About a year after that day, my parents got divorced. My Dad initially got custody of Kat and I, and he moved us to Enchantment City, away from our old home in New Braunfels. Before I moved, Lily told me that she actually had a cousin who lived in the same town named Anja Beulen. And then, she just so happens to be in the same section as me in band. I guess it is a small world or whatever. Figuring that lightning ain¡¯t gonna strike twice, I invited her over to my house after band today for some Super Smash Bros.


    I pause the game and run up to the door. I check the peephole, and just as I thought, it¡¯s Anja. I open the door.


    ¡°Hey there Nov,¡± she says. ¡°Hmm. Nov¡­ your name isn''t shortened quite as easily as the others.¡±


    ¡°Is it that girl of yours?¡± My dad calls out from the kitchen.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± I call back, and I really wish he hadn¡¯t said that because as we walk back into the living room, Kat appears at the door to her bedroom.


    ¡°Ooh, Nova¡¯s got a girlfriend now,¡± she says.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I tell her. ¡°Get back to your room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised at you, Nova. I thought you were gay!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what I am,¡± I tell her. She runs away giggling, and I make to slap her but miss and hit the wall on purpose.


    ¡°You never told me that you have a little sister!¡± Anja says to me.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I try to forget she exists,¡± I say, as I make my way back to the TV. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s time to Smash.¡±


    I hear her giggling behind me too, though I can¡¯t figure out why.


    <hr>


    Smash Bros. is going great. I¡¯m winning probably three quarters of the matches we¡¯re in. She¡¯s trying to counter my Dedede with fast characters like Sonic and Sheik. Along the way, though, we discuss what¡¯s really important in life: which characters will show up in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for 3DS. (Personally, I¡¯m pulling for Mewtwo to return.)


    After my fourth consecutive win, Anja finishes off her third Dr. Pepper with a loud slurp. ¡°Man, what is your secret, Nova?¡± she asks me.


    I shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t have one. Just get good.¡±


    ¡°Awh, come on. I bet you practice all the time,¡± she says. ¡°I guess I need to start stepping up my game. By the end of the fall, I¡¯ll be beating you, and that¡¯s a promise!¡±


    Her words, however, make me pause for a moment. They make me feel strangely sad¡­


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± She asks me.


    ¡°Um¡­ can I tell you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much longer I¡¯m gonna be around here,¡± I admit.


    She frowns at me. ¡°What do you mean? Didn¡¯t you just move here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ well, my mom is trying to get custody back of my sister and I,¡± I explain. ¡°If she does, I¡¯ll have to move back.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Anja says. ¡°How do you feel about that?¡±


    I feel myself getting mad just thinking about it. ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t win,¡± I say bluntly. ¡°She¡¯s an insane psychopath.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Anja says, staring at me.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, surely the judge won¡¯t give you guys over to her?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ she doesn¡¯t act like that when we¡¯re in court,¡± I explain. ¡°She¡¯s a lawyer, you see. She knows how to get on a judge¡¯s good side.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, someone who¡¯s two-faced,¡± Anja says. ¡°Who¡¯s overseeing your trial?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ some old dude named ¡®Pavia.¡¯¡±


    Anja shakes her head. ¡°My dad says that man is crooked,¡± she says. ¡°Rich people always seem to come out on top whenever he¡¯s overseeing a case¡­ so he¡¯s most likely taking bribes.¡±


    This information gives me a jolt. Dad doesn¡¯t have a ton of money, he¡¯s barely scraping for us by working at his dead-end job. Mom, on the other hand, is a lawyer for the big oil company Vermillion Oil, and makes a pretty substantial income¡­


    ¡°Do you think that¡­ my mom might be bribing him?¡± I ask her.


    She shrugs, a grim look on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what¡¯d your mom do to make you not want to live with her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s horrible,¡± I explain. ¡°Always screaming at my dad, and at my sister and I. She throws stuff around when she doesn¡¯t get her way. She always calls me a ¡®freak¡¯ and tries to stop me from playing video games.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯d prefer to live with your dad?¡± she says. ¡°Your situation does seem¡­ rather unusual.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hell, is what it is,¡± I go on. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to have to go back to living with her¡­ Although, I guess it would be nice to see Lily again.¡±


    Anja thinks about this for a moment, looking pensive.


    ¡°I¡¯m turning sixteen this December, and when I do, I¡¯ll be getting my real driver¡¯s license,¡± she explains to me. ¡°Maybe¡­ if this court thing works out¡­ I can take us both up there to visit her?¡±


    I¡¯m kinda taken aback by that. ¡°Really? You¡¯d be willing to drive all that way?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that far,¡± she says. ¡°We¡¯d just have to hop on I-35, survive whatever the traffic is like in Austin, and then exit just past San Marcos. Shouldn¡¯t take longer than an hour. Maybe an hour and a half if Austin is bad.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thanks,¡± I tell her, smiling despite myself. The idea of all three of us being able to meet does sound pretty fun¡­ but then, I realize why it probably won¡¯t happen¡­ and my heart sinks back to its regular place.


    ¡°If that Pavia guy is really accepting bribes from my mom,¡± I say, ¡°We have no chance of winning. I¡¯m probably gonna have to move back there, whether I like it or not.¡±


    Anja¡¯s face suddenly flashes with¡­ something. Anger, I think. ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± she says. ¡°There has to be some way to fight back¡­ even though we¡¯re kids¡­¡±


    ¡°If you find out something, I¡¯d love to hear about it.¡± I tell her. I pick up my own Dr. Pepper and start drinking it for something to do.


    ¡°When I¡¯m an adult,¡± she says, ¡°I¡¯m not going to let shit like this happen anymore. People like that Justice Pavia don¡¯t deserve power. I¡¯m tired of politicians with no principles who can be bought by the wealthy running this country. You know what? I think Citizens United was the worst Supreme Court decision since Plessy v. Ferguson!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Citizens what?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh, uh, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she says. ¡°Sorry, I got a little worked up there¡­¡±


    I shrug ¡°Come on, then. Let¡¯s play another round,¡± I say, picking my controller back up.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    By the time I¡¯m driving home from Nova¡¯s, it¡¯s already dark out. That meetup was definitely successful. We had a really good time together. Even though I lost probably nine out of ten matches, I found him fun to hang out with. That said, his story about the custody battle weighs heavily on my mind. Will we be able to find some solution to let him stay with his dad? Or will this story turn into a tragedy, a reminder that we are stuck on this cruel bitch of an earth with almost no agency? I¡¯m Anja Beulen, and we¡¯ll be finding out together on¡­ Deep In The Heart. *Theme music plays*


    ¡­Okay, I probably need to quit with the internal monologue and focus on the road.


    I get home to find Dad sitting on the couch and reading as usual. My father honestly kind of looks like a ¡°stereotypical therapist¡±. He has short, brown hair, is somewhat on the corpulent side, and has a pair of circular reading glasses.


    ¡°Did you have fun with your friend?¡± He asks, as I walk into the living room.


    ¡°I sure did!¡± I assure him. ¡°But man, I didn¡¯t realize how bad I was a Smash Bros¡­ I need to train.¡±


    ¡°Well, just make sure that you do your schoolwork first,¡± he tells me.


    ¡°Of course, of course. Speaking of which¡­ I should probably go start on that.¡±


    I head back into my room. It doesn¡¯t have a lot of furniture, just a bed and a desk with a computer on it, as well as a bunch of office supplies and a stack of cases for 3DS and DS games. There¡¯s also a bookshelf against the back wall and books and clothes strewn all over the floor. I¡¯ve never been much of a stickler for cleanliness.


    I lean back onto my bed and lay on my back for a while. I know I like, just said that I was going to start on my homework, but¡­ I don¡¯t really feel like it.


    The longer I sit, the more I find that what Nova told me about the custody trial with his mom is weighing heavily on me, for whatever reason. Man, I just wish there was something I could do¡­ Thinking about how helpless I am to change things right now is depressing as hell¡­


    Thankfully, a convenient distraction comes just a few minutes later, as I feel my phone ringing. I pick it up to see that it¡¯s my Aunt Kierstyn!


    Aunt Kierstyn is my mom¡¯s sister, so in a way she¡¯s the only piece of her I have left. Like Mom, she found herself in government work, albeit of a lower profile. She actually lives here in town, but is frequently gone for long periods of time for her job.


    I visit her place occasionally, and frequently keep in touch via phone. I often vent to her about school worries, and in return, she tells me about weird stuff that she¡¯s learned in her line of work. She¡¯s a huge fan of conspiracy theories- I sometimes get the feeling that she only took a government job to dig up dirt.


    That said, somehow after Mom passed away, she and Dad became estranged, so he doesn¡¯t really like me to visit her too often. He thinks that it¡¯s really weird that she has a daughter (Lily), but she doesn¡¯t even live in the same town as her. Lily and I¡¯s grandparents have to take care of her most of the time. And yeah, I¡¯ll admit that is pretty weird. When I ask her about it, she says that she visits Lily whenever she can, but is really busy with her job.


    Anyways, I¡¯m glad that she¡¯s calling me. There was something I wanted to ask her about anyway¡­


    ¡°Hello there, Anja!¡± She greets me after I pick up. ¡°How¡¯s your first week of school been?¡±


    ¡°Oh, pretty good,¡± I say. ¡°Classes seem okay so far.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Tell me about what¡¯s been going on.¡±


    And tell her I do. I talk about marching band, and how we¡¯re preparing for our first football game next Friday, immediately followed by our first contest the next day. I also talk about the friends I¡¯ve made so far. I tell her about Ashley, who I enjoy talking to despite the fact that she¡¯s not very easy to get along with, and her shy best friend Zoe. Finally, I talk about Nova, and how bad I feel for him over what¡¯s been happening with his parents.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really tough to have to watch people you care about get swept away by forces out of any of our control,¡± she comments solemnly. ¡°Still, it¡¯s good to hear that you¡¯re making friends. I know that the past couple of years have been rough on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they sure have been,¡± I say. ¡°But I have a feeling that things are going to be better- even if it means I have to degrade myself by being friends with a bunch of freshmen.¡±


    She laughs at that. ¡°Well, don¡¯t get too high and mighty. You were a freshman just last year, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I say. ¡°Actually¡­ speaking of friends, there¡¯s something weird that happened recently that I wanted to ask you about.¡±


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I saw something weird on one of my friend¡¯s phones the other day. She had an app that resembled a strange eye over a red background. I swear that I¡¯ve seen that same symbol before¡­ I think it was when I was visiting you once.¡±


    ¡°You saw that on her phone?¡± She questions, suddenly sounding very alarmed. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know what I saw. What do you think it is?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ something which you definitely don¡¯t want to mess around with, Anja,¡± she says seriously. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d try to forget about that as quickly as I could.¡±


    I frown to myself, disappointed that she isn¡¯t more forthcoming with information. Still, I can tell by her tone that she isn¡¯t going to relent, so I drop the subject.


    The rest of the conversation goes normally, and she leaves me to finally start my homework after making plans for us to see each other on Labor Day.


    Still¡­ I haven¡¯t forgotten about that weird app. Call it reverse psychology, but the way she reacted to me bringing it up only makes me way more curious to find out what it is¡­

 Chapter 7: Tired Of Waiting (August 28 Part 1)

    <Anja>


    The next morning, Dad drops me off at school nice and early. I usually like to get to school earlier rather than later so I can spend the last thirty minutes before class starts actually waking myself up. I don¡¯t really have anyone to hang out with in the morning, but there is a nice little room in the band hall nobody goes to which I like to use. Still, it gets kind of lonely¡­ Why does everyone at this school have to be so bigoted? Ah well. No use crying over spilled milk.


    I¡¯m about to enter the band hall, when I happen to see that Ashley is being dropped off. This gives me an idea¡­ I decide to wait by the door for her. I don¡¯t know what she usually does in the morning, but it¡¯s worth seeing if she might want to join me. Knowing her, though, she probably spends all morning practicing. Or doing homework.


    Except¡­ she doesn¡¯t actually walk towards the band hall. She¡¯s acting kind of strangely. She¡¯s carefully looking around the school, as if searching for something. Then, she suddenly starts walking in the opposite direction, towards the athletic complexes.


    Wait a second¡­ I don¡¯t think that Ashley is in any sports. What is she doing? I¡¯m kind of curious now. I don¡¯t have anything better to do, so I decide to go say hi and ask her.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    After thinking it over, I¡¯ve decided to check and see if there is a palace at the school. I know that Lucy said to find someone evil and then find the palace, but¡­ Well, knowing whether or not there¡¯s one at the school would help narrow it down. Or wait, would it? It¡¯s not exactly clear to me where someone¡¯s palace would actually appear. Would it appear where they work, or just like at their house? Well, whatever the case is, it¡¯s easy enough to check while I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll just dip in real quick and check it out, and then go spend the rest of the morning practicing as usual.


    I happen to know of a little spot where I can quickly go in and out without being seen. Next to the gym, there¡¯s an indention in the school¡¯s wall where a generator is, and there aren¡¯t any doors or windows nearby. If I stand in between the generator and the wall, I¡¯ll be completely concealed unless someone just so happens to walk back there, which is extremely unlikely.


    I carefully step around the generator as it whirs away. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s dangerous to touch or not, but I avoid doing so just in case. I get out my phone to get it over with.


    However, in the few seconds while my finger is touching the app, I hear a voice speaking to me: ¡°Hey Ashley! What¡¯re you¡­¡± Unfortunately, it¡¯s too late to undo it. God damn it.


    <hr>


    When the world comes back into focus, I¡¯m surprised to see that I am in the middle of what appears to be a dense jungle. That¡¯s¡­ quite the change from where I ended up last time.


    According to Lucy, a palace can take any number of forms. Could something like this jungle be a palace? It is completely unique compared to the rest of the Metaverse, so maybe.


    I turn around to survey my surroundings, and then I see¡­


    ¡°Anja!¡± I shout in surprise. ¡°What the hell are you doing in here?¡±


    She¡¯s breathing very deeply a few feet away from me, seemingly completely overwhelmed by the sudden change in surroundings. ¡°Oh my god¡­ I think¡­ I¡¯m having a meltdown¡­ What the FUCK is happening here?¡±


    ¡°Was that you who was talking to me before I entered the Metaverse?¡± I ask her.


    She just gives me an incredulous look. ¡°Before you entered WHAT?¡± She asks.


    Somehow, she must have been dragged in here with me as I entered. Maybe if I take her back quickly enough, I can try and play it off like she just had a brief hallucination or something¡­


    ¡°Wait! This has something to do with that app on your phone!¡± Anja says, pointing at me. ¡°I knew you were up to some freaky stuff.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly have known that,¡± I retort.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this place. I have a serious case of the creeps right now,¡± she whines. ¡°Also, why are you dressed up like some sort of knight?¡±


    I sigh. Okay, it¡¯s probably too late to try and pass this off as her imagination.


    ¡°What I want to know is why the hell you happened to be standing around while I was coming in here,¡± I tell her. ¡°Were you stalking me?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t stalking you!¡± She replies indignantly. ¡°I was just coming over to say hi.¡±


    ¡°And you followed me all the way around the school to do that?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I was bored!¡± She defends herself, blushing.


    I sigh again and return to surveying our surroundings. This place vaguely reminds me of pictures I¡¯ve seen of the Amazon rainforest. The foliage is so thick that I can¡¯t see five feet in front of me. Lucy said that a palace would have puzzles and enemies¡­ but I don¡¯t see anything like that. I might find something if I wander around¡­ but it¡¯s also probably best to not get tangled up in all of that right now. For the time being, I should focus on dealing with Anja.


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t right,¡± she says, going back to looking around at the trees. ¡°Don¡¯t you just feel like¡­ someone is watching you?¡±


    I draw my sword. I find that I don¡¯t need to actively draw the sword from a sheath; it simply appears in my hand the moment I think about using it. Odd, but convenient. Anyways, with the sword in hand, I begin circling around the area we¡¯re in. No sign of anything yet¡­


    ¡°You never really answered me before when I asked where we are,¡± she asks me from behind, sounding calmer now that she¡¯s recovered from the initial shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Metaverse,¡± I explain. ¡°And I think we may be in the middle of a particularly dangerous part of it, so be on your toes.¡±


    ¡°How the hell did you learn about this?¡± she asks me.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ kind of a long story,¡± I say. ¡°I found this old journal in my closet¡­ and when I wrote in it, it started writing to me back.¡±


    ¡°A talking book?¡± She gasps suddenly. ¡°You mean like Tom Riddle¡¯s diary?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought of too,¡± I admit.


    Now she¡¯s looking at me with a hint of her usual smugness back. ¡°Huh. I never took you for a Harry Potter fan.¡±


    I shrug. She returns to nervously glancing around at the trees surrounding us.


    ¡°And this person in the book told you how to get here?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. She kind of forced me to come in here, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s rather rude.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s very rude. Still, afterwards, I was able to awaken my Persona. That¡¯s why I have the armor.¡±


    She gives me a weirded-out look. ¡°Your Persona, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It gives me a weapon and the ability to do magic and shit.¡±


    ¡°Magic?¡± She chuckles a little bit. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not gonna lie. This does sound pretty occult to me, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± I snarl at her. Though come to think of it, I really don¡¯t know a lot about the origins of this place. Still, if we believe the story about Ted being sent by an angel, it can¡¯t be anything entirely wicked.


    ¡°Well then, what¡¯s the deal with this jungle?¡± She asks me.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s what¡¯s called a ¡®palace¡¯,¡± I explain to her. ¡°It means that there¡¯s someone at our school with distorted desires.¡±


    ¡°Distorted desires?¡± She asks, looking alarmed. ¡°How are they distorted?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admit. ¡°There¡¯s not much we can do here without finding out who it belongs to.¡±


    ¡°And if you did find out who it belongs to, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°Change their heart.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ so basically, this place lets you make bad people good? Or at least less bad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, basically.¡± I¡¯m starting to get tired of the 20 questions, so I look around at the foliage one more time to have something to do. Lucy said that a palace¡¯s design would reflect how its owner¡¯s desires are distorted. What kind of desires would cause a jungle to appear? The place does have a wild feel to it. Maybe it means that the palace owner is acting on baser impulses, without regard for the ethics of civilized society?


    ¡°Uh¡­ Ashley? I see something moving!¡± Anja whimpers.


    ¡°Right¡­ we should get out of here. We¡¯ve been loitering too much,¡± I say.


    And then, I suddenly feel something grabbing me by the ankle. Before I can respond, I feel it tug on me, causing me to fall on my face. Whatever it is must¡¯ve gotten Anja too, as I hear her screaming from in front of me.


    I feel myself being dragged into the trees, so I quickly scramble to an upright position. Some type of green vine is lassoed around my ankle. I grab my sword and use it to slice through the vine, and then kick myself free.


    I quickly get to my feet and look around. Anja is gone now, but I can see a path through the trees of ruffled grass and broken branches, which means that she must¡¯ve been dragged away by a vine. Without wasting any time, I hurry in the direction she was taken.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    And so there I was, being dragged through the jungle by a force I could not see, terrified for my life, my head bumping into trees and my face being scratched by branches and leaves.


    Eventually, it drags me into a clearing, far away from where I was just talking to Ashley. I see my assailant; a bunch of disembodied vines, which are now shooting out of the surrounding jungle from every direction and tying up my arms and legs, leaving me feeling extremely vulnerable and viscerally uncomfortable. It¡¯s then that I hear a hissing voice from every direction at once, which bizarrely sounds slightly familiar:


    ¡°Excellent, now I¡¯ve got you alone. Your armored friend isn¡¯t going to save you. I¡¯ve dragged you where nobody can see or interrupt¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me go, whatever you are!¡± I shout. ¡°I do not like this one bit!¡±


    ¡°And miss out on this opportunity? I¡¯ve been waiting for someone small and defenseless like you to wander onto my playground for quite a while. Now just be a good girl and stay put until I can be there in the flesh. Not like you have a choice¡­¡±


    Nope. Noooope. I¡¯m not letting this shit happen.


    ...Is what I would love to say right now, but I have no idea how the hell to get out of this. I utterly lose control and start screaming, every ounce of my fear pouring from my mouth in a shrill, terrible cry for Ashley or literally anyone to come help me before this creep arrives.


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to hear you,¡± the hissing voice says. ¡°But go ahead and continue screaming, it really helps set the mood¡­¡±


    The vine starts pulling my legs apart so that they¡¯re more spread out. Something kind of seems to snap within me at that moment¡­ unfortunately, not in any kind of helpful way. I find that my voice goes hoarse, and my limbs just sort of freeze up. Damn it, no! Not the paralysis response! This is fucking hopeless¡­


    However, amid my despair, I feel a strange, other feeling¡­ And suddenly I remember something. Didn¡¯t Ashley say something about having a Persona? She never really explained it, but¡­ I need help. I literally don¡¯t care who or what gives it. Anything that¡¯s in there, or out there, or whatever, please¡­


    Amazingly, I hear a voice within my head that¡¯s not my own. It sounds like¡­ an effeminate man.


    Why hello there Anja, he says. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to call on me.


    Uhh, hi, I think back (this is weird.) Who exactly are you¡­?


    I¡¯m the part of you that you keep hidden away. I am your inner power, your spirit of rebellion. You called for me; does this mean that you¡¯re finally ready to accept me?


    I gain a sudden clarity of mind. This situation is seriously wrong. There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m gonna let this stand.


    Yes, I accept, I think decisively.


    Good, says the male voice. Yes, this is excellent. I feel your resolve. Come on now¡­ And it''s at this moment that I feel something change.


    <hr>


    Now, I¡¯m in an area surrounded by greenery- but it¡¯s different from the jungle. This place feels much more peaceful. I find myself on my knees in front of a small pool of water. I look at my reflection in the water for a while, seeing my own brown eyes stare back at me.


    Then, I hear the same voice as before, only this time it¡¯s across from me. It says, ¡°So¡­ you believe that it is your time¡­ to choose what is right, rather than what is easy¡­¡±


    I look up from the pool, seeing who I¡¯ve been speaking with for the first time¡­ and this causes my cheeks to immediately flush bright red.


    Across from me is a man¡­ an absolutely gorgeous man, with flowing blonde hair, naked except for a sort of curtain blocking his midriff, and, most interestingly, a bed of daffodils growing out of the top of his head. He¡¯s casually leaning against a tree. I¡¯m temporarily at a loss for words, and just stare for a while, going against my usual etiquette standards. He doesn¡¯t seem to mind, however.


    ¡°Teehee¡­ Answer a question for me, Anja. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ sitting by a pool.¡±


    ¡°No, with your life. What is the point of keeping yourself isolated like this? Why is it that you have all these ideals which you hold strongly, and all these changes you want to make, yet you never pursue them?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s not exactly much I can do right now, is there?¡±


    ¡°Sure there is. You could be doing research. You could be engaging with others and strengthening your views with new viewpoints. Instead, you are like this pool; a motionless body of water, with nothing flowing in or out. And if left sitting long enough, pools will become stagnant and infested with algae.¡±


    I look at my reflection in the pool again and frown. ¡°That¡¯s mean,¡± I say defensively.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, though. Remember, I am your inner self; I am only saying things that you already know to be true. And besides all of that, the existence of this world opens up even more opportunities for you.¡±


    I look up excitedly. ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°Well, you think so, at least,¡± he says cheekily.


    ¡°Actually¡­ that makes me wonder something. If you¡¯re my inner self, why are you a guy?¡±


    ¡°I only take the form of your cognition of power.¡±


    I frown again. ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m like, secretly a misogynist?¡±


    ¡°No... You¡¯re thinking about this way too hard, Anja¡­ It just means that I represent something that you value or want to change about yourself.¡±


    I laugh, feeling stupid. ¡°Right, sorry. I do tend to think too hard about stuff, I guess¡­¡±


    I stand back up. ¡°Alright. Enough questions, I¡¯m ready to do this.¡±


    He grins at me. ¡°Very good. We will form a pact. If you are ready to accept the responsibility that has been thrust upon you, I will lend you my power.¡±


    ¡°Hook me the fuck up, I¡¯m in!¡±


    <hr>


    Though I am in the grasp of the vines, my body begins trembling, moving so forcefully that I can¡¯t be held still. As if following instructions I had agreed on long ago, I reach up to my face, where a white mask has formed, and I rip it straight off. For a moment, the pain is so intense that I can¡¯t help but to scream¡­ But then, I am engulfed in blue flames, which burn away all of the vines; I can feel the relief of my limbs being set free. When the fire is gone, I am wearing a curious outfit; a red dress, covered on the back by a thick fur coat, and a tight necklace of small pearls around my neck. In my hands is some kind of gun with a long muzzle and a huge handle right past the trigger.

 Chapter 8: Vows (August 28 Part 2)

    <Anja>


    I see the vines moving back towards me to ensnare me again, but I act instinctively and open fire in every direction at once; I am pleased to find out that my weapon fires automatically, and so I let loose a spray of bullets until the vines retreat back into the undergrowth.


    ¡°Yeah! That serves you right, motherfucker!¡± I shout triumphantly, feeling thrilled by my newfound power.


    ¡°Ah, how lovely. It¡¯s more fun when you try to fight back,¡± the hissing voice says. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you handle this¡­¡±


    Then, I see two enormous snakes, with patterns of alternating yellow and light blue, approaching me from the tree line, hissing at me threateningly. Shit¡­ I wasn¡¯t prepared for this.


    I waste no time in opening fire on my serpentine opponents. Unfortunately, this doesn¡¯t work quite as well as it did with the vines, since the snakes seem to at least be smart enough to dodge a majority of the bullets.


    What this does accomplish is provoking them further, and one of them charges straight for me. I¡¯m momentarily at a loss for what to do; my weapon is a ranged one!


    But something else changed when I got my weapon¡­ I feel some sort of power within me that I didn¡¯t have before.


    Without really thinking about it, I raise my hand in front of me and snap my fingers. I am pleased, though honestly not entirely surprised, to see a huge flash of light split the air in front of me, leaving the snake clearly disoriented. I take advantage of this moment of weakness to rush towards it and smack it with my gun.


    However, it doesn¡¯t take the snake long to recover, and it begins wrapping itself around me¡­


    Then, I¡¯m flooded with relief to see Ashley burst through the trees!


    ¡°Ashley! I need help!¡± I shout at her.


    She catches my eye, and then reaches towards me and casts some sort of spell that significantly weakens the hold of the snake that¡¯s constricting me, allowing me to wrestle free. However, helping me came at a cost; the second one lurches towards her and sinks its teeth right into her shoulder¡­


    I finish off the snake in front of me by grabbing its head and letting loose with automatic fire right into its mouth: the bullets form several clear holes all around its head and neck, which ooze blood that looks like black tar¡­ then, the snake goes still, and dissipates into a sort of shadowy substance. Then, it fades into the air, as if it had never existed to begin with.


    I immediately take off for where Ashley was. Ashley retaliates against the second snake with a wild strike that cuts it clean in two, causing it to dissipate as well. The force of the swing, however, caused her to fall over backwards onto the ground.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask her stupidly, as I huddle over her. She must be in a ton of pain; the snake¡¯s bite somehow melted through the armor and left two huge gashes on her shoulder. However, the only sign of pain that she¡¯s showing is a grimace that¡¯s barely more expressive than the look she gives me when I make a bad joke.


    ¡°What the hell¡­ are those fangs made of?¡± she says hoarsely. ¡°Cut through my armor like¡­ tissue paper.¡±


    Once again, without really thinking about it, I lift my hand to her shoulder, which begins glowing brightly. When I pull it away, the wound is inexplicably healed. Ashley gives me a strange look, like she¡¯s just now noticed that I exist.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here before anything else shows up,¡± I urge her. She nods in agreement, and then transports us out with her phone.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I am fully expecting, based on my previous experience, to appear in some random part of the school; but thankfully we turn up back by the generator where we entered.


    Anja looks as pale as a ghost, and as soon as we get our bearings back, she sits down on the ground, breathing deeply.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± she says. ¡°That was¡­ pretty fucked up.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about it after school today when we can get some privacy,¡± I tell her. ¡°Class is probably starting before too long now. You can come over to my place after band.¡±


    She just nods silently, her eyes still wide with fear.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    It turns out, Ashley actually doesn¡¯t live too far away from me. She¡¯s close enough to where I can ride my bike to her place after school. Who knew?


    Ashley¡¯s house is a reasonably modest one-story, not any bigger than mine. There¡¯s a huge oak tree in the front, must be 50 feet tall. There¡¯s also a campaign sign for the US Senator from Texas who¡¯s up for re-election this year. Well, she did say her parents were Republicans. Oh well, at least they¡¯re not shilling the other Senator from here.


    Anyways, without further ado, I knock on the front door, and after about thirty seconds, a woman whom I can only assume is Ashley¡¯s mom answers the door. She looks so similar to Ashley, it¡¯s almost comical. They both have the long red hair, green eyes, and slender build while still having a chest¡­ ugh, I¡¯m so jealous. Anyways, apart from resembling Ashley, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that I know her from somewhere else too¡­


    ¡°Hello, you must be Anja,¡± she says to me. She looks like she hasn¡¯t been getting a lot of sleep recently. ¡°Come on in.¡±


    I step into the front hall. ¡°Thank you very much, Ms¡­ Davis? Is that it?¡±


    She chuckles at me. ¡°Well, technically I¡¯m still Ms. Cooper. I didn¡¯t change my last name when we got married. Still, Zoe¡¯s been calling me Ms. Davis for years anyway. I just don¡¯t have the heart to correct her, she¡¯s so sweet.¡±


    I look around the house to see if Ashley is around, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be. What¡¯s she up to?


    ¡°You may be the first kid other than Zoe to step into this house since we moved here,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom continues, looking at me carefully as though scanning me. ¡°Those two have quite a special friendship, do they?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ yeah, I guess so,¡± I say.


    Psst¡­ I obviously won¡¯t say anything else to her mom, but I kind of have a theory that Ashley and Zoe are secretly in love with each other. I mean, Ashley gives me serious lesbian vibes. That¡¯s honestly part of the reason I started talking to her. Not even to hit on her, I was just hoping to make friends with someone who won¡¯t judge me for being bi.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Anyways, Ashley should be around here somewhere,¡± her mom explains. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing... She¡¯s usually already waiting at the door whenever Zoe gets here.¡± I make a mental note of this, as it corroborates my theory.


    Ashley¡¯s mom takes off down a hallway to the right of the front door, and I follow behind her.


    We pass a couple of other doors and arrive at the one at the opposite end of the hall, on which she knocks sharply. ¡°Hey Ash, your friend is here,¡± she calls. Hmm, her mom calls her that too. Interesting.


    There is no response. After a few seconds, Ashley¡¯s mom rolls her eyes and just enters the room anyway.


    Ashley is sitting on her bed, wearing a large pair of headphones. It seems as if she heard her mom enter the room, as she is now stopping an old-fashioned record player that¡¯s sitting on the bed next to her.


    ¡°Make sure you put that back before your father gets home,¡± her mom comments. ¡°You know how particular he is about his stuff.¡± And with that, she is gone, leaving just Ashley and I.


    Ashley doesn¡¯t say anything at first. She spends a little while moving the record player onto her desk.


    ¡°Uh¡­ wow, your room¡¯s a lot more organized than mine is,¡± I say, feeling a bit awkward. ¡°Um¡­ Whatcha listening to?¡±


    ¡°Coltrane,¡± she says simply. She hands me the vinyl sleeve for the record, which was sitting on her nightstand. The sleeve has ¡°A Love Supreme/John Coltrane¡± written at the top in blocky white letters. Below that is a black and white photo showing a side view of a black man, who is looking into the distance pensively.


    ¡°Oh, cool,¡± I say.


    She takes the sleeve from me and sets it on top of the record player. Then, without giving any sort of warning, she fiddles with her phone, and we¡¯re re-entering the¡­ place, whatever it¡¯s called.


    <hr>


    ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± I say, one massive exposition dump later.


    She nods. ¡°It is indeed. This was sprung on me only a few days ago, so I¡¯m still trying to understand it all myself.¡±


    I sit myself down on Ashley¡¯s bed, head in my hands. Well, I was just thinking the other day that I wish there was something I could do to help Nova. Maybe¡­


    ¡°What do you know about Justice Pavia?¡± I ask Ashley.


    ¡°I know that he is the local Justice of the Peace, and that he¡¯s running for re-election this year,¡± she responds. ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, if we can target anyone we want using this Metaverse crap, I think he¡¯s a good person to consider for that.


    Ashley looks at me sternly. ¡°Look, Anja. I told you what Lucy said; this is only for the most evil people imaginable. This better not be about some petty political disagreement that you have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± I insist. ¡°It has nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with the fact that this man is about to force Nova and his little sister to live with his abusive mother!¡±


    ¡°If his mother is really that bad, shouldn¡¯t we be going after her?¡± she questions me. ¡°What does the Justice have to do with this?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s the one presiding over the trial,¡± I explain. ¡°I guess maybe we could go after Nova¡¯s mom. But like, I dunno. Getting a bad person to stop doing bad things is one thing. But could something like this make a mother start loving and caring for her own children?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not. At any rate, before we do anything, we¡¯re going to need to talk to Nova about this,¡± Ashley suggests.


    ¡°Well, yeah, obviously.¡±


    ¡°Also, I think we should try and learn a little bit more about this Pavia character. Just mismanaging one civil trial doesn¡¯t make someone a despicable villain. We need to find out if this fits into a broader pattern of behavior.¡±


    ¡°I bet you that it does! My dad says that man is crooked.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but some people in this town believe that the president is Osama Bin Laden after faking his own death and getting plastic surgery, so let¡¯s find something slightly more substantial than word of mouth.¡±


    ¡°Alright... fair enough,¡± I agree.


    Seemingly satisfied with this, Ashley takes her phone out and returns us to the regular world.


    <hr>


    As soon as we¡¯re back, she begins striding past me towards her door.


    ¡°Hey, wait a sec!¡± I call after her. ¡°What are we doing?¡±


    ¡°While you¡¯re here, there¡¯s someone I want to introduce you to,¡± she says, opening the door.


    And so I hurriedly follow her back down the hallway, past the dining room table, and into the kitchen, where she opens the freezer door. However, all she does is just look inside of it and sigh heavily.


    ¡°What, you want to introduce me to someone who lives in your freezer?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I was going to offer you a popsicle, but¡­ looks like my mom finished those off already.¡± She closes the freezer door.


    ¡°How do you know it wasn¡¯t your dad?¡±


    ¡°Because my dad actually has self-control,¡± she says. ¡°Also, he¡¯s not home right now.¡±


    ¡°Where is your mom, anyway?¡± I ask, looking around the house and seeing the living room empty.


    ¡°Probably taking a nap. She played a gig late last night, and it totally destroyed her sleep schedule.¡±


    ¡°Surely she can¡¯t be tired if she just ate sugar?¡±


    ¡°My mom actually does get tired when she eats sugar¡­ just one of her many quirks.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she has some sort of medical condition?¡±


    She shoots me a scathing look. ¡°Do you have a medical condition which makes you ask 10,000 questions per second?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a curious person!¡± I reply indignantly.


    She rolls her eyes at me, and then makes for the front door.


    Seriously though, I didn¡¯t think it was that offensive of a question. She¡¯s being totally ridiculous. You guys agree with me, right?


    <hr>


    Ashley marches me down to the end of her street, where across the road perpendicular to hers, there is a church. The area is surrounded mostly by trees and is decently far away from any houses. The thin driveway eventually hits a fork, where a large, glorious stone sign says First Methodist Church. The sign is surrounded by a bed of flowers. The left fork leads to a currently empty parking lot, and the right fork, which is the one that Ashley takes, leads to the church itself, which appears old and humble.


    Ashley walks past the building and to a few shoddy wooden picnic tables that are down the hill. Everything behind the tables is forest.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± she tells me. So, I sit down at the table. Ashley takes off into the forest. However, it is not long before she returns, holding an armadillo out in front of her, which she sets down on the table.


    ¡°Ooh, you have a talking armadillo friend?¡± I ask. ¡°Hi little fella!¡±


    ¡°Howdy ma¡¯am,¡± the armadillo says, in a gruff, deep voice with a southern accent. ¡°I must ask that you not patronize me.¡±


    But I can¡¯t help but burst into laughter right there. I¡¯m sorry, this is just the silliest thing I¡¯ve ever seen. The blatant Texas-ness of this is just beautiful.


    ¡°Just a warning, Anja,¡± Ashley explains, ¡°He was previously a human, which means that he has human intelligence. So treat Ted with some respect. He¡¯s the one who saved me from the coyotes, and he¡¯s the one who¡¯ll be teaching us to use our Personas.¡±


    ¡°Right. My apologies, Armadillo-sensei.¡±


    Ashley glares at me for this, but honestly, it¡¯s worth it.


    ¡°Anyways¡­ based on our experiences today, it sounds like we probably don¡¯t want to enter here at the school from here on out,¡± Ashley states. ¡°Which is a major inconvenience, given that¡¯s the only place where we regularly gather.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, what happened when y¡¯all were at the school?¡± Ted asks sharply.


    ¡°Yeah, it didn¡¯t look like this at all, it was like the middle of a jungle,¡± I explain. ¡°And then I got grabbed by a bunch of vines, and was probably on the verge of being tentacle raped when my Persona came to my rescue.¡±


    Ashley shakes her head at me. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being dead serious!¡± I assert. ¡°I¡¯m not even joking! That whole thing was creepy as fuck!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that is disturbing,¡± Ted comments. ¡°Very disturbing indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan then?¡± I ask. ¡°Make this place the base of our operations?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be easiest,¡± Ashley agrees. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯d have to smuggle this one-¡± she gestures at Ted- ¡°in my backpack to wherever we do meet.¡±


    ¡°That sounds kind of fun, though,¡± I comment. ¡°It¡¯d be like having a pet come with you everywhere you go. You could talk to him when you feel lonely during school¡­ use him to help you study¡­ he could make you go to bed on time every night¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need help going to bed on time,¡± Ashley says bluntly.


    And that was pretty much what has to be the weirdest day of my entire life. I¡¯ve done some pretty strange stuff in my time, but this has to be, like, number two or three on that list. Well anyways, tomorrow we¡¯ll try and see what Nova knows about that one guy.

 Chapter 9: Responsibility (August 29)

    <Ashley>


    The next morning, Anja leads me to a practice room in the back corner of the band hall which is never used. This is apparently where she usually hangs out in the morning. It¡¯s a rather large practice room that contains a bunch of assorted percussion equipment. When we walk in, Nova is already there, playing his DS.


    ¡°Morning Nova,¡± Anja greets as we both take seats next to him on the floor.


    ¡°The three of us need to discuss something very important,¡± I say, hoping to cut to the chase.


    ¡°Um¡­ I need to finish my algebra homework first,¡± he replies.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit us,¡± I snipe at him. ¡°I can clearly see that you¡¯re currently playing Mario Kart. How stupid do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Nova growls.


    ¡°When¡¯s your work due?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°First period,¡± Nova replies.


    ¡°Oh wow. So yeah, you better get that done before we do anything else,¡± Anja says.


    ¡°I only have like thirty minutes, though,¡± Nova argues. ¡°What¡¯s the point of starting it now?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even started it?¡± I inquire. ¡°How many questions do you have?¡±


    ¡°Like, twenty,¡± Nova answers.


    ¡°Dude, you can do that in thirty minutes. Algebra¡¯s as easy as piss.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ That wasn¡¯t my experience Ashley,¡± Anja cuts in, grinning.


    Normally, you would take basic algebra in the ninth grade. However, students who are in advanced classes are given the opportunity to take it in eighth grade and start geometry in ninth grade instead. As a result of this, both Anja and I are on the same level in math, despite the fact that she¡¯s a year older, and Nova is still in algebra despite being in my grade.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Nova groans, rolling his eyes. He pulls one of our school¡¯s antique algebra textbooks out of his backpack and opens it to the appropriate page.


    ¡°Okay, first you need to think back to the lecture over this material,¡± Anja instructs him. ¡°Compare the examples you went over in class to the first few problems.¡±


    ¡°Implying I was actually paying attention during class?¡± Nova snickers.


    ¡°Oh. Well, if you weren¡¯t paying attention, that¡¯s okay,¡± Anja says reassuringly. ¡°You just have to¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± I interrupt. ¡°No, it¡¯s not okay. Why on earth weren¡¯t you paying attention? Do you want to fail?¡±


    Nova gives me a death glare. ¡°You know what? Fuck you and your nagging,¡± he spits. He slams his algebra book shut and storms out of the practice room with it.


    Anja sighs heavily, staring at me with disappointment. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not planning on becoming a teacher, Ashley,¡± she chides. ¡°You¡¯d be terrible at it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose I would be,¡± I admit. ¡°I have a very low tolerance for idiots.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not an idiot, you bitch!¡± Anja jabs at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think you truly understand the things he¡¯s dealing with in his life.¡±


    ¡°And you do?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a feeling that you may have reminded him of his mother just then. And not in a good way.¡±


    I think about this. If Anja¡¯s characterization of his mother is accurate, it would explain his reaction to my scolding.


    ¡°I suppose we don¡¯t want that,¡± I concede. ¡°How about you do the tutoring next time?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be best,¡± she says dramatically.


    I sigh and direct my attention towards studying for my upcoming quiz in AP Human Geography. Most AP classes are reserved for our junior and senior years, but Human Geography is offered to a special selection of students who got excellent grades in eighth grade history.


    Zoe could¡¯ve gotten into the class with me, but she voluntarily declined, not wanting the extra pressure. I can¡¯t blame her. She¡¯s a pretty bright kid, but she just goes to pieces any time there¡¯s a quiz or test, and AP classes have quite a lot of those. Unfortunately, the absence of her company means that I have to deal with those idiots all by myself.


    After I flip through my flash cards for a while, Nova comes back into the practice room, holding what appears to be a completed math assignment.


    ¡°Can you guys look over my answers?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°Uh¡­ okay, maybe this is a job which you¡¯re better suited for,¡± Anja says, passing the paper over to me.


    I sigh again and begin to look over his work. Despite the hassle it took to get him started, it seems like he nailed it in the end. I¡¯m guessing that he used the examples in the book to make up for his lack of conscious classroom instruction.


    ¡°These¡­ are all correct,¡± I tell Nova, handing the paper back to him.


    He doesn¡¯t have a response for that. He just plops back onto the floor and starts cramming his things back into his backpack.


    ¡°I suppose I was wrong about you after all,¡± I continue. ¡°You¡¯re not stupid, Nova. Your problem is that you¡¯re lazy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not lazy either!¡± Anja barks. ¡°He¡¯s afraid, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ what would I be afraid of?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ perhaps you¡¯re afraid of failure?¡± I speculate. ¡°Are you underestimating your abilities?¡±


    Nova shakes his head. ¡°Look, can we stop with this psychoanalysis shit? It¡¯s annoying me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, whatever,¡± I say. ¡°There¡¯s not enough time left now, so let¡¯s plan to discuss some more serious matters over lunch.¡±


    Nova gives a non-committal grunt. I decide to leave the practice room and look for Zoe.


    I find her near the front of the band hall, talking with three other girls. One of them is Diana. Like Zoe, she goes to my church, but I¡¯ve never liked her all that much. She¡¯s always come across to me like a bit of an idiot. The next is Terra, another girl from church I never quite clicked with. Always came across as overly judgmental to me. She has a habit of saying something horrible about whoever just left the room. It always makes me wonder what she says about me after I leave. The third is Yonca, who admittedly is alright. The worst thing about her is the company that she chooses. One-on-one, she¡¯s nice enough.


    When Zoe sees me, she gives me a friendly wave and stands up from her chair. ¡°Oh, there you are, Ashley!¡± She says. ¡°What have you been up to this morning? I couldn¡¯t find you in any of the practice rooms.¡±


    ¡°I was in the back one with Anja and Nova,¡± I explain to her. ¡°Nova needed some algebra help.¡±


    ¡°Which Anja?¡± Terra asks me. ¡°Do you mean Anja Beulen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think there are any other ¡®Anja¡¯s at the school, are there?¡±


    She leans over the back of her chair and looks at me with narrowed eyes. ¡°Are you aware of the¡­ rumors surrounding her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care,¡± I tell her bluntly. ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t pay attention to petty gossip.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, if you learned what the rumors are, you might just care,¡± she replies ominously.


    At that moment, I¡¯m saved by the ringing of the bell.


    ¡°Oh! We better head to English,¡± Zoe says. ¡°Talk to you guys later!¡±


    As we leave the band hall together, I notice that Zoe seems stressed about something- she¡¯s breathing more deeply than usual.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just nervous for the quiz today,¡± she confesses.


    ¡°You mean the one in English, or the one in Biology?¡± I ask.


    Her eyes fly open. ¡°We have a quiz in English???¡± she asks in a frightened voice.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Relax. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be easy,¡± I assure her. Nevertheless, her anxious state is considerably heightened for the rest of our time walking to class.


    <hr>


    However, Zoe and I are quite surprised to walk into class and find the desks arranged in groups of three. I guess we¡¯re not having a quiz, then.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to postpone the quiz until tomorrow,¡± Ms. Truman explains. ¡°Today, we will be doing a group project.¡±


    ¡°Phew. That¡¯s a relief,¡± Zoe says as we sit down at an empty table. ¡°Now I have another day to prepare!¡±


    ¡°Personally,¡± I comment, ¡°I prefer to know what to expect when I walk into class.¡±


    As I¡¯m getting my things out of my backpack, I notice something odd. Some boy I¡¯ve never seen before is standing near our desk, glancing around nervously. He¡¯s almost my height, a bit muscular, and has short, brown hair that¡¯s ruffled up and rectangular glasses.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask him, looking him in the eyes.


    ¡°Um¡­ is... can I¡­¡± he stutters, looking flustered for some reason.


    ¡°Oh, do you need a group?¡± Zoe asks kindly. ¡°You can sit with us for today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thanks,¡± he says, looking relieved.


    He sits down, takes a deep breath, and then looks at me. ¡°Ashley, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he greets, nodding curtly. ¡°My name¡¯s Kevin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Zoe!¡± Zoe says, reaching out to shake his hand. ¡°Anyways, we need to find out what it is we¡¯re supposed to be doing¡­¡±


    I grab a hand-out that¡¯s sitting on my desk. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ instructions. I¡¯ll just read it to you guys, since we only have one.¡±


    <hr>


    The rest of the class period goes fairly well. I was initially worried that this Kevin guy may try to cause us trouble, but he seems fine. With the quiz in English cancelled, I set my sights on the next quiz I have that day: AP Human Geography. I can be fairly certain that it won¡¯t be cancelled, as this class is taught by a competent teacher.


    While reviewing my flashcards in the minutes before class, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I don¡¯t even turn to look around, because I have a strange feeling that I know what¡¯s about to happen.


    ¡°Hey Ashley! Can I¡­ see those real quick?¡±


    It¡¯s Zoe¡¯s friend Diana. As you can tell, she¡¯s basically one of those kids who wants to get through school without putting any work in. So obviously, I tell her, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°...No? Please Ashley? I¡¯m panicking!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my fault,¡± I say, because it isn¡¯t. I¡¯m the one who went through the trouble to put these together, not her.


    I would¡¯ve loved to get back to reviewing, but at that point I¡¯m interrupted yet again, by a familiar, whiny voice which is now impersonating a stereotypical old English accent, saying ¡°Sorry, the peasants must payeth thy taxes before speaking to the queen!¡±


    I turn my head head to right, and I see him: Mason Wallace.


    Mason Wallace is a boy whom I dislike possibly more than anyone else on the entire planet. I understand from the Bible that hatred is a sin, but I gotta admit, I fucking hate him. He¡¯s comparable to Draco Malfoy, except without any of Draco¡¯s more redeeming qualities from the later books. I mean, he even has the blonde hair.


    There he sits, grinning at me in such a way so as to invoke my inner sadist. Okay, no, wait, this is important, I need to interrupt myself again to make this point. Let me give you an idea here. You know how Anja has that smile she sometimes gives me that just inexplicably annoys me? Mason¡¯s is like, 100 times worse. Scratch that, 200 times.


    ¡°You saved the day again!¡± He says to me. ¡°You sure showed Diana the importance of preparing b-¡±


    ¡°Mason. Shut the fuck up. I¡¯m studying.¡± I whisper, cutting him off mid-sentence. Because I am not in the mood to put up with his shit.


    He smirks at me, evidently delighted that he got a reaction out of me. Which is the wrong response. If he knew what was going on inside my brain, he would be sprinting out of the classroom as fast as he can.


    Fortunately for him, the quiz is being passed out at that point. Next time¡­


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    The atmosphere of the lunch table today feels remarkably different today than usual. Ashley and Anja both look unusually serious. Well, to be more accurate, Anja looks unusually serious, and Ashley looks about the same as usual. It gives the area a tense vibe, and I get the impression that both of them are anticipating something.


    ¡°Hi guys,¡± I say timidly, afraid of breaking the mood. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hi Zoe. We¡¯re going to have a serious talk with Nova,¡± Ashley asserts.


    ¡°Oh really? About what?¡± I inquire.


    Ashley and Anja glance at each other, and Ashley shakes her head very slightly. Anja seems to know what this means, and sighs morosely.


    ¡°Nova¡¯s been going through a tough time in his personal life recently,¡± Anja explains. ¡°We¡¯re worried about him, so we want to help him¡­ talk it out.¡±


    ¡°Actually, you may be able to help us,¡± Ashley says to me. ¡°I think that¡­ I may have gotten on Nova¡¯s bad side this morning. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could help me talk to him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I could do to help,¡± I admit. ¡°I barely know him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good at getting people to trust you,¡± Ashley assures me. ¡°You can take my word for it.¡±


    Nova comes over to the table at that moment, Ashley begins before he even has a chance to sit down.


    ¡°Nova. Before you pull out your DS, it¡¯s time we talk about that important subject we referenced earlier.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a 3DS,¡± Nova replies, looking annoyed with her.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Ashley says back. ¡°Anja, do you want to do the honors?¡±


    Anja looks down at the table solemnly. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve been talking with Ashley, and I think we¡¯ve found a way to... help you out.¡±


    ¡°Help me out with what?¡± Nova asks skeptically.


    ¡°With your custody case,¡± Anja explains.


    Nova glares at her. ¡°How much does she know about it?¡± he presses her, clearly referring to Ashley. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were going to go around telling other people about it.¡±


    ¡°I know the basics,¡± Ashley interjects quickly. ¡°But I want to hear most of it from you. I need an idea of how serious the situation is.¡±


    ¡°And why should I tell you anything?¡± Nova protests, shooting a betrayed look at Anja.


    ¡°Nova, you have to trust me,¡± Anja tells him, speaking gingerly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done what I did¡­ except I really think we have a fighting chance here. There¡¯s a way we can get you through this.¡±


    Nova looks despondent. He¡¯s now just staring off into space, drumming his fingers on the table subconsciously. Something about the look in his eyes looks familiar to me¡­ I¡¯m not sure what moves me to do it, but I start talking.


    ¡°I know that we don¡¯t know each other very well,¡± I begin, ¡°But you can tell us whatever is going on with you. If there¡¯s any way we can help... we will.¡±


    For a moment, he doesn¡¯t react to what I said in any way. However, after a few seconds, he begins talking.


    <hr>


    ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± Ashley says after Nova is done explaining. ¡°Pavia¡¯s going to give custody of you and your sister back to your mom, because¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s a prick!¡± Nova spits, his face contorted with fury over the tale he just recounted. This whole time his eyes have been seemingly fixed down on the table, away from everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ah. Well thank you Nova, that clears up everything.¡±


    ¡°I think what Ashley means is, he must have some sort of legal argument,¡± Anja cuts in. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say something to me earlier about him not liking your dad?¡±


    ¡°He thinks that my mom would be a better caretaker because she has more money,¡± Nova explains, sneering. ¡°But that¡¯s bullshit. My dad works two jobs to care for us and pay for our shitty apartment. You can¡¯t say that he doesn¡¯t care.¡±


    I gasp unconsciously. I always thought that this town was a fairly wealthy one, so it never occurred to me that there are people here who struggle just to get by. Nova finally looks up from the table and momentarily makes eye contact with me, giving me an odd, blank look.


    ¡°It sounds like he might think he¡¯s doing the right thing, then,¡± Ashley comments, almost more to herself than to anyone else.


    Nova shakes his head, his eyes returning downward. ¡°We¡¯ve told him about the way my mom acts; how she throws things at people when she gets home and insults us. My dad¡¯s talked about it, I¡¯ve talked about it, even Kat has come in to talk about it; but he believes my mom over all of us.¡±


    Ashley looks deep in thought; it¡¯s like she¡¯s trying to solve a complicated math problem in her head.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t talk about it much in here, because it¡¯s very personal,¡± Anja explains, ¡°But Ashley and I might just know a way to help you out of this.¡±


    This intrigues me. What could Ashley and Anja do to help Nova with a legal case like this? Perhaps they want to coach him on legal arguments or something? I want to ask, but it sounds like the type of thing that¡¯s none of my business.


    Nova doesn¡¯t seem to be convinced; instead of answering, he returns to drumming his fingers on the table agitatedly.


    After a moment of this, Ashley snaps, ¡°Nova, would you cut that out?¡±


    ¡°Cut what out?¡± Nova replies, not looking at her.


    Ashley sighs, and evidently decides to let it slide. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s plan to meet up tomorrow. We need to go over what exactly we have in mind for how to resolve this situation, first of all. In addition, there are some outstanding claims about Pavia that we need to investigate before taking action.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever we¡¯re doing, we better do it by next Thursday,¡± Nova comments. ¡°That¡¯s when he said he¡¯s making a final decision about the custody case.¡±


    ¡°Damn. It would¡¯ve been nice if you mentioned that earlier,¡± Ashley replies, looking peeved. ¡°Well, you must understand that we are working with powers that are greater than any one of us. We absolutely can¡¯t afford to make a hasty decision.¡±


    ¡°Doing nothing is not an option, Ashley,¡± Anja asserts. ¡°If you know how to help and do nothing, you¡¯re responsible for the outcome.¡±


    ¡°And if you rush into a decision without thinking it through because you feel like you must do something, you¡¯re responsible for the unintended consequences of your actions too!¡± Ashley argues back. ¡°Ask your friends in Congress, who passed a bill they hadn¡¯t even read through, and guess what? It turned out to be a disaster!¡±


    This pushes Anja over the edge, and the two begin to have a heated political discussion about healthcare or something. This stuff is over my head, so I quickly lose track of the discussion.


    While I didn¡¯t ultimately contribute very much to the conversation in hindsight, I think I was at least able to help with what Ashley wanted me to do. After I spoke to Nova, he opened up to us about his situation. It was really heartbreaking to hear about what he¡¯s going through; I pray that somehow or another, he¡¯s able to get through it and be able to find peace.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    At long fucking last, I¡¯m done with tests and quizzes for the day. Just got done with my first root word quiz in Biology. Pretty sure I nailed it.


    As I walk out of the classroom, however, I bump into Zoe. This occurrence is not unlikely, given that she has class in the same room afterwards.


    She just about runs into me, looking scared halfway out of her wits. ¡°How was it?¡± she asks. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what is the how this going.¡±


    ¡­Did I just have a stroke, or was that total gibberish?


    ¡°Um¡­ can you say that again, slowly?¡± I ask her.


    Zoe just looks up at me, looking as if she¡¯s about to burst into tears. ¡°How can you stay so calm all the time? Every time I have to take another test I feel like my brain is slowly unraveling¡­¡±


    ¡°Zoe, there¡¯s nothing wrong with you,¡± I say as softly as I can manage. ¡°You just have¡­ uh, testing anxiety.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I¡¯m not just stupid?¡±


    ¡°W- No, Zoe, you¡¯re not stupid.¡± I put my hands on Zoe¡¯s shoulders. ¡°And I go to this school, so I know all about stupid.¡±


    Zoe smiles and seems a little calmer. ¡°Well, okay¡­¡±


    I pull her into a hug, hoping that it will help her stay calm. She returns it gladly¡­ it¡¯s rather nice, honestly.


    At this point, I see a few other girls walk near us; the same trio that Zoe was talking to this morning. I guess Diana¡¯s a bit salty about what happened in Human Geo, because she¡¯s glaring at me. Terra is also giving me a suspicious look. I quickly release Zoe, and we both head to our respective classes.

 Chapter 10: The Game (August 30)

    <Anja>


    After I unexpectedly stumbled across a new power on Thursday, Ashley is now considering the idea I had to use the Metaverse to help save Nova from being returned to an abusive parent. However, she understandably has some reservations about jumping into it blind, so we¡¯re making some basic preparations. First of all, we need to get Nova up to speed about what the plan is, so he has a better idea of what type of intel we need in regard to Pavia¡¯s cognition. Second, we need to do some digging into Pavia¡¯s record, to find out if this one incident reflects a broader pattern of behavior. I¡¯ll bet you $20 it does, but we still need to find proof first.


    I park next to the tiny building at the front of Nova¡¯s apartment complex to pick him up, since I can¡¯t go through the gate. I message him to let him know I¡¯m here, and a few minutes later he comes dashing up to the car.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have your license yet?¡± He asks me, as he climbs into my car.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not really supposed to be driving without an adult,¡± I explain, backing out of the parking lot. ¡°But as long as I don¡¯t leave town, I should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Better not get pulled over.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯m a very responsible driver.¡±


    ¡°Why does that not reassure me?¡± he asks, and I have a hard time determining if he¡¯s teasing me or not. He gets his DS out and says, ¡°Anyways, so what¡¯s the big idea you guys have?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s wait until we get to Ashley¡¯s to discuss it. You probably won¡¯t believe it until you see it.¡±


    ¡°Oh man. It¡¯s one of those things?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But if this judge is guilty of what we think he is, this may be the only way to help you out of this situation with your parents.¡±


    ¡°And what if it doesn¡¯t work?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess in the worst-case scenario, you¡¯d only have to be with your mom until you¡¯re eighteen. And most custody settlements allow for some visitation with the other parent.¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°No way I¡¯m staying with that bitch. Four days would be too much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite a strong way to talk about your own mother.¡±


    ¡°I never fully told you about what she did.¡±


    He lets out a hefty sigh. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him jabbing the buttons a little more angrily than before.


    ¡°She¡­ really hated how much I play video games. Sometimes, when she had a bad day at work, she¡¯d get home and just scream at me about it. She told me that I was wasting my life, that I was ¡®socially inept,¡¯ that I was going to be on my own after high school and would probably end up homeless¡­¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Also, when my grades were bad, she¡¯d sometimes go into a rage and break one of my game discs. I never got to finish Paper Mario for the GameCube.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! That¡¯s a good one. I¡¯ll lend it to you sometime so you can finish it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Anja. She yelled at my sister too, though not as much. She stopped playing games with me for a while because she was too afraid of being yelled at. She yelled at my dad the most. Hit him, too, and threw stuff around. She blamed him for both of us being horrible children, and also for not getting a high-paying job. Not like we needed it, she makes so much as a lawyer for Vermillion Oil.¡±


    I find this interesting for a few reasons¡­ But for now, the only question I can ask is this. ¡°Nova, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ why did your parents get married?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯ll ask him sometime for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you had to go through that. It¡¯s normal for parents to want their children to succeed. My dad gives me extra allowance if I get all As and Bs. But that is just¡­ horrible.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe. But my mom wasn¡¯t entirely wrong about me, you know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He¡¯s silent for a moment. ¡°Can I tell you something that you have to promise to keep a secret?¡± He asks in a softer tone.


    ¡°Of course. My lips are sealed.¡±


    ¡°Several years ago, some doctor I was seeing said that I had¡­ this thing called ¡®Asperger¡¯s.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes, I am familiar with that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are? Well, Mom really wasn¡¯t happy about that diagnosis. She thinks that I¡¯m just gonna use it as an excuse to be mediocre and get out of doing work. Dad always defended me by saying that it wasn¡¯t my fault that I have it. But Mom was kind of right in the end. All I do is play video games, and my grades suck. I am pretty much doomed once I become an adult.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself! There¡¯s no reason why you can¡¯t do whatever you set your mind to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what they always tell me. But you know what? I try to do things the way other kids do it, and it doesn¡¯t work. It¡¯s like my brain is defective. I¡¯m never going to be like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right; you won¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ wait, did you really just tell me that?¡± He responds, jolting in surprise once he realized what I said.


    ¡°Yes. You won¡¯t ever be like everyone else. You can¡¯t do things the same way that other people can. But that doesn¡¯t mean that you can¡¯t succeed in life in your own way.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Anja, I don¡¯t think being good at Smash Bros counts at succeeding in life. I guess I could try entering tournaments¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. I mean, you can do things that other people do, and be good at them. But the way you do them will just be different. With the right strategies, though, you can do whatever your heart desires. And you know, in some ways, being on the autism spectrum is a gift! You may be bad at some things most people are good at, but it works in reverse too; you¡¯re also good at some things most people are bad at.¡±


    ¡°Huh. It doesn¡¯t feel like it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guarantee that you are. But¡­ we probably need to talk about this later, we¡¯re almost to Ashley¡¯s house.¡±


    We¡¯re pulling onto her street then, and I see Ashley waiting for us on the front porch, serious as ever.


    ¡°Oh boy. Here we go,¡± Nova groans as I pull into the driveway.


    We hop out of my car and head over to the porch where Ashley is. ¡°Hey there Ash!¡± I greet.


    ¡°Hey. Now that you¡¯re here, follow me,¡± Ashley tells us simply.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I reply teasingly.


    Ashley starts leading us to the Methodist Church where I met Ted the Armadillo.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking us to church?¡± Nova asks incredulously. ¡°I haven¡¯t been in a church for years now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going inside, we just need to hang out behind it,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°This isn¡¯t even the church we usually go to.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you just go here?¡± Nova inquires. ¡°It¡¯s literally a two-minute walk from your house.¡±


    ¡°Because, Nova¡­¡± She sighs. ¡°Religion is complicated.¡±


    Eventually, we reach the picnic tables. Ashley, without any further ado, pulls out her phone and hits the app.


    <hr>


    I hear someone screaming as soon as we reach the other side, for a terrifying moment I think we are being attacked. However, it turns out the screaming is just from Nova.


    ¡°WHAT¡­ WHAT THE F¡­¡±


    He seems utterly at a loss for words. He¡¯s turning around wildly and looks like he¡¯s about to start ripping his own hair out.


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡± I say, ¡°Sorry, Nova. We probably should have warned him.¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?¡± he finally stutters out, glaring at Ashley with tufts of hair still in his hands.


    ¡°Will you calm the fuck down!¡± Ashley commands him.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°NO! I WON¡¯T!¡± Nova yells. He finally releases his hair, and instead kicks a nearby picnic table in frustration. Impressively, he¡¯s actually able to knock it straight over.


    ¡°Just quit acting like a child and sit down!¡± Ashley snarls, taking a seat at the now-velvet picnic table closest to her. I follow her.


    Then, from out of the woods comes Ted, dashing on all fours and then making a leap with surprising agility up on top of the table. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± he asks. ¡°Your friend is very distressed.¡±


    When Nova sees Ted, it breaks him. He instantly freezes in the exact position he was in, as if paralyzed, and just stares at the little cowboy armadillo in front of him.


    ¡°DID THAT THING JUST TALK?¡± Nova shouts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him a ¡®thing,¡¯ Nova,¡± Ashley chastises him. ¡°Just sit down already.¡±


    Ashley¡¯s harsh attitude does absolutely nothing to calm him down, as he is now yanking his hair again. I feel as if it¡¯s time for me to intervene. I walk over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Hey Nova. I know that this must be really confusing, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Anja¡­ what¡¯s up with your outfit?¡± Nova asks curiously, staring down at my front. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you dress up like that before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is my Persona!¡± I explain to him.


    ¡°Your Persona?¡± he questions with a somewhat horrified expression.


    "Basically, once you awaken one, you can fight and use magic and stuff.¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Anja and I already did ours.¡±


    ¡°Awaken one?¡± Nova asks, turning towards her. ¡°How do you do that?¡±


    ¡°By necessity,¡± Ashley replies. ¡°They awaken during really dangerous situations.¡±


    ¡°It requires¡­ coming to terms with your inner shadow,¡± Ted explains. ¡°During dangerous situations, we call upon our inner strength to accomplish things we never knew were possible. There are other means of awakening Personas as well, but that is the method these two have experienced.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, when I awakened mine, I was being grabbed by a bunch of vines and shit!¡± I explain. ¡°They were like, lassoing my limbs and stuff! I couldn¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°Wow. I¡¯ve seen enough hentai to know where this is going.¡±


    Both of us break into laughter at this. Ashley seems unamused.


    ¡°You know, Nova¡­ you¡¯re saying that as a joke, but honestly that is kind of true,¡± I admit. ¡°The situation was very rapey¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, you¡¯re serious?¡± Nova asks, looking as if he now feels bad about laughing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. It was still pretty funny. But yeah, it wasn¡¯t funny when it was happening.¡±


    ¡°Right. I guess it¡¯s not fun when it happens in real life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what exactly are you two going on about?¡± Ashley asks, frowning.


    ¡°Well, you know. Haven¡¯t you ever seen those hentai videos where there¡¯s a bunch of tentacles and¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t, actually. Is that a real thing people watch? I thought it was just a weird meme.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a meme too. But yes, it¡¯s real. You see, tentacle porn actually has roots in Japanese history. Back in the post-WWII era, the government had strong censorship laws, so to get around them¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t really care,¡± Ashley cuts me off. ¡°I¡¯m not having this conversation with you when we¡¯re supposed to be planning for something serious. Remember, this was your idea!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. My apologies, your highness...¡±


    Ashley glares at me so hard that I feel like I¡¯m about to spontaneously combust. It was totally worth it, though.


    ¡°Okay¡­ are you two ready to take your seats now?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Nova says begrudgingly. ¡°But this is still weird as fuck.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, get used to it,¡± Ashley states bluntly.


    Nova very slowly sits down at the table, and I follow him. Then, without further explanation, Ashley pulls her phone out again and starts¡­ calling someone?


    ¡°Uh, Ashley?¡± I have to question. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to get any service here.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    To my shock, after a few seconds, I hear someone speaking from the other end.


    ¡°Hello again, Ashley. So, it is time now, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a new voice! Hello, it¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Lucy!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ hi. I¡¯m Nova.¡±


    ¡°Nova, huh? That¡¯s an unusual name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for an unusual person,¡± Ashley jabs. For this, Nova gives her the middle finger.


    ¡°My name is Anja,¡± I say.


    ¡°Anja¡­ is that a Polish name?¡± Lucy asks.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ I think?¡±


    ¡°So Ashley,¡± Lucy says, ¡°Anja¡¯s your girlfriend, right?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not,¡± Ashley says quickly. I swear I can almost see a shadow of a blush on her face¡­


    ¡°Well, when am I gonna meet the special girl then?¡± Lucy continues to inquire.


    ¡°Probably never. Also, Ted is here. Say hi, Ted,¡± Ashley says, clearly trying desperately to leave the subject.


    ¡°Howdy. Pleased to make your acquaintance,¡± Ted greets.


    ¡°Same to you. I¡¯ve heard good things about you,¡± Lucy replies cordially.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the one from the book, huh?¡± I ask Lucy.


    ¡°The book?¡± Nova asks, annoyed at yet again being left out of the loop. ¡°What book?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in contact with Ashley here using a special artifact of my own invention,¡± Lucy explains.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s confusing. We¡¯ll figure it out as we go,¡± I assure Nova.


    ¡°Okay, enough lollygagging around,¡± Ashley cuts in sternly. ¡°Lucy, we have found our first target. We just need to know how to proceed in changing his heart.¡±


    Lucy giggles very loudly. It¡¯s sort of creepy, like the giggle of a serial killer. ¡°Ah, very good! Who¡¯s our first customer?¡±


    ¡°Our local Justice of the Peace, Timothy Pavia,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Going after politicians already!¡± Lucy says, impressed. ¡°I was expecting you to start with your neighborhood drug dealer or something.¡±


    ¡°His crimes: trying to force Nova and his little sister to move back in with their abusive mother; classism; probably corruption, though that part is pending investigation; possibly racism? Aren¡¯t you mixed?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ my dad is black, my mom is Hispanic,¡± Nova explains.


    ¡°Okay. So definitely classism, not sure about the race part.¡±


    ¡°Can he really do that?¡± Lucy questions. ¡°In most states, the child is allowed to pick which parent they go with once they¡¯re about thirteen.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you can thank Gov. Schneider for that one,¡± I explain. (Because in some alternate universe where someone else had been elected governor in 2002, the laws probably wouldn¡¯t be as bad as they are.)


    ¡°It¡¯s also worth considering that the courts are rigged in favor of women when it comes to this stuff,¡± Ashley comments. ¡°You can thank feminism for that.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t blame feminism!¡± I shout at her. ¡°Feminism is about gender equality!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s supposed to be. But recently I¡¯ve noticed¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t start this bullshit right now!¡± Nova interjects. ¡°You¡¯re the one who was trying to keep us focused earlier!¡±


    Lucy chuckles over the phone. ¡°You two remind me of a couple of my old friends. They disagreed a lot, but I know they loved each other deep down.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ anyway. Let¡¯s get back on topic,¡± Ashley says sheepishly.


    ¡°Alright. If you¡¯re going to change this man¡¯s heart, the first thing you need to do is get into his palace,¡± Lucy explains. ¡°The process of infiltrating Palaces used to be pretty involved, but I¡¯ve refined the app to make it pretty simple for you guys. All you need to do is find out where the Palace is.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. How about you explain the concept of ¡®Palaces¡¯ to the others for me?¡± Ashley requests.


    ¡°Sure thing. Palaces can take a variety of forms. It¡¯ll be located at some location that is important to your target, usually their workplace. You¡¯ll be able to easily tell what¡¯s a Palace and what¡¯s not by the lack of the normal esoteric color scheme and aesthetic.¡±


    Suddenly, I gasp, remembering something. ¡°Lucy¡­ can a Palace take the form of a jungle?¡±


    ¡°It might. Why do you ask?¡± Her tone of voice has changed somewhat. She now sounds much more concerned than before.


    ¡°When we entered the Metaverse at school, we ended up in some weird jungle,¡± Ashley explains.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how my Persona got unlocked. I was being held in place by a bunch of vines!¡± I add, shuddering slightly.


    There¡¯s a sharp exhale of breath from Lucy¡¯s end. ¡°That is¡­ very bad news. I¡¯ve encountered Palaces like that before, and they are the ones that belong to some of the most sick and twisted people in the world.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s Pavia¡¯s Palace?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°No way, why would his Palace be the school?¡± Ashley retorts.


    ¡°It most likely belongs to somebody who¡¯s teaching there, or maybe another student with an aggressive streak,¡± Lucy explains. ¡°All I can say is¡­ watch your back while you¡¯re there.¡±


    ¡°So, we just need to avoid entering at the school for now,¡± I summarize. ¡°And Pavia¡¯s Palace will most likely be the courthouse.¡±


    ¡°Alright, what do we do once we find it?¡± Ashley presses.


    ¡°You will have to make your way through whatever lies for you inside. There will be enemies, and probably puzzles as well. If you persevere, though, you¡¯ll make it to the room of the big boss, where you will fight a monstrous version of your target. Generally, the more evil the person is, the more difficult the Palace is to get through.¡±


    ¡°What kind of ¡®monstrous form¡¯ do you mean?¡± Nova questions.


    Ashley waves him off. ¡°A lot of different things. Tell us what we do after we fight the thing, I haven¡¯t heard this part yet.¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve defeated whatever monster is in the final room, you have two options. You may either convince the target to change their ways, which will allow you to fix the target¡¯s behavior in real life; or, you can simply kill the target¡¯s shadow form, which will cause them a rather gruesome death in real life as well. Since this is a pretty low-level baddie here, I wouldn¡¯t recommend killing him. But some people¡¯s crimes¡­ cannot be forgiven.¡±


    There is a brief pause following that rather ominous statement, in which we all sort of look around at each other. Nova is back to drumming his fingers on the table and appears to be thinking.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s that simple, huh?¡± Ashley asks in confirmation. ¡°Thanks for the intel. Anything else we need to know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, one more thing. There are¡­ other beings in the Metaverse other than shadows. Such as shape shifting demons, or even other Persona users you don¡¯t recognize. Don¡¯t worry about it now, as your chances of running into them on your first job are astronomical. But, if you run into something highly unusual like that, let me know.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ so what do we do if we run into one of those?¡± I ask nervously.


    ¡°Run away and pray.¡± Lucy says simply. ¡°But like I said, don¡¯t worry about it right now.¡±


    I bite my lip a little bit. I have a difficult time not worrying about it, if I¡¯m honest.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let you know if we run into anything like that,¡± Ashley says conclusively. ¡°I think that¡¯ll be all for now.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. From here on out, it¡¯ll be up to you lot to do the work,¡± Lucy explains. ¡°Good luck to you all.¡± She hangs up.


    For the rest of the afternoon, Ashley fills us in on the remaining gaps in our knowledge of this stuff, and then we plot phase two of our operation. Since we have Monday off for Labor Day, we plan to meet again then to discuss whatever we can find out about Pavia¡¯s background. But until then we, uh¡­ Idk. Tune in next time to find out!

 Chapter 11: The Brown Widow (August 31)

    <Zoe>


    ¡°Hey Zoe. It¡¯s time to get up.¡±


    Hmm, someone is speaking to me. I try to remember what I had just been dreaming about. It was another happy one, but¡­


    ¡°Hey slowpoke, we gotta go to church!¡±


    I open my eyes. This time, it¡¯s my older brother Derrick who was sent to wake me.


    ¡°Give me a minute. I¡¯m trying to remember what I was dreaming about before you came in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you had a dream?¡± he asks, looking slightly snoopy. ¡°Feel like sharing?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I was outside a convenience store with our parents. There was¡­ a little boy, with brown skin, who seemed lost. Then, some man came up to him and started saying mean things¡­ I think it was supposed to be one of those KKK guys.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Derrick says, looking a little horrified.


    ¡°And I told our parents that we should help the boy, but they said not to get involved. But then, Ashley walked out of the store. I said she needed to help, so she punched the racist guy, and he ran away.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ which Ashley do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Davis. The girl who comes over sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, the redhead. Okay, continue on.¡±


    ¡°Well anyway, I went up to the little boy and asked him where his parents were. He said that he didn¡¯t have any. Then, Ashley turned to me and said, ¡®well, if he doesn¡¯t have any parents, maybe we should adopt him.¡¯ I agreed¡­ hmm. I don¡¯t remember what happened next¡­¡±


    Derrick frowns at me. ¡°A word of advice: I wouldn¡¯t talk about that last part with our parents.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really? Why?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ adopting a child is usually only something people do when they¡¯re married, Zoe.¡±


    Suddenly, what he¡¯s saying hits me all at once and I start blushing furiously. ¡°What¡­ no! It wasn¡¯t like that! We just felt sorry for the little boy!¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that our parents might interpret that a certain way. Got it?¡±


    I bite my lip. ¡°Yes. I understand.¡±


    That said, as I get ready for the day, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that the dream I had gave me. The truth is, what I told Derrick when he asked me about the adopting thing was kind of a lie. Whenever Ashley said that in my dream, it made me really happy¡­ What could it mean? It can¡¯t mean what Derrick thought it meant. No, I don¡¯t even want to think about that¡­


    <hr>


    Inside the church, I find that Ashley is not here yet. However, Terra and Diana have arrived and are talking about something in a middle row. In fact, they¡¯re motioning for me to come over. I walk over to join them.


    ¡°Good morning, Zoe,¡± Terra says. ¡°We want to talk to you about something before the service starts.¡±


    ¡°Um, sure thing,¡± I agree, taking a seat nearby.


    ¡°Do you remember what we talked about the other day at school?¡±


    I think back to the previous week. ¡°You mean the conversation we had about that space superhero movie?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. Not that.¡±


    ¡°I think she means the rumors about Ashley¡¯s new friend,¡± Diana interjects, leaning over the pew in front of us. ¡°You¡¯ve heard them, right?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t remember,¡± I say, shifting uncomfortably.


    ¡°It was something that happened when Anja was in sixth grade,¡± Terra explains, a serious look on her face. ¡°She was caught kissing another girl. It was someone in her grade named Ruth.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ right,¡± I say stupidly, not knowing how to respond.


    ¡°Ever since then, most people know better than to get too close to her. I¡¯m sure you imagine what that would look like. But¡­ Ashley seems rather oblivious to that, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    They¡¯re looking at me expectantly, but I find myself getting rather flustered, my thoughts a confused jumble. ¡°Um¡­ Well¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to get so nervous. We¡¯re not trying to grill you or anything. It¡¯s just something I wanted to make sure you¡¯re aware of. I realize that you and Ashley are close¡­ In fact, you¡¯ve managed to achieve a level of amicability with her that few others can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± Diana agrees. ¡°She¡¯s such a¡±- she mouths the b-word- ¡°to everyone else. I¡¯ve always thought that she has issues¡­ no offense to you, Zoe.¡±


    I try to think of a defense for her, but my mind draws a blank. Then, I see Ashley herself walking in with her parents. She looks a bit dour today.


    ¡°You can go talk to her,¡± Terra says, following my gaze. ¡°I¡¯m just letting you know; you should be careful with her. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ right. Thanks,¡± I say. To save myself from having to continue that conversation, I get up and walk over to where Ashley¡¯s preparing to sit down.


    ¡°Good morning, Zoe,¡± she tells me.


    ¡°Morning! Um¡­ you look kind of down. Are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ oh, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just bummed about Glenn Cornick passing away.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re about to begin,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad tells me plainly. ¡°You may want to find your seat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will,¡± I agree. ¡°Ashley¡­ let¡¯s talk on Skype later. It¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Talk to you later,¡± Ashley says.


    I return to my seat near the rest of my family. For some reason, what Terra and Diana told me makes me uneasy. I¡¯m having difficulty figuring out why, however¡­


    <hr>


    I¡¯m in my room putting on more casual clothes after church, when I hear my phone buzz. It¡¯s Ashley¡­ I sit down on the bed and take a deep breath. I¡¯m asking about a rather sensitive subject, so I need to choose my next words very carefully¡­


    Hey Zoe. You said you wanted to talk about something?


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Yes. I wanted to ask if you kno anything about some of the rumors surrounding Anja.


    Not you too.


    No, I don¡¯t mean it like that. I promise.


    Well, if these rumors are really that important, go ahead and spill it.


    Okay. In sixth grade, Anja was caught kissing another girl.


    Oh.


    I thought you were going to say that she smokes weed.


    Do you think she does that??


    No, she just kinda seems like the type.


    Anyways, I wasn¡¯t aware of that, no.


    How does that information make you feel?


    Honestly? I don¡¯t care.


    I had kind of guessed that she may be like that already.


    But it doesn¡¯t affect how I feel about being friends with her.


    So you consider her a friend?


    Yes.


    She may be kind of annoying, but at this point we¡¯re stuck together.


    And I do admire her commitment to justice¡­


    But you can¡¯t tell her I said that.


    Okay. I won¡¯t.


    I just wanted to check in with you. No issues here.


    Good to hear.


    I feel very relieved after this conversation. Anja maybe be like that, but she¡¯s not¡­ with Ashley. Knowing that is very encouraging¡­


    But wait a minute. Something about that doesn¡¯t make any sense.


    Terra and Diana were concerned about that because they didn¡¯t think I should be friends with someone like that¡­ but isn¡¯t that technically still true? I mean, we haven¡¯t known each other for very long, but Anja still counts as a friend. Is there anything to logically be relieved about here? Hmm¡­


    My confusion is interrupted by my mother coming into my room. ¡°Hey Zoe,¡± she greets. ¡°You¡¯ve looked rather lost in thought today. Is anything on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yes, kind of.¡± I say. I explain to her the beginning of the dream I had last night. However, I stop before getting to the ending part with me and Ashley. After everything that¡¯s happened today, I feel too uncomfortable about that bit to talk about it.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you,¡± I say after finishing my summary. ¡°If someone around us is in trouble¡­ shouldn¡¯t we help them? Didn¡¯t the Lord say that any passing beggar could be an angel in disguise?¡±


    My mom chuckles at this. ¡°Zoe, I wouldn¡¯t dwell too much on something that happens in a dream. It¡¯s not real.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ what if something like that does happen in real life?¡± I press her. I think about Anja. My other friends want me to quit being her friend because she¡¯s¡­ different. But I also feel bad for her¡­ wouldn¡¯t she be lonely if none of us were friends with her?


    ¡°Well, Zoe¡­¡± my mother explains, ¡°It¡¯s good to help people when you can. But you have to make sure first and foremost that you¡¯re taking care of yourself. You know how those airplane safety booklets say to put the mask on yourself before helping anyone else? That logic applies to life as well.¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡± I say. But I¡¯m not really satisfied with that. I wasn¡¯t disputing that I should take care of myself. I meant that if I was perfectly capable of helping, I should. Still, I don¡¯t press this because I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ll annoy her.


    ¡°I know you have a tender heart, Zoe,¡± Mom assures me. ¡°But if you don¡¯t look out for yourself, you won¡¯t be able to help anyone at all. Just remember that, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    She smiles at me and steps out of the room. Well, that didn¡¯t really clear anything up at all¡­


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    My sister is terrible at Smash Bros, and she just can¡¯t seem to accept that fact. She plays as Jigglypuff, one of the worst characters in the game, and seems to think she can win by doing nothing but spamming specials, especially Sing.


    ¡°Come on! Just let me win for once!¡± she whines, after my twelfth consecutive victory.


    ¡°No. You just have to get good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your sister!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let you win.¡±


    She pouts something fierce at me. Then, she pushes me.


    ¡°I bet I can beat you up in real life!¡± she declares.


    ¡°Get real!¡± I retort, pushing her back.


    She pounces towards me, but I¡¯m ready to meet her hands halfway. I topple her over again and try to grab her and lift her in a fireman¡¯s carry, but she¡¯s big enough now to where that doesn¡¯t work anymore, so we just both fall onto the couch.


    ¡°Get off of me, idiot!¡± she screeches, as she repeatedly punches my back.


    ¡°Say uncle!¡± I demand.


    ¡°Why would I say that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I heard a guy at school say that once! Just say it!¡±


    I hear the sound of chuckling over me and look up to see that it¡¯s Dad. We must have not noticed him coming home from work because of all the noise we were making. He¡¯s looking at us with a weird expression; am I in trouble?


    ¡°After you two break it up, I¡¯ll take you to get some ice cream,¡± he states.


    ¡°Oh really? Can we go to Sonic?¡± Kat asks, hastily jumping up from the couch.


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± he says hoarsely, smiling at us. ¡°Just go get your shoes on!¡±


    <hr>


    While driving out there, I remember Anja and I¡¯s conversation from the previous day. I suppose now is an ideal time to ask Dad something I¡¯ve been wondering about since then¡­


    ¡°Hey Dad,¡± I say. ¡°How come you and Mom got married, anyway?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t answer immediately, as he¡¯s concentrating on turning through a stoplight. Once he¡¯s done with that, he replies, ¡°Pssh¡­ because I was an idiot, that¡¯s why.


    ¡°Nova, listen to this very carefully, because my life¡¯s story is one you should use as an example of what not to do. This applies to you too, Kat. I actually went to college for a while when I was younger. I ended up flunking out. Too much time spent smoking weed, not enough time spent studying.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve smoked weed before?¡± Kat pipes up excitedly. ¡°What does it feel like?¡±


    Dad frowns at her. ¡°Never you mind. Neither of you kids should be getting involved with anything illegal.¡±


    ¡°What if it becomes legal?¡± Kat inquires. ¡°I heard it¡¯s legal in Colorado now.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be legal here anytime soon,¡± I counter her. ¡°Texas will be one of the last states to ever legalize it.¡±


    Dad seems impressed with me. ¡°Huh. I guess they are teaching you something in that school,¡± he comments. (I was actually just repeating something Anja told me a while back. But there¡¯s no reason to correct him, so¡­)


    ¡°Anyways, it seemed like I had no future after flunking out,¡± Dad continues. ¡°But I had met your mom while at college. She charmed me, just like how she charms that damn judge. She was on her way to law school and had a bright future ahead of her. I figured I¡¯d ask her to marry me, so that if things didn¡¯t work out for me, we could still live comfortably.¡± He sighs heavily. ¡°Then we got married, and I found out her true nature. That woman¡¯s just like a black widow spider. Doesn¡¯t give a damn about anyone but herself.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s not black,¡± Kat interjects unnecessarily. ¡°So wouldn¡¯t she be more like a brown widow spider?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a brown widow!¡± I argue. ¡°I suppose there are brown recluse spiders, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Look kids, it was just a metaphor,¡± Dad cuts me off, looking amused. ¡°Here¡¯s what I¡¯m really trying to tell you. You gotta know how to make your own way in the world. You can¡¯t rely on someone else to save you like that, else you¡¯ll just end up a pawn in their selfish game.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not just talking about relationships, either. Our leaders do the same god damn thing. Every time someone new takes power in this country, they¡¯re always promising that they alone know the answer, they alone know the best way to benefit the working class. But from my perspective, nothing ever seems to change much¡­¡±


    This reminds me of Anja. How angry she got on Wednesday. How she got all up in arms about these people in power.


    But then, I remember that she said her mother had run for governor years ago. I wonder if her mom ran on the exact same types of promises. I guess we¡¯ll never know if she would¡¯ve lived up to them or not. But it seems like most don¡¯t.


    My thoughts are interrupted by our arrival at the Sonic, and from then on, I mostly just think about ice cream. Still, there¡¯s a weird feeling in the air. Dad seems rather morose the whole time. I suppose if the trial this week doesn¡¯t work out, this could be the last time we all get to see each other like this in a while. I guess I need to get serious about this Metaverse shit. We really can¡¯t afford to fuck this up. Or more specifically, I can¡¯t afford to.


    <hr>


    <BBD>


    <ol>


    <li> "Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:1-2</li>


    </ol>

 Chapter 12: Thieves (September 1)

    <Anja>


    It¡¯s a hot and humid Labor Day. I did some research on my own at the local library, and I uncovered something which will knock Ashley¡¯s socks off. But first, I have familial obligations to attend to; specifically, my meeting with my Aunt Kierstyn.


    Before I head over, I call her cell to let her know beforehand, as she has told me to do. Then, I knock on the door, and she answers after a few seconds.


    If you were to take a look at my aunt on the street, you¡¯d probably never guess that she works for the government. She has short hair that¡¯s dyed black, and wears a black leather coat, with matching black leather boots and a belt that is studded with spikes. Definitely a very goth appearance. Or would it be emo¡­? I don¡¯t know, I can never keep those straight in my brain. (Then again, I can¡¯t ever keep anything straight in my brain. Ha! That¡¯s a good one, I need to remember that.)


    ¡°Come on in, Anja,¡± she says, closing the door behind her and then walking back towards the living room. She has a pretty stoic, detached manner; not too unlike Ashley, now that I think about it.


    I consider my own house to be a bit on the messy side, but her house turns it up to another level. On my left I can see a room that is mostly just a bunch of boxes laying on the floor, one of them containing a really old Windows computer. There is also a desk crammed in the corner which has papers strewn across it. Passing by the living room, I see the red couch which I¡¯m pretty sure she usually sleeps on, and the television. The whole house is filthy, and reeks of cigarette smoke; there is dust hanging over everything, and the floor looks like it hasn¡¯t been swept in years.


    The dining room table is also strewn with papers. Most of them are just a bunch of legal jargon and news clippings, but there is one that catches my eye: the outline of a map of Texas. There are a bunch of red x¡¯s all over the map with names written next to them. (I see an x slightly north of here that has the name ¡°Roberto Antunez¡± on it; I wonder if they¡¯re related to Ruth?)


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want to look at this stuff,¡± she says, sighing and shoving a bunch of the paper out of the way so there¡¯s a small part of the table clear. ¡°It is a sad thing. I¡¯ve been asked to keep track of recent teen suicides¡­ for prevention purposes, of course. Depressing shit.¡±


    She takes a seat across from me and starts to light a cigarette. Seeing the pile of papers on the table reminds of something¡­ While she¡¯s distracted, I dig through the papers a bit and find it: the paper with the red eye icon on it! I knew I had seen it from somewhere!


    ¡°I said you don¡¯t want to look at it,¡± she tells me again, sounding annoyed.


    ¡°Oh¡­ sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ this has the same symbol that was on my friend¡¯s phone. Remember when I told you about that?¡±


    She rolls her head back, seeming more frustrated. ¡°You know, Anja, we have a saying here in America. It goes, ¡®curiosity killed the cat.¡¯ Ever heard that one?¡±


    ¡°Only about a billion times!¡± I reply.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t seem to have heeded the message. It killed the cat. The cat is dead. Buried. Gone forever.¡±


    So she¡¯s still reluctant to talk about this¡­ Well, even though I now actually know what the app is, it still intrigues me greatly that my Aunt seems to have some involvement with that stuff. I bet if I bother her enough, I can get her to break.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. But we¡¯re here, together, in person,¡± I argue. ¡°No NSA or any of that shit to listen in on us. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±


    For a while, she just sits there, puffing and staring at the wall, seemingly in deep thought. It¡¯s very tempting to interrupt her, but I stay quiet with the hopes that she¡¯s about to spill the beans. Finally, after what must be several minutes, she starts talking.


    ¡°That eye is the symbol of a group that called themselves ¡®The Thieves In The Night,¡¯ who operated in the early 1990s. This group used supernatural means to change the hearts of those whom they found corrupt or impure.¡±


    ¡°Supernatural means?¡± I ask, pretending to look surprised at this information. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°The Thieves knew how to access a sort of parallel world, known as the Metaverse, which can be used to alter the consciousness of others.¡±


    Whoah. She knows about the whole thing! ¡°How do you know all of this?¡±


    She pauses again, and then says, ¡°I used to know someone who was involved with them.¡±


    She sighs heavily and starts twirling the cigarette in her hand. ¡°Of course, this group has been inactive for a long time. They made a lot of enemies with their actions, and so most of them have been hunted down and killed since then. So, if anyone ever asks, you didn¡¯t hear this from me, okay? It¡¯s extremely dangerous to go around talking about The Thieves.¡±


    ¡°What did they do to get people after them?¡± I ask, spellbound despite myself.


    ¡°Well, when you mess with the social order, it tends to mess back,¡± she explains. ¡°Of course, even to this day they¡¯re pretty popular among the occult population¡­ your friend¡¯s app was likely created by a fan.¡±


    ¡°Who did you know who was a member?¡± I ask. This information is opening a pandora¡¯s box of possibilities¡­ I wonder if that Lucy woman knows about this group?


    ¡°Someone who¡¯s dead now, Anja,¡± she says bluntly, with a deeply pained expression. ¡°I¡¯d really rather not talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, right. Sorry¡­¡± I say, feeling bad that I made her relive that.


    I drop the subject, and for the rest of my visit our conversation topics are ordinary, just about school and random stuff. But the story my aunt told me about this Thieves group gets me even more excited. I have so much to report to Ashley now!


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I may be out of school for Labor Day, but my piano lesson still happened at the regular time. We didn¡¯t go out of town or anything for the weekend, so I told my teacher that we should just do it as normal instead of rescheduling for later in the week. Since I¡¯m meeting up with Anja and Nova afterwards anyway to discuss the Pavia situation, I thought it¡¯d be most efficient to just have Anja pick me up. But she¡¯s late, leaving me to boil in the Texas humidity. What the hell is she doing?


    At long last, Anja comes rolling up, Nova in the passenger seat. I climb into the back.


    Anja messes with her phone for a little bit before putting the car back in motion.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were old enough to drive.¡±


    For some reason, Anja gives Nova a quick, sharp look. ¡°Well, I am.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s for the better. We don¡¯t want to generate suspicion.¡±


    ¡°In a quarter mile, turn left onto Mango Street.¡±


    ¡°You really think you need Google Maps for this?¡± I question. ¡°Nova could¡¯ve given you directions. This town isn¡¯t that complicated to navigate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how it matters.¡±


    ¡°Well, do you really want to tell Google where you are at every second of the day?¡±


    ¡°What are they going to do with that information?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever they want. I thought that, being a liberal, you would be more wary of the motives of large corporations.¡±


    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s enough commentary from the peanut gallery.¡±


    I let her focus on driving for now. We decided to meet at the county¡¯s courthouse so that we can check whether or not there is a palace there. If he does indeed have one, it would add more credence to the theory that there is something fundamentally wrong with his judgement. In addition, if it were to exist, the most likely location seems to be the courthouse where he works, based on what Lucy told us on Saturday.


    We arrive at our destination shortly after that. I¡¯ve never been to the courthouse before now. It¡¯s a white, rectangular building lined with windows, that has a taller and wider center. It¡¯s almost a little like a mini version of the White House.


    ¡°Alright¡­ here¡¯s what I¡¯ve uncovered,¡± Anja begins after putting the car in park. ¡°Actually, there are two things¡­ but I¡¯ll start with the one that¡¯s more directly relevant to what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Fire away,¡± I say.


    She turns around in her seat to face me eagerly. ¡°First of all, I went to the city¡¯s public library, where court records for the past several years are kept. Not the full records; you have to pay money to access those. But I was able to see which judge presided over each trial, and which side he ruled in favor of. And guess what; every single case I checked, he ruled in favor of who was more wealthy!¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Really. How were you able to tell?¡±


    ¡°I looked up the names of both parties being represented in the case. You can tell who¡¯s bringing in the bigger paycheck by things like what their occupation is, and what kind of family they come from. So? How¡¯s that for proof of the bribery theory?¡±


    ¡°As proof? It¡¯s still rather inconclusive.¡±


    Anja frowns at me. ¡°What? Are you serious? What proof do you want?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Anja. Your hypothesis is that wealthier people win these trials because they bribe the judge to favor them. But you can¡¯t seriously believe that every single rich or even upper middle-class person has low enough integrity to bribe their way out of a civil trial!¡±


    ¡°Sure I do. Why not? Isn¡¯t that just what being rich is like? Just stepping on all the plebeians beneath you to hoard more and more wealth?¡±


    ¡°No! Well, sometimes. But not everyone who has money got it through shady means! Have you been reading communist propaganda or something?¡±


    ¡°Whoah there, Ashley. I¡¯m just saying that there¡¯s a lot more dark money floating around than most of us realize.¡±


    I sigh at her, as I frequently do during our talks. ¡°The other thing is, if he was taking bribes in literally every single trial, more people would¡¯ve noticed. I don¡¯t think corruption that blatant would fly even in Chicago. And if he was making that much money, you¡¯d think he¡¯d move on to an office higher than a municipal judge by now.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ okay, that¡¯s actually a pretty good point.¡± She sighs. ¡°Yeah, he should be using that money to get into the US Congress. Get on the payrolls of the NRA and Big Oil and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°So wait¡­ did we learn anything from this, then?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s not nothing,¡± I concede. ¡°If the results were really that consistent in favor of the wealthier party, it marks a notable trend. My guess would be that it¡¯s something more subtle. Perhaps he has a certain circle of litigators he prefers, and the wealthier citizens simply have an easier time accessing them?¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Anja argues. ¡°Something like that could explain some of the outcomes, but Nova¡¯s parents aren¡¯t using any sort of lawyers for their dispute. And his mom lives in a different county, so I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯d have any close ties.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he just thinks rich people are better because he¡¯s screwed up in the head,¡± Nova suggests.


    ¡°Well, we may be able to see what¡¯s going on in his head in a minute here,¡± I remind him. ¡°But before that¡­ Anja, wasn¡¯t there something else you wanted to tell us?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh yeah. While I was at my aunt¡¯s place today, she told me something really interesting¡­¡± She went on to tell a story about a different group of people from Texas who supposedly used the Metaverse in the 90s before being murdered by people they had pissed off.


    ¡°Wow, so we¡¯re not the first ones to do this?¡± Nova marvels. ¡°I wonder what other groups have been using this place¡­¡±


    ¡°The name is so badass, too,¡± Anja remarks. ¡°¡¯Thieves In The Night¡­¡¯ That¡¯s a name that inspires fear!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they got the idea from the Bible,¡± I add. ¡°The phrase ¡®thief in the night¡¯ comes from Thessalonians chapter 5. Paul uses it in reference to an earlier passage from Matthew, in which Jesus uses it as a metaphor for His return to Earth. He says something like, ¡®Be prepared, because nobody knows when the Lord is coming. If the master of the house knew when the thief was going to break in, he wouldn¡¯t have gone to bed.¡¯ That¡¯s a rough paraphrase. Undoubtedly, the appropriation of the phrase was meant to warn their targets that their personal judgement days were coming soon.¡±


    ¡°You seriously had that all memorized?¡± Nova asks. ¡°What a fucking nerd.¡±


    ¡°That means a lot of, coming from you,¡± I retort. ¡°I seem to recall you recently describing in detail the attributes which led to Mega-Lucario being banned from competitive Pok¨¦mon during lunch. You really have no room to judge me for my devotion to my interests.¡±


    ¡°Huh. So you do listen to our nerd conversations,¡± Anja comments, looking amused.


    ¡°Anyways, that story is very interesting, Anja. It doesn¡¯t exactly relate to our current situation, but I will try and remember to ask Lucy about this whenever I get a good chance to. For now¡­ let us check the courthouse for a palace.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We should probably do that before it gets too late,¡± Anja agrees. At long last, the three of us climb out of Anja¡¯s car and onto the sidewalk by the courthouse.


    In the distance, I can see a man exiting the courthouse from the front. I point this out to the others.


    ¡°Awh shit! That¡¯s him!¡± Nova whispers, rolling his eyes. ¡°This guy seriously has to go to work on a holiday?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t freak out,¡± I tell him, ¡°What¡¯s he going to do, call the cops on us? Besides, it¡¯s probably better that Anja and I know what he looks like anyway.¡±


    ¡°What if he does call the cops on us?¡± Anja presses me. ¡°We don¡¯t know what this guy¡¯s damage is.¡±


    ¡°What are you kids doing here?¡± Pavia asks, still a few yards away.


    I turn towards him. He¡¯s an older man, heavily balding. He carries himself in a very pompous way.


    ¡°Oh, just walking around,¡± I say.


    ¡°Why here of all places?¡± he questions, furrowing his brow.


    ¡°I just find it¡¯s a good place for jogging since there¡¯s usually nobody else around,¡± I invent quickly.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ perhaps so. It¡¯s good to see kids trying to stay in shape,¡± he ponders.


    I can¡¯t believe that actually worked. I guess it¡¯s a good thing I have several years of experience in lying. I¡¯ve gotten pretty good at it.


    However, the awkward moment isn¡¯t over yet, as he just noticed Nova, who is glaring at him.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ you¡¯re the Mosely boy,¡± he observes. ¡°Are these your friends?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± he replies disdainfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him ¡®Mosely boy!¡¯¡± Anja snaps at him. ¡°That¡¯s really rude.¡±


    Pavia blinks, taken off guard by the jab. ¡°And who are you supposed to be? His girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Just a concerned citizen,¡± Anja replies dramatically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her,¡± I say to him, trying to defuse the situation. ¡°We won¡¯t be here for long.¡±


    He frowns at me, looking suddenly suspicious. ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re not here to intimidate me?¡±


    Damn it, Anja. It looked like we were going to get out of this situation, and she has to go and run her mouth.


    ¡°Why would we do that?¡± I ask quickly, shooting a warning glance at Anja when Pavia isn¡¯t looking.


    He grunts with mild amusement. ¡°You must be aware that I¡¯m currently overseeing a civil trial involving that boy¡¯s parents. On that subject, you would do well to not blindly believe in every tall tale you hear.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are hoping that you will ultimately rule in the best interests of Nova and his sister, instead of¡­ any ulterior reasons,¡± I state plainly, put off by this comment.


    He scoffs at me. ¡°Of course I will. I just ask that you bear in mind that I¡¯ve been through many things in life which you have yet to, and my perspective on these issues is much more informed.¡±


    Anja visibly rolls her eyes at him. Thankfully, she¡¯s able to bite her tongue.


    Pavia sees the eyeroll and sighs. He turns back towards me. ¡°You seem like a responsible young lady,¡± he says to me. ¡°Make sure that these two stay out of trouble.¡± And on that note, he walks away, clearly having more important things to do than talk to us.


    ¡°What a fucking asshole,¡± Anja mutters as soon as he¡¯s out of earshot.


    ¡°He¡¯s certainly very¡­ set in his ways,¡± I observe.


    ¡°Yeah, no kidding!¡± Nova agrees. ¡°Dude thinks that he¡¯s the final authority in damn near everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you $20 he has a palace!¡± Anja insists.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to take you up on that bet,¡± I respond. ¡°Are we ready to enter the other world, then?¡±


    Anja and Nova both nod decisively. I press the app, and into the purple haze we go.


    <hr>


    ...Or not. It¡¯s clear the moment the world comes into focus that this place is a bit different.


    My eyes are stabbed by the flash of a bright light. I turn and see that it¡¯s from a huge building that is where the courthouse just was.


    ¡°Wow, looks like Mr. Clean went a little overboard,¡± Anja comments. Nova laughs loudly at her.


    The building is in the same shape as the courthouse, but it is made entirely of a sort of limestone-esque stone that emits a very noticeable glow. The building also looks a bit fancier, with some extra frills and rafters. The landscape around it is also affected for several yards in every direction. The dark colors of the rest of the Metaverse subtly transition into the bright white texture, and the veins get smaller as they approach before seeming to turn down into the ground beneath it.


    Well, I guess it¡¯s nice that the first ¡°Palace¡± we willingly encounter actually looks like a palace, as that will make it easier to remember from here on out.


    ¡°Hey, wait a sec!¡± Anja says, looking around us. ¡°We¡¯re further away from the place than before!¡±


    Come to think of it, she¡¯s right. We had our little chat with the big man on the sidewalk in front, but now it looks like we¡¯ve been moved back to where the other side of the street would be.


    ¡°Well, it makes sense that it would teleport us to wherever the very front is,¡± Nova offers. ¡°If we just popped up right in the middle, that¡¯d be too easy, now would it?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t add up though,¡± Anja says, frowning. ¡°Back at the school, we ended up in the middle of the tentacle rape jungle the moment we entered.¡±


    ¡°That is strange,¡± I admit. ¡°I guess different Palaces have different rules.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Anja says, shrugging. ¡°Well, this is a palace alright, if Lucy is to be believed. It¡¯s gotta belong to Pavia.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re probably right,¡± I concede. ¡°I can¡¯t think of any other major, problematic figures it could be.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ are we gonna go in?¡± Nova questions.


    ¡°Not today,¡± I respond. ¡°I¡¯d like to have Ted with us when we do enter. And if I¡¯m not home soon, my parents are going to be worried.¡±


    ¡°Remember guys, we can¡¯t fuck around with this too much,¡± Nova urges. ¡°He¡¯s supposed to make his decision on Thursday!¡±


    ¡°Fine then. Let us plan to meet here tomorrow after marching band.¡±


    ¡°Man, we¡¯re gonna be so tired already after practice!¡± Anja complains. ¡°Oh well, I guess we don¡¯t really have another choice at this point.¡±


    With that settled, we return to the normal world. With today¡¯s events confirming the existence of a palace, we prepare to infiltrate it tomorrow. After hearing Nova¡¯s account of the man, as well as Anja¡¯s assessment of his record, and of course meeting the man in the flesh, I can certainly believe that there is some fault in his judicial decision making. It¡¯s not entirely clear what it is yet, but perhaps it will become clear once we traverse his palace.


    Given the examples Lucy gave of distorted desires, I expected our first job to be a little more dramatic. But I suppose even a minor elected official such as Pavia has the potential to cause a lot of harm in many people¡¯s lives. They say that anyone can be a hero, no matter how unremarkable they seem; but I suppose the same is true for villains as well.

 Chapter 13: Fall Away (September 2 Part 1)

    <Zoe>


    Ashley¡¯s mom once again picks me up after marching band so that we can do our saxophone lesson. What¡¯s mysterious is that Ashley herself is not with us; she went off with Anja and Nova. She told me that she¡¯d be home after my lesson to hang out, but I¡¯m really curious about what they¡¯re doing. Could this have something to do with their plans to persuade that Justice? Ashley never really explained what exactly they were trying to do¡­


    ¡°How are you doing today?¡± Ashley¡¯s mom asks cordially.


    I got lost in thought again¡­ ¡°Huh? Oh, uh, I¡¯m doing well,¡± I respond.


    ¡°You seem like you¡¯re lost in thought about something. Do you want to talk about it? Having worries cloud your mind will make it harder to focus during the lesson.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was just wondering what Ashley¡¯s up to.¡±


    She chuckles. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s just working on a project with a couple of classmates, she should be home soon. But I must say, you had that worried look on your face back at church the other day too. Is there something else on your mind?¡±


    I bite my lip, starting to feel nervous. I don¡¯t know if I want to get into this with her. I already know what my mom¡¯s reaction to my worries was. Will hers be the same?


    ¡°So there is something?¡± she inquires, clearly able to accurately read my body language.


    ¡°Um¡­ yes,¡± I admit, having no other choice at this point. ¡°I have a¡­ friend. My other friends don¡¯t want me to hang out with her. But I feel kind of bad for her. I don¡¯t want her to be lonely.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they want you to hang out with this friend?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s¡­ hard to explain.¡±


    ¡°Did your friend do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°They¡­ think she did something wrong, yes.¡±


    She thinks about this for a brief moment. ¡°But do you think she did something wrong?¡±


    I think about this, turning my head to the window and watching the stores in the shopping district fly by. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t even know if the rumors about Anja are true. But strangely, that seems to be besides the point. My friends believe it to be true, and also consider it to be grounds for ending the friendship¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admit, turning red in the face.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m overstepping my boundaries. If you¡¯d rather not talk about it, I understand.¡±


    Surprisingly, I feel slightly panicked at this. I find that I don¡¯t want the conversation to end.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I do want to know what you think. Should I stay friends with someone even if they¡¯re¡­ different? Or should I¡­ look after myself?¡± I ask, remembering my mother¡¯s advice.


    ¡°¡¯Different,¡¯ you say?¡± Ms. Davis responds. I nod timidly.


    For a while, she doesn¡¯t say anything. Her eyes seem to lose focus, and I swear that she starts driving a little slower. Then, she asks me, ¡°Do you know who Billy Strayhorn is?¡±


    I think about this. ¡°Um¡­ I think I¡¯ve seen his name on my music in jazz band before.¡±


    She grins. ¡°I¡¯d be surprised if you hadn¡¯t. He¡¯s one of the most famous jazz composers of all time. He worked closely alongside Duke Ellington.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    There¡¯s another pause. Then, she says, ¡°Strayhorn was openly gay.¡±


    This surprises me so much that I tense up. ¡°He was?¡±


    ¡°Yep. And this was way back in the day, before I was born. I don¡¯t even think Stonewall had happened yet.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what that is, but she continues on before I can ask.


    ¡°The others in the Ellington band knew that. They didn¡¯t care, they all loved him. He passed away in¡­ 1967. Of cancer. The band was devastated. They dedicated an album to him afterwards.¡±


    There¡¯s a little more silence. I really don¡¯t know what to add to this, so I simply let her finish the story.


    ¡°While in the hospital, he wrote one final song- ¡®Blood Count.¡¯ The Ellington band played it on their tribute album. In the middle, there¡¯s an alto saxophone solo- I believe it was played by Johnny Hodges. They say that partway through the solo, you can hear the exact moment that he breaks down in sadness over what happened. You can hear it in his sound¡­¡±


    She trails off yet again. I look at her, and I¡¯m surprised to see that her eyes are wet.


    ¡°Ms. Davis? Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh- yeah. Sorry about that. I need to focus on the road¡­¡±


    At this point, we¡¯ve reached the neighborhood where Ashley lives, meaning that we only have a few more minutes before we arrive at the house.


    ¡°Zoe¡­ thanks for being such a good friend to Ashley over the years,¡± Ms. Davis comments, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Oh¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°Ever since we moved here, she hasn¡¯t been quite the same,¡± she continues, indifferent to my lack of a response. ¡°Her grades are as great as ever, but she seems to have such trouble making new friends nowadays. And she¡¯s so secretive¡­ she hardly tells me or her father anything. I had a feeling something like this was happening¡­¡±


    The last part confuses me. ¡°Wait¡­ something like what?¡± I question.


    She suddenly perks up slightly, as if she had just exited a daze. ¡°What¡­ oh, never mind me. I was just thinking out loud. Alright, looks like we¡¯re about here¡­¡±


    The lesson itself goes mostly as normal, but for some reason I have trouble getting that story out of my head. Was she trying to tell me something? If so, it was very cryptic¡­


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Once again, my vision comes back into focus to behold the large, glowing courthouse building. As Lucy suggested, I have gathered four Persona users together to conquer my first ¡°palace.¡± Well, I guess technically Nova doesn¡¯t have his Persona yet. But given the emotional baggage this place will likely carry for him, it¡¯s only a matter of time. Lucy did say that unlocking your Persona requires ¡°facing your fears,¡± after all.


    ¡°Hey Ashley,¡± Anja says, ¡°Do you, uh, think that we¡¯re going to be home in time for dinner? This place looks pretty damn large.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± I respond. ¡°Time doesn¡¯t really pass normally here, so we can take as much time as we need.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ the boy doesn¡¯t have his Persona yet,¡± Ted comments from behind us. For some reason, the sound of his voice causes both Anja and Nova to jump a foot in the air.


    ¡°Whoah¡­ that spooked me!¡± Anja complains.


    ¡°Why? You both have met Ted already!¡± I question.


    ¡°Yeah, well, we¡¯re still not quite used to him yet,¡± Nova says in his defense. ¡°I mean, come on, that voice coming out of a little armadillo? Still¡­ he¡¯s kinda got a point. All three of you have those Personas already, and I have nothing. It feels kind of stupid walking around in a tee shirt while you two are all fancy.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be getting your own soon,¡± I assure him.


    ¡°Are you implying that you¡¯d like to wear my dress?¡± Anja teases.


    ¡°If I did, you wouldn¡¯t have anything to wear!¡±


    ¡°Eh. I can just go naked.¡±


    ¡°And have no protection against whatever monsters we meet?¡± I question her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like a dress is much protection anyway.¡±


    I sigh at her. ¡°Anja, remember, we¡¯re in a metacognitive world here. I think it¡¯s safe to assume that our outfits don¡¯t directly provide us with material protection like they would in the real world.¡±


    ¡°Ashley, I literally don¡¯t have a clue what you just said.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Just keep your clothes on.¡±


    Anja sighs back dramatically. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Having had enough chit chat for the time being, I begin walking towards the entrance of the building. After a pause, I can hear the others follow suit.


    The closer we get to the building, it somehow feels like we¡¯re not walking towards it at all. It feels like we¡¯re standing in the same place, and the Palace is just growing ever larger, hovering over us like a ghost. After what feels like an hour, though it should¡¯ve only been only about a minute, we arrive at the entrance.


    ¡°Everyone got a hold of their panties?¡¯ I ask the group at large.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wear those,¡± Nova responds. ¡°I¡¯m a boxers guy.¡± Without further ado, he shoves the front door open, and I follow him in.


    As it turns out, the Palace is bigger on the inside. We enter a magnificent chamber, which has no other entrances or exits as far as I can see. It¡¯s about fifty feet tall, twenty feet wide, and stretches so far that I can¡¯t see the other end directly in front of us (assuming that there even is one.) The floor is lined with white bricks covered by a red carpet that leads straight forward. The walls are adorned with matching red drapes and various golden vases sitting on wooden shelves. In between each shelf is a marble statue of something that resembles an angel. What¡¯s unusual about them is that they all have their mouths wide open, as though screaming. The effect is quite unsettling. (Although it also makes me wonder if my Persona being an angel will give me some type of home advantage.) The ceiling is slanted glass, beyond which is a bright sunny day covered by endless fluffy clouds.


    ¡°Well¡­ dude sure knows how to decorate,¡± Anja comments uneasily. Nova is squinting, carefully scanning the room.


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no way to go but forward,¡± I say. ¡°At least there are no enemies around.¡±


    Suddenly, I realize something. ¡°Hey, wait a sec. Where¡¯s Ted? I thought he was right behind us.¡±


    ¡°Uh-oh, did we leave him behind?¡± Anja asks, looking around her feet.


    I turn back towards the door and try to open it again, but it won¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Um¡­ fuck. Stand back,¡± I tell the others. I slash at the door several times with my sword. It doesn¡¯t even leave a scratch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Palace wants us to leave,¡± Nova comments somewhat ominously.


    ¡°Well¡­ I hope the little guy¡¯s okay,¡± Anja says.


    ¡°It seems we have no choice but to soldier on and meet up with him later,¡± I say. And so we begin walking down the red carpet.


    This room seriously is ridiculously big. We keep on walking, but there¡¯s no end. Is this a trap? Is there any way out at all?


    Despite my words, I can¡¯t help but to wonder what the hell happened to Ted. I find it very hard to believe that we just accidentally closed the door on him. It seems as if the palace, for whatever reason, has whisked him away from us. But why would it? Thinking about this is getting me nowhere¡­ I just keep going in circles.


    I guess the real problem is that being in here without Ted makes me feel strange. Anja and Nova may not respect him yet, but I can¡¯t help but to do so. After all, he¡¯s the one who saved my life, when he didn¡¯t have to. He was supposed to be my guide through all this Metaverse stuff. I feel abandoned for some reason¡­


    Why should I, though? After all, I¡¯m used to doing things by myself. So why is it that I feel so vulnerable¡­ so helpless¡­ urgh, there¡¯s something weird about this room. I feel like my brain is addled or something.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± I say, ¡°Can we take a quick break? My legs are getting a bit sore.¡±


    No response.


    I turn around. Both Anja and Nova are gone too. What the fuck?


    ¡°Hey guys! What the hell?¡± I shout. I start jogging backwards. Did something happen to them? How did I not notice?


    After a while, I see Anja curled up on the floor.


    ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing?¡± I demand of her.


    She looks up at me with an odd, blank look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sitting, Ashley. Don¡¯t you have eyes?¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you walking? We have a mission to accomplish here!¡±


    Anja laughs at this, her face splitting into a wide smile. It¡¯s not like her usual playful smirk; it looks very uncanny on her face. ¡°Ashley, I¡¯m gonna be honest with you. I don¡¯t fucking care.¡±


    I feel my temper rising at her. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t care? May I remind you that this was your idea?¡±


    ¡°You took me waaay too seriously, Ash.¡± She responds bitingly. ¡°You think I seriously wanted to come here and be some hero? Sounds like a pretty dead meme to me.¡±


    There¡¯s something seriously wrong with her. All of Anja¡¯s body language and vocal inflections show nothing but utter apathy and contempt towards me. Given that Anja is normally enthusiastic to the point of annoyance, it¡¯s very jarring. And also infuriating.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dead meme. What the hell is that even supposed to mean? You came here to help Nova. Your friend. Stop being an ass and let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Ashley, I¡¯m gonna tell you a little secret,¡± Anja says, leaning back as if she¡¯s getting ready to take a nap. ¡°I really, from the bottom of my heart, don¡¯t care. I¡¯m well aware of how useless it is to try and change the way things are.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous. After all the time you spent bitching about corporate money and corruption and stuff? You¡¯re telling me now that you don¡¯t care about any of that?¡±


    ¡°Righteous anger is a hell of a drug, Ashley,¡± Anja explains. ¡°I thought that you of all people would understand that. And if you actually fix the problem, there¡¯s nothing to really be angry at anymore, now is there?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m hearing from you!¡± I yell, losing my temper. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how you feel, maybe there really is a career in politics in your future. But I came here to do a job, and I¡¯m gonna fucking do it. I don¡¯t need your shitty attitude anyway.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, Ashley,¡± she says, rolling her eyes. ¡°Go be a big fucking hero. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s what God wants you to do or whatever¡­¡±


    Having had enough of her, I give her a good kick in the stomach, and then I storm off, ignoring her outraged cry of ¡°OWW! ASHLEY, YOU FUCKING CUNT! THAT HURT!¡±


    Okay, I guess I¡¯m doing this without them then. Fine. Whatever. It¡¯s just the story of my life. You think that they¡¯re on your side, and then they just leave you, for no reason. I¡¯m just stuck walking down this stupid corridor alone. Passing all of these stupid screaming statues. They¡¯re screaming at me. Screaming at my sins.


    Wait, what? That didn¡¯t make any sense. Ugh, I¡¯m so angry I can¡¯t think straight.


    Something strange happens to me as I continue walking. My anger seems to sap away. My vision goes blurry. Something else wells up within me like a geyser. It¡¯s an overwhelming feeling of pain and, for lack of a better word, brokenness. It makes me want to stop, to fall down and cry like I haven¡¯t in years.


    I try to ignore it, as that wouldn¡¯t be very helpful towards accomplishing the mission. It seems clear beyond a shadow of a reasonable doubt now that this room puts a sort of spell on the people who attempt to walk through it. So much for puzzles and monsters- I never dreamed we¡¯d find something like this.


    The feeling within me, however, becomes more and more overwhelming. I feel as if it will overpower me soon. As a last-ditch effort to avoid it, I begin sprinting as hard as I can.


    However, I end up tripping and falling on my face. I find myself on the floor, not of the chamber, but of the hallway in my old house in California. How strange¡­


    I hear my mother¡¯s footsteps from behind me. ¡°Ashley? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I say, hastily getting back on my feet.


    She comes up behind me and starts stroking my hair. As always, it feels very comforting.


    ¡°I just talked to your father,¡± she tells me. ¡°He said that you seemed down after you got home from school today. What¡¯s going on with you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s going on,¡± I say. ¡°I was just tired.¡± I pull away from her to go to my room.


    ¡°Ashley¡­¡± she says. The way she says it makes me turn around and look at her. Her eyes have so much sadness in them¡­ I can¡¯t stand looking at them anymore, so I turn away from her and go through the door to my room, closing it behind me.


    Finally alone, I kneel down on the floor. There are five fingers on my left hand, and five fingers on my right; and together, they make ten.


    Eli, eli, lema sabachthani?


    Is this the path You truly meant for me?


    Is there nothing left of me but my flesh?


    Do I get no second chance, no healing?


    Will defection breed only loneliness?


    A punishment for a victimless crime?


    Then my path forward from today is clear.


    I will toil in my work confinement.


    So nobody will see my tainted soul.


    But I''m afraid that I will fall away...


    <hr>


    I open my eyes to see a different figure in front of me. Aiko is standing over me, looking down expectantly.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± I ask her. ¡°How dare you come into my room.¡±


    ¡°But you called me here, Ashley,¡± she replies, smiling wickedly.


    ¡°Get out,¡± I snarl. ¡°You were never here in this memory. And I never want to see you ever again.¡±


    ¡°Stop denying me, Ashley. You can hate me all you want, but I¡¯m the reason you are who you are today. You should thank me. I¡¯m the one who showed you the truth.¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡­¡± I say, but my voice gives away that I¡¯ve run out of fight.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing to do, Ashley. You¡¯re going to do things my way. You will give in to me at last¡­¡±


    She begins walking towards the door.


    ¡°Wait! Tell me¡­ what will become of me, then?¡± I ask her desperately.


    She says nothing. She only gives me that twisted smile again. She walks out of the door, and I hear a click which indicates that she locked it behind her.

 Chapter 14: Prosperity Gospel (September 2 Part 2)

    <Ashley>


    I¡¯m lying on my back on the floor. I feel something small standing on my stomach. I open my eyes to see Ted peering over me.


    ¡°Hey, watch where you stick your face!¡± I shout in surprise, sitting up and knocking him off.


    ¡°My apologies. I did not mean anything by it.¡±


    I get to my feet and try to take in my surroundings. I¡¯m in some sort of hallway, but one that is different than where I was. Like in the previous chamber, the floor is covered by a red carpet, and there are paintings on the wall with solid gold frames that depict angelic beings, which are thankfully not as creepy as those damn statues.


    ¡°Where are the other two? Anja and Nova?¡± Ted asks.


    Anja and Nova¡­ they¡­ oh fuck.


    I whirl around, and I see a door just like the one we entered through.


    ¡°How did I get here?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Just now, you walked in through that door and collapsed onto the floor,¡± he explains.


    ¡°I¡­ did? So, how did you get in here? Where were you in the last chamber?¡±


    ¡°The last chamber?¡± he asks, frowning. ¡°The front door led directly to this room¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it didn¡¯t. The three of us ended up in this endless hallway¡­ We tried to get to the end, but uh¡­ there was something weird about that chamber. It like, made us want to quit.


    I reach for the door and try to open it. It won¡¯t budge.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± I shout, kicking the door in anger. ¡°We have to get them out of there, Ted.¡±


    ¡°I know. It sounds like the room is cursed in some way,¡± Ted speculates. ¡°We must look around for a way to deactivate the curse.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think we can just¡­ turn this off?¡± I question him. ¡°How were we able to get through it and not them, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Well, how did you get through it?¡±


    That¡¯s a good question. I try to remember what happened¡­


    ¡°Well¡­ I remember walking in the chamber, and feeling a little weird mentally. I turned to see if Anja and Nova were following me, and they were gone. I found Anja, but she was acting really weird. She was saying that she didn¡¯t give a shit about our mission or anything. It was totally unlike her. I got mad, and I kept on walking by myself.¡±


    ¡°So you left them behind?¡± Ted questions me.


    ¡°Hey, shut up and let me finish. I kept walking, but I felt this sort of pull inside of me. It got stronger and stronger the longer I walked. Then I had some weird flashback to something from my childhood¡­ except it was different¡­ Well, we don¡¯t really need to talk about that. It was bizarre¡­¡±


    Thinking back to what just happened gives me a rather unpleasant feeling. What the hell was that chamber, anyway? I don¡¯t want to have to go through something like that again.


    At that moment, I am startled to see that someone else has joined us. It appears to be a young adult man. He has dark hair that is styled to the side and a slight amount of stubble as well as a tall and lean figure. He¡¯s wearing a black vest that is unbuttoned to reveal a tight red undershirt, and skinny jeans. He looks sort of like someone you¡¯d expect to see on TV, and certainly not someone you¡¯d expect to see in a small-town courthouse. The man is slowly approaching us, his footsteps inaudible.


    ¡°Stop right there,¡± I command him, drawing my sword.


    ¡°Hey now babe. No need to act so cold towards me,¡± he says in a sultry voice, stopping and leaning against the wall casually.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. State your name and business.¡±


    For a brief moment, I see anger flash across his face¡­ but as soon as it appears, it¡¯s gone, and replaced with an earnest and businesslike expression. He also stops leaning against the wall, and instead crosses his arms over his front. The lengths he is going to for the purpose of making me feel at ease are suspicious¡­


    ¡°Certainly. My name is Luke. I am a cognitive being of Justice Pavia¡¯s palace.¡±


    ¡°A cognitive being?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes. Did your master not tell you about cognitive beings?¡±


    I think back to our conversation with Lucy on Sunday. She did warn us against shapeshifting demons and opposing Persona users but didn¡¯t say anything about ¡°cognitive beings.¡± Could this be a trick?


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a ¡®no¡¯,¡± Luke says. ¡°A cognitive being is someone who may appear in a palace. They will take the appearance of someone the palace owner knows in real life. In my case, I am his real-life assistant. While I take his appearance, I am really a figment of Pavia¡¯s imagination. I¡¯m the version of ¡®Luke¡¯ that exists in his head¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, Pavia must not have a very high opinion of his assistant, given that his ¡®cognitive version¡¯ seems to like hitting on underage girls,¡± I comment.


    ¡°Oh, my apologies. You looked much older, I had no idea,¡± Luke assures me.


    Ted clears his throat, and then comments, ¡°For a cognitive version, you¡¯re rather self-aware. How would a cognitive person know all of this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now that¡¯s very interesting,¡± Luke responds. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a creature quite like yourself. Where did you come from, talking armadillo man?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject,¡± I order him. ¡°Thought we wouldn¡¯t notice that slick little dodge, hmm?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a very sharp young lady,¡± he compliments. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that you were able to make it through the Judgement Chamber.¡±


    Oh yeah, that reminds me. ¡°I have two friends who were left behind in the chamber. How do I get them out?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Hmm, you have friends in there? Well, I will take you to my master. Perhaps he will be able to help. Follow me, if you will.¡±


    He begins walking the other direction down the hallway. Curious to see where this goes, Ted and I follow him.


    <hr>


    After a short walk, Luke leads me into a different room. It¡¯s a courtroom, probably one which is fairly similar to the real one, except everything is made out of white marble. It almost looks too clean. It makes me want to splash a bunch of paint around the room or something just to throw off the perfection of it.


    At the other end of the room, I see the man in charge; Pavia is sitting in a chair behind his stand. Other than him, Ted, Luke and I, the room is empty. All of the benches are vacant.


    ¡°Aha, I thought I¡¯d see you here eventually,¡± Pavia says, smiling at me as Luke leads me down the center aisle.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes. I had a feeling when I saw you with your friends yesterday that you were different. And I was right; you have emerged from the Judgement Chamber, and they have not.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Although I¡¯m really not sure what that even means,¡± I admit. ¡°I don¡¯t really remember exactly how I got through it¡­¡±


    ¡°You were able to get through it because you¡¯re someone who¡¯s willing to do what needs to be done,¡± he explains. ¡°You¡¯re not weak.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I say, feeling a little proud despite myself. ¡°Then what about Ted here? He didn¡¯t have to go through the chamber at all.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Aye, my judgement was handed down long ago,¡± Ted explains. ¡°I was judged for my sins, and now I live out my punishment.¡±


    ¡°¡­Or, alternatively,¡± Luke buts in, ¡°Maybe he just doesn¡¯t qualify for being judged by the chamber because he¡¯s an animal. Occam¡¯s razor.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am not concerned with the little creature,¡± Pavia says dismissively. ¡°You got through the chamber, ginger girl. You must be here because you want to fight me, correct? Well, you passed the test. I will meet you in battle.¡±


    ¡°I do want to fight you,¡± I tell him. ¡°But not now. I need to go get our remaining party members.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t bother,¡± Pavia urges me. ¡°I have no interest in weaklings such as them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but Nova¡¯s the one who¡¯s being fucked over by your actions, not me,¡± I state. ¡°It¡¯s only fair to give him a shot.¡±


    Pavia sighs, looking disappointed with me. ¡°Perhaps you getting through the chamber was just a fluke. You are clearly misguided in your view of ¡®fairness¡­¡¯¡±


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re the one who has a palace of distorted desires. Not me,¡± I point out. I walk up to the desk and put my hands on it to show that I mean business. ¡°And admit it. You selectively favor rich people in your trials. We know all about it. What is it? Enjoy the bribe money?¡±


    Pavia laughs at me disdainfully. ¡°I have been in office since before you were born. And I have never once taken a bribe. If that boy stays under the care of a weak, uneducated man like that, he will never find any success in life.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so maybe Nova¡¯s not exactly a straight shooter,¡± I admit. ¡°But from all accounts, his father seems to genuinely love him. Whereas his mom treats him like a trophy boy that exists to make her look good. Does that mean nothing to you?¡±


    ¡°Love won¡¯t get him a job,¡± Pavia counters. ¡°Love won¡¯t get him wealth, or fame, or success. Does that mean nothing to you?¡±


    For some reason, this strikes a nerve with me, and I find myself at a loss for words.


    Now looking rather bored, Pavia snaps his fingers. On either side of the stand, two huge figures appear. They look like knights of some sort. Like me, they¡¯re covered in armor, though they also have metallic heads, making them a bit more robotic. They¡¯re over double my height; they must be about thirteen feet (note: four meters) tall.


    ¡°This girl turned out to be a disappointment,¡± Pavia whines to them. ¡°Take her and her friends back to the entrance so that they¡¯re out of my hair.¡±


    ¡°I see you have more cognitive people under your command,¡± Ted observes.


    ¡°Actually, those two are just shadows,¡± Luke comments smugly. ¡°So long, Ashley and Ted.¡±


    As the two knights lead Ted and I out of the chamber, I swear I hear a snippet of Luke and Pavia¡¯s muttered conversation from behind me¡­


    ¡°Well, that was anti-climactic,¡± Pavia growls.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry,¡± Luke assures him. ¡°She¡¯ll be back before long. Take it from my own personal experience- I know a stubborn bitch when I see one.¡±


    <hr>


    The knights lead us out of the courtroom, and back into the hallway connecting the courtroom to the Judgement Chamber or whatever.


    I find myself inexplicably frustrated. How did I get through that chamber, then? Pavia said that it meant I ¡°need to do what needs to be done,¡± but then he just turned me away anyway. What did he want? I try and remember what actually happened. I remember really strongly wanting to break down and cry¡­ I suppose being able to resist that impulse means something. But then what did that flashback mean? It was an old flashback of me rejecting my mom¡¯s offer for support; and then I went into my room and prayed; and then Aiko was there? I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it.


    ¡°Psst¡­ what is our plan from here?¡± Ted asks in a hoarse whisper.


    ¡°I¡¯m open to ideas if you have them,¡± I say.


    ¡°What troubles you, Ashley?¡± he asks me, evidently reading the tone of my voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m having trouble figuring out how to explain it adequately,¡± I admit. ¡°I guess it¡¯s that¡­ technically, what Pavia¡¯s saying isn¡¯t entirely wrong¡­ like, it is nice to have a job and everything¡­ hard work is a virtue, after all.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ted replies. ¡°But what is the best thing for Nova?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ he should still be with his dad¡­ money doesn¡¯t matter so much when you¡¯re so traumatized by the abuse you received that¡­¡±


    I groan, put my hands on top of my head, and start pulling my hair in agitation. ¡°Look, can we please talk about this later?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Quiet back there!¡± One of the knights says. His voice sounds like a typical human baritone voice, except slightly roboticized, like he was put through bad autotune.


    A little while later, we¡¯re back at the front chamber. One of the knights puts his hand on the door and closes his eyes. The palm of his hand starts emitting a pure white glow. He leaves it there for a few seconds, and then removes it.


    ¡°Alright. I have temporarily lifted the curse of the Chamber, so that you and your friends may promptly leave,¡± he says to Ted and I.


    ¡°Okay, great,¡± I reply. ¡°Hey Ted, you think we can take them?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about these shadows,¡± Ted reasons. ¡°I have no way of knowing.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like my mom always says. If you don¡¯t try, the answer is always ¡®no¡¯...¡±


    He looks apprehensive, but nods in agreement anyway.


    ¡°That¡¯s very funny,¡± the other knight says, though he says it in a flat voice. ¡°So, you two think you can take us, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, who are you supposed to be?¡± the first knight says. ¡°Some teenage girl who thinks she¡¯s Joan of Arc or something?¡±


    ¡°You know what, I think I¡¯ve seen this girl before! She was on one of those Japanese cartoons!¡±


    These two have officially annoyed me, which means it¡¯s time for battle.


    I figure it makes sense to start with a ¡°divide and conquer¡± strategy, so I take the one on the left. He doesn¡¯t seem to have any weapons, but given the size of this thing I don¡¯t particularly want to be punched by him.


    ¡°Oh what, are you going to fight me? Ah, kids these days. There¡¯s so many things that they don¡¯t understand¡­¡± And without any further warning, he kicks out his foot straight at me, which I¡¯m only narrowly able to dodge.


    This thing is surprisingly agile, so I¡¯m going to need to keep my distance and look for a weak point. While he is still off balance from the kick, I run forward and slash the other leg, mostly to test the sword¡¯s effectiveness. It does scratch the armor, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be as effective as I would¡¯ve wanted. I run out of the way in time to avoid the counter punch.


    ¡°What are you going to do with that puny thing? You can¡¯t penetrate me!¡± he taunts.


    This is immensely frustrating to me¡­ Surely, I must have something up my sleeve.


    He aims a big punch at me. I try to stop it with my hand, but I end up just being knocked back straight against a wall, where I fall onto the floor on my butt.


    Then, my foe begins to do something troubling. His eyes start glowing, and he speaks in a terrible voice, one which is his own layered with other, lower pitched voices: ¡°Have a taste of your final fate!¡±


    He claps his hands in front of him, which releases a shockwave of bright white light that shoots straight for me and¡­ I feel absolutely nothing.


    ¡°Hmm. My final fate actually isn¡¯t looking too bad,¡± I mock, jumping to my feet. I notice that some of the light has lingered around me, seemingly circling around, and this gives me an idea. Struck by inexplicable inspiration, I reach out my hand towards him, shooting the light back at him like a whip¡­ and then I clench my fist.


    This does noticeably more to help my cause than the sword did. He gives a surprised grunt and stumbles backwards. I can now see a few dents in his armor. I am pleased at this, but it also seems like my spell was a limited time offer- the light around me has entirely diminished.


    In addition, it seems like I pissed him off. He starts attacking me with serious vigor. I duck and roll out of the way of a punch, then sidestep a kick, but the third time¡¯s the charm, and I am caught in the back of the head with a punch so strong that I would¡¯ve lost a significant number of brain cells had this been the real world. I also get knocked flat on my face, and in the shock of the blow I lose my grip on the sword and it clatters onto the floor.


    He sticks his metal foot on my back. Well, that just won¡¯t do at all, now will it?


    I push myself, and it seems like I¡¯m able to throw him off balance purely based on the element of surprise. Without any time to think of a plan, I end up just blindly running into him like a savage and wrapping my arms around his neck from behind.


    He repeatedly punches my arms, but I ignore the pain and focus on trying to tear his stupid head off. He runs backwards and slams me straight into the wall with extreme force, then steps back forward. This crushes my body so hard that I feel like a crumpled-up newspaper, and I collapse straight onto the floor yet again.


    He turns around for another attack, but then is interrupted by a huge blast of fire which sends him flying into the wall. Looks like Ted saved my ass yet again¡­


    ¡°You can finish him off!¡± Ted shouts. I look over, and he¡¯s moving his hand towards me as if caressing the air¡­ A warm feeling fills me, and I feel a considerable amount of my previous pain fade away.


    The other knight recovers, and Ted has to divert his attention back to him. I jump to my feet and turn to face my own foe, who is also getting back on his feet.


    ¡°You can kiss my shiny metal ass!¡± The knight yells at me, incensed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of an ass-kisser,¡± I explain. ¡°I prefer to make my own way in life.¡±


    He charges towards me, but now that I see it coming, I¡¯m able to handily jump to the side. I pick up my sword from the floor, and furiously slash at him. Maybe now that he¡¯s been weakened, I¡¯ll be able to finish him off the old-fashioned way.


    He aims another punch, but I sway to the left, jump into the air and stab my sword straight into his chest. I catch an existing dent just right and manage to puncture straight through. The momentum carries us straight forward, until the sword gets partially buried into the wall. The force of the collision also sends me stumbling backwards.


    Surprisingly, I see blood begin to pour from where I cut through him. He seems remarkably unperturbed by this, showing no emotion other than pouting that he lost. Shortly afterwards, he starts to fade away, evaporating into the air around him.


    I turn around to see Ted dashing towards me on all fours. The other knight is nowhere to be seen, so he must have already won his side of the fight.


    ¡°Looks like I owe you a thanks¡­ again,¡± I begrudgingly tell him.


    ¡°No thanks needed. I¡¯m here for anything you need,¡± Ted remarks, tipping his hat to me. ¡°Shall we go retrieve Anja and Nova?¡±


    ¡°Well, if the curse is off, they¡¯re probably about to make it out of the chamber themselves anyway,¡± I reason. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait for them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fair enough,¡± he agrees.


    So wait we do. I just hope that when Anja and Nova show up, they¡¯re both in the mood for actually being helpful¡­

 Chapter 15: Or Does It Explode? (September 2 Part 3)

    <Nova>


    Something feels different. All of the memories slowly fade away, and I find myself back in the chamber in Pavia¡¯s palace.


    I don¡¯t immediately get up, however. Even though the flashbacks are over, the voice still rings through my head. I suppose in a sense, it always does¡­


    After a while, I hear footsteps from in front of me. I look up to see Anja, stumbling towards me like she just woke up in a hangover or something.


    ¡°Hey Nova,¡± she greets me. ¡°Are you awake too?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I say. ¡°Where did Ashley go?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know,¡± she admits. ¡°I think she walked ahead of me, so maybe she¡¯s further on¡­¡±


    I look around, and we¡¯re still in the same room, but in front of me I can see a door. Are we back at the entrance? I turn around and there¡¯s another door¡­ wait, what?


    ¡°I remember this place being a lot bigger,¡± Anja comments, looking around herself. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure that the exit is that one, that¡¯s the direction I came from.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t magic a bunch of fucking bullshit?¡± I say, because it is.


    ¡°Yep,¡± she agrees. ¡°There¡¯s something about this room. It made me act like¡­ someone I¡¯m not. Or at least, someone I don¡¯t want to be.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°Were you affected by it too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. But¡­ it didn¡¯t really make me act like someone else or anything. It just reminded me of who I already am.¡±


    Anja looks at me sadly. ¡°It seems like it really affected you. Do you need to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°I dunno what there is to talk about. It¡¯s just¡­ isn¡¯t it all such a load of bullshit?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ what specifically? You mean this palace, or¡­?¡±


    I groan at myself. ¡°I guess just¡­ life. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d understand¡­¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°Well, I can try. Come on, talk to me while we walk.¡±


    I nod, and we both start walking towards the back. For a few steps, I just stew in silence, but then, I start talking.


    ¡°Anja, do you know how everyone always says to follow your dreams and make something of yourself, and all that? Well, what do you make of yourself if you don¡¯t have any dreams? What if your whole life is just¡­ numbing yourself enough to bear waking up the next day?


    ¡°Well¡­ okay, I¡¯m probably being overly dramatic. But it¡¯s hard not to be when you¡¯ve not accomplished much of anything. Everyone always says I could be good in school if I just tried¡­ but when I do try, I still can¡¯t seem to figure anything out. Not much point in trying, then. So whenever I¡¯m forced to sit and reflect for a while, it seems to me like the only way to win the game is to not play.¡±


    We arrive at the door. Before we go through it, I look at Anja to see her reaction. She seems concerned¡­


    ¡°Thanks for not laughing at me,¡± I tell her. ¡°I know I¡¯m not too much of a poet.¡±


    ¡°Hey, no problem,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯m not too much of a poet either. Nova, do you remember our conversation from Saturday?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. It¡¯s not like I like where I¡¯m at right now. I just¡­ I dunno.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know where to start?¡± She offers.


    ¡°Yeah. I guess that¡¯s it.¡± I breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Thanks for listening to me. I know it doesn¡¯t make sense, but I kinda feel better now.¡±


    ¡°Take it from the daughter of a therapist,¡± Anja replies, smiling at me. ¡°Sometimes just vocalizing your feelings is all you need.¡± Then, she gives me a hug. I¡¯m surprised by this for a brief moment, but then I return it.


    After hugging, we open the door and end up in a different corridor. Ashley is already there, leaning against a wall like she¡¯s about to fall asleep. Surprisingly, Ted is there too.


    ¡°And where have you two been?¡± Anja questions.


    ¡°Oh, you know¡­¡± Ashley explains. ¡°You guys took a while, so I took a nap¡­ got up¡­ fought some monsters¡­ went to Starbucks¡­ took the PSAT¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope that you¡¯ll bedazzle everyone with your scores!¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Oh right. You guys are freshmen, you don¡¯t get that joke.¡±


    ¡°And what about the armadillo dude?¡± I ask Ashley.


    ¡°Weirdly, he was here the whole time,¡± Ashley explains, shrugging. ¡°For whatever reason, he¡¯s just kind of exempt from having to go through that.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of ¡®that¡¯,¡± Anja says. ¡°What was that, exactly?¡±


    ¡°The chamber seems to have some sort of curse that makes people who walk through it want to quit,¡± Ashley answers. ¡°From what I was able to gather, it¡¯s some sort of test. It¡¯s Pavia¡¯s way of judging someone¡¯s ¡®worthiness¡¯ or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how do you know that?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°I found Pavia¡¯s shadow form a little further on, and that¡¯s more or less what he told me,¡± she says.


    ¡°Oh, you found him?¡± I ask, getting excited. That didn¡¯t take as long as I thought it would. ¡°Hell yeah! It¡¯s time to whoop some ass!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m with you,¡± Anja says, nodding with me. ¡°But first, something about this doesn¡¯t add up. How were you able to get through, Ashley?¡± She then looks down at Ted. ¡°And what makes him exempt?¡±


    ¡°For Ted, it was probably his non-human status,¡± Ashley answers. ¡°For me¡­ I¡¯m not really sure.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, it seems like the chamber makes us feel apathetic and demotivated,¡± Anja theorizes. ¡°So maybe you got through because you¡¯re the most motivated one?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I think it affected each of us differently,¡± Ashley says. ¡°I didn¡¯t really feel demotivated, so much as¡­¡± she huffs suddenly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not important. The point is, we don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really say it made me feel apathetic either,¡± I add. ¡°It was more like a¡­ total hopelessness.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Huh. I guess it was personalized to each of us, then,¡± Anja concludes.


    ¡°So did you free us from¡­ whatever magic bullshit that was, then?¡± I ask Ashley. ¡°How did you manage that?¡±


    ¡°A couple of shadows were about to kick all of us out,¡± she explains. ¡°But Ted and I managed to trick them into turning off the chamber, and then we killed them.¡±


    ¡°Nice going!¡± Anja says approvingly. ¡°Well, glad that¡¯s over. On to the next challenge!¡±


    <hr>


    After about a minute or so, we come across another door. We walk into the next room and¡­ oh boy. This is not going to be fun.


    It¡¯s a courtroom, which is already not bringing back great memories. But there¡¯s a twist: everything is made out of white marble (of course.)


    As the four of us walk through the center aisle, we don¡¯t see a soul, enemy or otherwise. An ominous quiet hangs over the court. As we reach the front where the judge would normally sit, Ashley turns around to face us.


    ¡°Where did that smug asshole go?¡± she wonders aloud. ¡°Not even that assistant guy is here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this is where he was?¡± Anja questions. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet in here¡­ suspiciously quiet, in fact.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably a boss fight coming up,¡± I tell her.


    Ashley turns towards me, giving me this sort of condescending look that I don¡¯t like. ¡°A boss fight¡­ Oh, I see,¡± she says. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about this as if it were a video game.¡±


    ¡°I mean, it could be one.¡±


    Ashley shakes her head. ¡°No, Nova. We are not inside of a video game. I can assure you of that much.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I like to think that I¡¯m the star of my own TV show,¡± Anja comments, grinning. ¡°I find myself internally narrating my life¡­¡±


    ¡°You think that you¡¯re the main character?¡± Ashley says in reply. ¡°That¡¯s really cute.¡±


    ¡°What? Why can¡¯t I be?¡±


    Right at that moment, we are interrupted by a smack that is so loud that it feels like the air is split in two. I quickly cover my ears, feeling dazed by the noise. Ashley winces, and then starts frantically looking around to find the source. Anja is so surprised that she falls over onto the ground.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I shout at nobody in particular.


    Ted points off to the side of the witness stand and says, "I do believe that the ''boss'' is here."


    He¡¯s here, alright. And he looks fucking pissed off to see us.


    ¡°Ah, excellent. We were just looking for you,¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°Alright, battle time!¡± I shout. ¡°Let me at ¡®im!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± Pavia yells back at us disdainfully. ¡°I told you all to leave. You are not worthy of being here!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving!¡± Anja cries. ¡°Get ready for a beatdown!¡±


    Pavia just sighs heavily at us, and then snaps his fingers.


    In the blink of an eye, the three of us are sitting in chairs behind the defendant¡¯s desk, and Pavia is suddenly in the center where he normally would be during a trial, staring down at us. I try to get up, but I find myself unable to move my arms and legs¡­


    ¡°To tell the truth, I thought you all would be coming back. Since you¡¯re here, I want to know something. What did you see when you walked through the Chamber?¡±


    ¡°Well, I saw a bunch of these creepy statues,¡± Anja answers. ¡°And there was this red carpet, and¡­¡±


    ¡°I think he meant what you saw in your head,¡± Ashley interrupts.


    ¡°Oh. Well, then he should¡¯ve specified!¡± Anja replies indignantly.


    Pavia waves his hand. Anja keeps moving her mouth, but no sound comes out. When Anja realizes what happened, she gets visibly furious and starts making weird faces at him instead.


    ¡°I¡¯m most interested in hearing from you, boy,¡± Pavia says, shifting his gaze over to me. ¡°Do speak up.¡±


    I feel myself becoming enraged. ¡°None of your business, asshat,¡± I spit at him.


    ¡°No need to take that tone with me,¡± he says patiently, but he¡¯s smirking. ¡°That chamber shows you nothing more and nothing less than the parts of your heart that you are trying the most desperately to bury. And we can learn a lot from those.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®we¡¯ in this,¡± I respond. ¡°You¡¯re not learning shit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so vulgar,¡± he comments sardonically. ¡°Trust me, boy. You don¡¯t want to end up like that father of yours. And with the path you¡¯re going on, you will¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking show you!¡± I shout at him. ¡°I¡¯ll show everyone.¡±


    ¡°Oh will you?¡± he comments in a bored voice. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re just going to disrespect me, I have better places to be. Goodbye.¡±


    He snaps his fingers again, and a bunch of enemies spawn in front of his stand. I see three extremely tall knights in golden armor, as well as a couple of strange winged creatures that I can¡¯t get a good look at on either side.


    ¡°Escort them back to the chamber. And please do it properly this time¡­¡± Pavia orders the enemies, as he gets up from the desk and stomps back to the door. After he leaves, I suddenly regain the ability to move my arms and legs. Not like that helps much¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re outnumbered¡­ this isn¡¯t good,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Those golden men are like the ones I fought. They¡¯re weak to fire and bless, but resist physical attacks.¡±


    ¡°Um, Ashley¡­ that means nothing to me,¡± Anja says, nervously getting into a battle stance.


    And before I know it, the other three have charged off into battle. Ashley immediately uses a white light or some shit to hit one of the armored guys. Ted starts using his pistol to try and shoot down the winged ones, who on closer inspection are vaguely cat-like humans with wings coming out of their heads¡­ freaky. This leaves the other two armored guys to gang up on Anja. She¡¯s shooting them with all she¡¯s got, but while the bullets are punching holes all over their armor, it¡¯s not doing much to slow them down¡­ this is painful to watch.


    The two knights are moving faster than it looks like they should. Anja¡¯s trying her best to duck and dodge around them, but it¡¯s hard when there¡¯s two of them. Before long she¡¯s been kicked off to the side¡­


    I can¡¯t stand it anymore, so I run out towards her. However, when I¡¯m halfway there, I feel something pick me up by the collar of my shirt. I am lifted up by one of the enemies who was just attacking Anja, who brings me face to face with himself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have an awakened Persona yet,¡± he scolds me. ¡°Do you have any sense at all?¡±


    ¡°Let me down¡­ you fucking¡­ bastard¡­ bitch-ass¡­¡± But my shirt collar is pressing against my neck, and it¡¯s suffocating me¡­


    ¡°Or what, exactly? Are you going to keep swearing at me? That¡¯s typical of children like you...¡±


    From behind him, I see a huge blast of fire knock one of the others down and into the back of the one holding me, who shouts and tosses me in front of him as he loses his balance. I land flat on my ass right next to where Anja is laying.


    I take this opportunity to immediately roll over and look over her. She¡¯s conscious, but her face is scrunched up in pain¡­


    ¡°Are you okay? I ask.


    ¡°Uh¡­ owie¡­ got me right in the stomach¡­¡± she says, grimacing at me.


    I get to my feet and whirl around to make sure I¡¯m not being snuck up on. I see Ashley nearby, the two winged creatures flying around her head like two extremely large angry bees. The knights are currently preoccupied with Ted, who is making use of his small size to run into between each of their legs, causing the three to stumble around in confusion.


    ¡°You just gonna stand there?¡± Ashley gripes at me, trying to swat them out of the air with her sword.


    ¡°What do you want me to do? Spit on them?¡± I argue back. ¡°I don¡¯t have any weapons!¡±


    ¡°Well, this is your moment, dude. I know you have a bad habit of procrastinating, but this is ridiculous¡­¡±


    I¡¯m so mad¡­ I ought to show her too... I¡¯m so angry, I feel like I could just¡­ well, wait, that¡¯s new.


    Greetings, young lad, a manly voice says inside my head. I have come to lend you my power¡­


    Oh thank god, finally, I think back. Yes, give it to me please.


    Oh. Well, splendid. Right this way, then¡­


    <hr>


    I see a figure standing across from me. It¡¯s¡­ no way¡­ it can¡¯t be...


    ¡°Chris Hemsworth?¡± I ask. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ uh¡­ I do not know of this ¡®Chris Hemsworth¡¯ fellow¡­ I am your Persona,¡± he explains.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°It seems that you are tired of having no say over your own life, and are finally ready to take matters into your own hands¡­ a wise decision. You have proven yourself worthy to wield my power!¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ alrighty then. Carry on.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    <hr>


    I know instantly, when I begin trembling, that it must be happening¡­ the awakening of my Persona. I feel a mask on my face, and I tear it off. It sucks, but I know I had to do that to get my fighting abilities. Then, my clothes change around me¡­ I¡¯m wearing a long, golden robe, and some weird thing on my head that I can¡¯t see. But what excites me most is the huge steel hammer I¡¯m now holding in my right hand¡­


    In front of me, Ashley is making an unusual face at me¡­ she¡¯s smirking?


    ¡°I thought that all you needed was a push¡­¡± she says.

 Chapter 16: Protectionism (September 2 Part 4)

    <Nova>


    I get a chance to test my new abilities almost immediately. Ted runs straight past me, which means that the two golden knights are following right behind him. Wait a minute, weren¡¯t there three? What happened to the third one?


    Anyways, since I have the hammer, I¡¯m assuming that I must have some sort of electricity attack as well. Going by Pok¨¦mon logic, it should hit at least neutrally.


    I raise my hammer into the air, and sure enough, it begins crackling with sparks. I bring it down, and a huge crash of lightning is brought down right on one of their heads! The one I hit is fried; he falls to the floor and dissipates into shadow.


    The other one stops in his tracks and looks at me. ¡°Ah, there it is! Quite the bombastic opening, but I hope you know how to follow it up!¡±


    ¡°You bet I do!¡± I shout back, even though that¡¯s kind of a lie because I don¡¯t know what other powers I have.


    He runs towards me with surprising speed, so much so that I¡¯m caught by surprise and don¡¯t have time to guard against a punch that hits me right smack in the face and¡­ just kind of bounces off. Ha! I¡¯m awesome.


    ¡°What in God¡¯s name is this?¡± the knight yells, recoiling from the punch.


    ¡°It¡¯s your doom!¡± I shout back. Emboldened, I run forwards, take a huge leap into the air, and club him right across the face with my hammer, which sends him staggering backwards.


    As much fun as that was, when I land back on my feet I notice that it didn¡¯t seem to do much. There¡¯s a big dent in his helmet where I hit him, but otherwise it mostly seems to just have annoyed him. Wait, didn¡¯t Ashley say that they resisted physical¡­?


    Then, he starts doing something new. His eyes begin glowing, and he claps both of his hands out in front of him, which shoots a wave of whiteness at me, and it feels like I¡¯m on fire¡­


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    The few seconds I stopped to see Nova¡¯s transformation, the winged cherubim is on me. These assholes have proved to be quite evasive. I finally managed to get rid of one of them, but now the other one is clawing all over my body, somehow always just out of my reach¡­


    Then, with one last shove, I¡¯m on the floor, and the thing is standing over me, staring at me with its creepy, vaguely human face.


    ¡°You know, for a heavenly being, you really are a piece of shit,¡± I tell it.


    It raises its paw to deal a final blow, but then I hear a gunshot and the cherub shrieks in pain as blood starts pouring out of the wings attached to its head¡­ and onto my face. Great.


    I push it off and roll over onto my front. I see that the one who fired was Ted. Anja is still laying on the floor a few yards behind him.


    ¡°I never miss a shot,¡± he gloats, looking proud of himself.


    ¡°Thanks for the help. Can you use that healing move on Anja?¡±


    ¡°Not right now¡­ I used up my magic fighting the golden ones.¡±


    ¡°You used it up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    I push myself up with my arms, which is rather difficult given that they¡¯re all bruised by my winged assaulters, and then I get to my feet. I look around and see Nova fighting the last of the knights.


    ¡°What in God¡¯s name is this?¡± It shouts at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s your doom!¡± Nova yells back at it, which makes me roll my eyes. He needs to work on his one-liners.


    ¡°Think we should go help him out?¡± I ask Ted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what we can do for him. My fire attacks were very effective, but now that my magic is depleted¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have something up my own sleeve,¡± I assure him.


    I turn back just in time to watch Nova get blasted in the face by one of those light attacks that the other guy tried on me. Unfortunately, it looks like Nova isn¡¯t taking it as well as I did, so I think it¡¯s time for me to intervene.


    I run towards him and stick out my hand, just like before, and shoot a beam of light straight into him. In his weakened state, this is enough to finish him off. With no enemies left on the field, I walk over to Nova to check his status.


    He¡¯s laying on the floor, still conscious but looking dazed and utterly wiped. Upon looking more closely at his new outfit, he¡¯s dressed in what appear to be the clothes of a king, with a golden robe and a matching gold layered headdress.


    ¡°Looks like that light attack really did a number on you,¡± I observe. ¡°Anja, can you¡­¡± but then, I remember that Anja was knocked out near the beginning of the fight.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so¡­ tired¡­¡± Nova complains. ¡°Finish¡­ tomorrow¡­¡±


    I turn towards Ted, who shrugs at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have another choice,¡± he says simply.


    ¡°Okay, fine then,¡± I agree begrudgingly. I carry Anja over back to where Nova is lying, and then I use the app to get us all out of there.


    <hr>


    When we re-enter the real world, Anja immediately nearly loses her balance, as the transition between worlds put her back on her feet. I stick my hand on her shoulder to help her regain balance.


    ¡°What the¡­ ah¡­ oh, thanks, Ashley,¡± she says, seeming to realize what¡¯s happening after a short moment. ¡°That was weird. It was like I went from being fast asleep to suddenly being on my feet in the middle of the day.¡±


    Nova yawns loudly, looking like he¡¯s about to fall asleep while standing up. ¡°Man¡­ I need a nap,¡± he laments.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ did you do it?¡± Anja asks excitedly, her eyes sparkling. ¡°You awakened your Persona, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± he says sleepily. ¡°I¡¯m Thor¡­ hell yeah.¡±


    ¡°It really takes a lot out of you, huh?¡± Anja questions. ¡°I was exhausted all day after awakening mine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I guess it¡¯s a good thing I awakened mine when it was already evening,¡± I remark.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m pretty tired too,¡± Anja admits. ¡°Let¡¯s all get back¡­ AAAARGH!¡± While talking, she had begun walking to the car and ended up tripping over Ted and faceplanting onto the sidewalk.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re stepping!¡± I chide her, kneeling to the ground. ¡°Are you hurt at all?¡± I ask Ted.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± he replies. ¡°It¡¯ll take much more than that to break through this shell.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, he can talk in this world too?¡± Nova asks, looking slightly horrified. ¡°That¡¯s really weird.¡±


    ¡°Of course he can talk in this world!¡± I tell him. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get home, I have homework.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay, thank you for asking,¡± Anja complains, having just gotten back on her feet.


    After she unlocks the car, I scoop up Ted and set him in the backseat, and then climb into the backseat on the other side. Before long, Anja has started the car. She goes to Nova¡¯s apartment first since it¡¯s furthest from her house.


    ¡°Well¡­ we definitely learned a lot about his cognition from that,¡± I say conversationally.


    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± Anja agrees. ¡°Holy crap, he was such an asshole to Nova in that courtroom! I guess that¡¯s the ¡®mask off¡¯ moment for him.¡±


    ¡°I want to note something from when I talked to him before, though,¡± I say. ¡°I asked him if he¡¯d ever taken bribes from his subjects, and he said that he never has.¡±


    ¡°Well, he could¡¯ve been lying!¡± Anja argues.


    ¡°That was his literal ¡®shadow self,¡¯ Anja,¡± I explain. ¡°How on earth could he be lying?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I dunno,¡± she admits. ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter now. Either way, he needs to be stopped. For Nova¡¯s sake¡­ Oh yeah. Nova, how does it feel to have your Persona? How do you feel the experience impacted you?¡±


    She waits a little bit for a reply, and then looks over at him and laughs. ¡°Oh¡­ he fell asleep. Guess I¡¯ll ask later.¡±


    <hr>


    After she drops off Nova, it¡¯s silent for a while. Then, unexpectedly, Anja says, ¡°You¡¯re quite the workaholic, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I respond.


    ¡°Well, anytime I see you, you¡¯re always focused on finishing some task. I¡¯ve known you for several weeks now, and I feel like I barely know anything about you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do like to be efficient,¡± I say defensively. ¡°It¡¯s a necessary quality to succeed in life.¡±


    ¡°But having your nose to the grindstone 100% of the time isn¡¯t efficient,¡± she argues. ¡°You miss out on so much that way. Leisure time is important to prevent yourself from being burned out. You can also learn a lot about yourself and the world around you when you stop and take a look around every now and then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, why do you see it necessary to nag me about how I live my life?¡± I ask her, getting annoyed. ¡°You think that I¡¯m a robot? That I literally do nothing but work 100% of the time?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly, but¡­¡±


    ¡°How about you mind your own business?¡± I interrupt her. ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking for your opinion on my work-life balance.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t stop thinking about what happened back in the palace,¡± she explains. ¡°How you were able to get through that chamber without us. I can¡¯t help but to wonder if¡­ maybe the way you think is similar to Pavia¡¯s in some aspects.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re a bad person like he is,¡± she adds quickly, evidently reading my anger in advance. ¡°You have a strong moral compass deep down, Ashley. I¡¯m just saying that you¡¯d thrive in the type of society he wants to create.¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything to that. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s playing at¡­


    Eventually, we arrive back at the Methodist Church. I scoop Ted back into my arms and step out of the car.


    ¡°Do you want me to drive you the rest of the way after you set him down?¡± Anja asks me through the window.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll walk home myself,¡± I answer.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replies a little sadly. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± She drives away.


    I walk Ted back over to where the trees are. ¡°What¡¯d she have to go after me for?¡± I vent to him as I walk. ¡°Like I¡¯m anything like that arrogant asshole.¡±


    I set him down on the ground. He looks up at me and says, ¡°It¡¯s remarkable how empty that man¡¯s palace was.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh yeah, I guess,¡± I respond, caught off guard by this random observation.


    ¡°It was only him, that assistant, and the shadows,¡± he continues. ¡°Ashley¡­ if you had a palace like that, who would be inside of it? Who do you trust in your heart?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ interesting question,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ll think about that for you. Be ready to finish the palace off tomorrow, okay?¡±


    He nods vigorously, and then turns around and disappears into the trees.


    <hr>


    All things considered, I arrive home this afternoon in poor spirits. My parents are in the living room, having a very odd conversation.


    ¡°If you were born with green eyes,¡± my dad is saying as I walk in, ¡°You could, in theory, hide this fact by spending your life wearing colored contact lenses.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but why should you have to?¡± my mom counters, surprisingly passionate about this subject. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it feel dirty, just spending your whole life hiding what your true eye color is? That kind of thing can have bad effects on someone¡¯s mind.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. So it¡¯d have to be worth the pain and effort of hiding it. If having green eyes is a sin against God, that would make it worth it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but how can having green eyes be a sin against God, if God gave you green eyes?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a good point.¡±


    ¡°Um, Dad? Don¡¯t you have brown eyes?¡± I ask, leaning against the wall behind them. ¡°Why is this even relevant to you?¡±


    ¡°I technically have hazel eyes,¡± Dad responds, taking off his glasses and fiddling with them. ¡°Of course, most people can¡¯t tell the difference.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you come in, how was it with your friends?¡± Mom asks, turning around to face me.


    Let¡¯s see¡­ I got mind raped, then had to fight a dude twice my height by myself, then had to listen to Anja and Nova bitch at me, then got yelled at by Pavia, then nearly got my ass kicked.


    ¡°Oh, it was great. Utterly fantastic.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ good to hear?¡± My mom replies uncertainly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zoe at?¡±


    ¡°She decided to wait for you back in your room,¡± she explains.


    ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t keep her waiting, then.¡±


    I exit the living room and go back to my own. Sure enough, Zoe is there, sitting on the bed.


    ¡°There you are,¡± she greets, putting her phone down when she sees me. ¡°What were you off doing with Anja?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ doing something which is gonna help Nova a lot,¡± I say vaguely. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain.¡±


    Despite my very unclear answer, Zoe looks a little relieved. ¡°I hope that things get better for him soon,¡± she remarks. ¡°He has such a sad life.¡±


    Zoe really is a remarkable person. She only really met Nova like, four days ago, and yet already seems so legitimately concerned about him. She just exudes so much warmth in everything that she does. It¡¯s hard for me to not trust her¡­


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± she asks, her head cocked slightly to the side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I say, sitting down on the bed next to her. ¡°Before we start on our work, can I make an unusual request?¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Can I give you a hug?¡±


    She beams at me. ¡°Yes, you can!¡±


    And so we hug. And it feels very nice¡­ like I don¡¯t ever want it to end. In fact, I feel once again like I¡¯m about to break down crying, so I pull away from her.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say.


    ¡°No problem. Um¡­ with region jazz coming in less than two weeks, can you help me with something?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand something your mom said about the improvisation. Why is it that I¡¯m supposed to use the blues scale¡­ but I can also play a d natural¡­ but only sometimes?¡±


    And¡­ well, I think you get the idea. From there we just do our usual practicing/homework and stuff. Next time¡­ we¡¯re going to make that Pavia have a change of heart whether he wants to or not.

 Chapter 17: Life Will Change (September 3 Part 1)

    <Zoe>


    While walking to band rehearsal, I find myself getting lost in thought, as I have a tendency to do. However, my musings are interrupted by the sound of a voice behind me saying my name.


    ¡°Hey Zoe! Can I ask you something?¡±


    I turn around, and see who it is who¡¯s speaking to me; Mason Wallace. Mason is the best trombone player in our year, and one of the few freshmen to make Symphonic Band along with Ashley and I. I¡¯m surprised that he¡¯s talking to me, we do not have any particular relationship. He looks nervous about something; what¡¯s going on?


    ¡°Hey¡­ um¡­¡± he begins in a stutter. ¡°How¡¯d you like to go to Homecoming with me?¡±


    I immediately am forced to process a complex web of different emotions.


    <ul>


    <li>     The Homecoming Dance is not for another two or three weeks. Asking me now is a very odd move, given that the Dance is not yet on the forefront of the collective consciousness of the school.</li>


    <li>     No, no I don¡¯t want to go with him. Like I said before, I do not have any particular friendship or anything with him, and in fact he can sometimes be kind of annoying.</li>


    <li>     Still, though, it¡¯s not as if I can just tell him this. How should I explain my answer? I need to think of some excuse, quickly now¡­</li>


    <li>     Everyone is staring at both of us right now and I¡¯m extremely embarrassed.</li>


    <li>     I have to use the restroom.</li>


    </ul>


    ¡°Oh¡­ welll¡­ um¡­ I, uh¡­ I¡¯malreadygoingwithsomeone.¡±


    Why did I say that? That¡¯s a bad lie. As I previously mentioned, the dance is still several weeks away. Who else would have already asked me?


    Mason looks annoyed for a second, but then he recovers and looks at me curiously. ¡°Oh really? Who is it?¡±


    Uh-oh. He¡¯s going to call my bluff.


    ¡°I, um, it¡¯s a secret,¡± I say stupidly, that being all I can think of.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay you can tell me,¡± Mason says slyly, moving slightly closer. ¡°Are you hiding something?¡±


    But then, I hear a different voice from down the hall, speaking softly, but in scathing tone that is clearly discernible: ¡°She already said no, dipshit. Don¡¯t you take a hint?¡±


    I turn and am flooded with relief to see Ashley coming towards us. The students around us begin chattering at her appearance, but she pays no attention to them, and looks (as usual) as if she¡¯s bored with the proceedings.


    When Mason sees her, his expression turns into a sneer. ¡°I¡¯m allowed to ask someone a question, am I? Or is there a new royal proclamation against that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re acting like an entitled little bitch, and you¡¯re heckling her,¡± Ashley chastises him bluntly. Mason goes a bit red in the face, but doesn¡¯t seem to be able to think of a comeback. Ashley lightly puts her hand on my shoulder and leads me away to the band hall.


    I feel incredibly grateful for her. One of the things that I truly love about Ashley is that she¡¯s just the kind of person who can get me out of awkward situations like that.


    Still, there is one thing that troubles me. I can¡¯t turn around and go to the restroom now, as that would make things even more awkward. So, I¡¯m going to have to hold it throughout the whole period again.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Having already cleared out all other obstacles and enemies in the palace, we arrive back in the courtroom, which has reverted to the eerie silence it had before our last battle. Since Pavia exited through the door on the right, we deduce that¡¯s likely where he is now, and enter through it.


    On the other end is something quite surprising. The door leads to what appears to be a football stadium. Other than us four, there doesn¡¯t appear to be another soul in sight, neither on the field or in the bleachers. The door we just came out of us doesn¡¯t seem to lead to anywhere; it is simply sitting in the middle of the grass with no sort of structure behind it. It reminds me of the doors in the movie ¡°Monsters Inc.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ what the hell?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°Well, looks like this place is not even trying to follow the laws of physics anymore,¡± I comment, referring to the door we just came out of.


    ¡°In all of my travels¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a place like this,¡± Ted comments, sounding strangely fearful. ¡°Keep your wits about you, rangers.¡± The way he says it makes me feel a little nervous.


    We walk away from the door and past one of the goal posts. Then, I hear a voice from behind me say, ¡°Hello there!¡±


    The four of us whirl around to see who is speaking. Near the goal post, there is an attractive woman with dark skin, wavy hair, and a fully developed figure. She is dressed casually, wearing a pair of short shorts and sleeveless tee shirt. She vaguely resembles a popular music artist I can¡¯t remember the name of. The overall effect of her appearance is quite striking.


    ¡°Who are you supposed to be?¡± I ask the woman. ¡°Pavia¡¯s mistress?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m another one of his assistants!¡± she says cheerily. ¡°My name is Sarah, and I¡¯ll be guiding you through the final part of this palace.¡± Coincidentally, Sarah is also the name of the private lessons teacher who teaches me trumpet. The one I secretly have a crush on¡­ Damn it, don¡¯t think about that right now.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Oh, good!¡± Anja says cheerily. ¡°That means it¡¯s almost over!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± I argue. ¡°If you¡¯re his assistant, why are you helping us?¡±


    ¡°Pavia is a big believer in fair competition!¡± she responds. ¡°He is happy to face those who are proven to be worthy.¡±


    ¡°Well, none of us were considered worthy,¡± I counter. ¡°He told us all to leave.¡±


    Sarah starts to walk towards us. She walks in a very confident way which has a sort of hypnotic effect¡­


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re getting a re-do, of sorts. He¡¯s given you all another challenge for you to try and prove your worth.¡± She stops right in front of me and leans in closely. I smell a very pleasant scent that smells vaguely like a perfume that Zoe sometimes wears. ¡°What do you say, sweetie? Wanna try it?¡±


    ¡°Hold on a moment!¡± Ted interrupts, looking suspicious. ¡°Ashley, she is using her charm to try and sway you! Don¡¯t fall for it!¡±


    ¡°What? Her charm?¡± I ask, momentarily not able to comprehend what he¡¯s saying. ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡± I look at the other two. Nova¡¯s eyes are wide open and fixated on Sarah, specifically somewhere slightly lower than her face. Anja is not even trying to hide how enamored she is with the woman; she looks like she¡¯s about to start drooling. I guess this confirms that rumor Zoe told me. So that means¡­ my brain feels slow¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not trying to trick you,¡± Sarah assures me. ¡°Think of me as being¡­ your servant¡­¡±


    I feel a pleasurable sensation across the front of my body. This makes me embarrassed, so I quickly turn away from her. ¡°Okay fine, we¡¯ll do it,¡± I say quickly to cover up the moment.


    ¡°Splendid,¡± she says, beaming at me dreamily.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Sarah lines us up along the front sideline, each of us on a ten-yard mark.


    ¡°Man¡­ am I the only one getting marching band practice vibes from this?¡± Anja comments.


    ¡°Oh God¡­ I hope that part of the challenge isn¡¯t doing weight transfer mountain,¡± I reply.


    ¡°Come on guys¡­ can you be serious? We¡¯re about to start,¡± Ashley nags us.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s time to put on our mean faces. Get angry!¡± Anja shouts.


    Hmm¡­ I¡¯m supposed to ¡°get angry?¡± Well, that¡¯s easy. I just need to think about my bitch of a mother. Or wait, I can think about Pavia. That smug son of a bitch, he thinks he¡¯s better than us just because we¡¯re poor. I¡¯m gonna show him in just a minute!


    ¡°Okay¡­ round 1 begins now!¡± Sarah states from behind us.


    In front of me, appears one of those winged things that we fought earlier. I¡¯m just glad that it¡¯s not one of the knights. Those guys were tough. (And annoying little shits.)


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    The first enemy in the challenge was one of those winged assholes we fought earlier. Thankfully, I knew just the thing for them. They were quickly finished off by a well-aimed round of my¡­ uh¡­ what did Ashley say this was again? My¡­ probably illegal gun.


    I look to my left and see that the others have finished round 1 quickly as well. I watch Ashley dispassionately tearing the thing¡¯s head off with her bare hands. It¡¯s gross, but also kind of awesome. (I wouldn¡¯t be okay with this level of violence if these were real creatures¡­ but this is the Metaverse, so anything goes.)


    ¡°Round 2!¡± Sarah shouts, and in front of me spawns a fjsifjlaksdjf;lkasjfl;kadsjf;lk;j nononononono it¡¯s a wasp it¡¯s a giant fucking wasp I HATE them it¡¯s the same size of one of the war wasps from metroid prime that always scared the shit out of me im feeling faint bye


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    The wasp is nothing before the power of my hammer. I turn to my left. Ashley and Ted defeated their wasps already, but Anja is straight up passed out on the ground. I guess that¡¯s what the scream I heard was. Fuck! We¡¯re down one.


    ¡°Round 3!¡± Sarah shouts. The next enemy is some sort of snake creature I haven¡¯t seen before.


    I know I can¡¯t afford to lose, so I wind up a huge strike, and slam it right down into the middle of the snake¡¯s body. It leaves a pretty impressively sized crater in the ground, but¡­ misses the snake, who moved out of the way the millisecond before my attack landed and is now wrapping around me like an anaconda. God damn it!


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    The last enemy was a coyote, just like one of the ones who ganged up on me a few weeks ago. I was determined to not let it end like last time¡­ and I was successful.


    I look around me after I finish. Ted is still standing, but the other two seem to have failed, for they are both flopped on the turf like dead fish. How disappointing.


    ¡°Well, congratulations you two!¡± Sarah says, stepping up to the field and clapping. ¡°You two have proven yourselves strong enough to take on the boss!¡±


    ¡°Of course we have,¡± I say. ¡°I mean, honestly. ¡®Get angry¡¯ is actually pretty bad advice if you¡¯re about to enter a fight. You want to stay calm and collected so that you can unleash all of your anger in one precision strike. That¡¯s how real champions do it.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, well¡­ you sure showed me. Good luck, ¡®champions¡¯.¡±


    She begins spinning her right hand, and a sort of weird purple vortex starts forming around Ted and I. Soon enough, I begin to feel weightless¡­ and I am teleported away from the stadium.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    It must have been quite a while later when I came to. I slowly get up to my feet, ignoring my heavily protesting ribcage. Thirty yards away, Anja is doing the same. I run over to where she is.


    ¡°Man¡­ I feel like the biggest pussy on the planet,¡± Anja tells me, rubbing her eyes. ¡°I just saw that fucking wasp, and went out like a light¡­ there wasn¡¯t even a battle.¡±


    ¡°I made a stupid tactical error¡­¡± I admit. ¡°Join the club.¡±


    We both look around. Ashley and Ted are gone, but Sarah is still standing on the sideline, watching us.


    ¡°Hey! Where did the other two go?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°They already went ahead and started the boss fight,¡± Sarah explains. ¡°But you haven¡¯t been out for long¡­ if you hurry, you two may be able to help finish it.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way, then! Let¡¯s go rejoin our team!¡± Anja shouts excitedly. Sarah nods and begins jogging towards the end zone opposite to the one we entered. Anja and I follow closely behind her.


    We jog past the endzone, and to a pair of large, metal doors underneath the stands.


    ¡°The boss is behind these doors. Good luck, you two.¡± Sarah tells us. Using some sort of telekinesis, she opens the doors, which reveals some sort of tunnel that goes down into the Earth.


    ¡°Alright, killjoys, let¡¯s make some noise!¡± Anja shouts excitedly. She runs into the tunnel, but then stops in her tracks only a few steps in. ¡°Oh¡­ my¡­ god.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did a good job on him, didn¡¯t I?¡± Sarah says. Suddenly, her smile seems to be twisted, and she doesn¡¯t look nearly as attractive anymore¡­


    ¡°N-Nova¡­ run.¡± Anja says. There¡¯s something weird about her now- she¡¯s trembling, and her eyes are as wide as saucers.


    ¡°What? Run from what?¡± I ask, leaning forward to try and look and see what¡¯s in the tunnel. However, I can¡¯t. Anja pushes me backwards. ¡°Just run the opposite direction! RUN!¡± She screams.

 Chapter 18: The Red Machine (September 3 Part 2)

    <Ashley>


    Before I even have a chance to take in my new surroundings, I feel a searingly painful electric current run through my entire body. For a few seconds, there is only agony. Then, it stops, and I simply fall flat on my face.


    I hear footsteps close by, then some unseen thing flips me onto my back. Hovering over me now is what appears to be some person with a black mask, a helmet, and a billowing green cape that they hold in front of them like a vampire. This doesn¡¯t look good. Where in the hell did Ted go?


    The masked figure just looks over me, staring at me as though examining me closely. They¡¯re still holding a massive gun, which I assume is what just electrocuted me a few seconds ago. In the background, I see something glowing¡­


    After about a minute of this, the masked figure speaks in a deep, slightly robotic voice.


    ¡°Tell me the names of everyone in your party.¡±


    ¡°And why should I?¡± I retort.


    ¡°Because, you don¡¯t want to die a painful death,¡± they say simply. Mask Person lifts up a boot and sets it on my shoulder.


    ¡°Well, joke¡¯s on you. I¡¯ve wanted to die for the past three years. Bring it.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to tell, but I think I might have annoyed them.


    ¡°Tell me; what is your mother¡¯s maiden name?¡±


    ¡°Really? You want to access my bank account or something?¡±


    For that, they lift their foot from me, and I get another round of electrocution. They hold this one out noticeably longer than the first time.


    ¡°You see? I¡¯m not someone who you can sass,¡± they say. ¡°Answer my questions. Where did you acquire the pink gem in your breastplate?¡±


    ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    They make to fire it again, but then a gunshot sounds, and Mask Person stumbles backwards. I glance to my right and see that it¡¯s Ted. He must have snuck off after we were teleported here and evaded detection.


    I take this opportunity to get to my feet and draw my sword. Mask Person must¡¯ve had a bulletproof vest on or something, because they¡¯re not dead, though being shot definitely threw them off. Now that I¡¯m on my feet, I also am finally able to see where we are, and¡­ We¡¯re back at the entrance outside the Palace!


    ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s my turn to ask the questions,¡± I say. ¡°Why the fuck am I here? And who exactly are you supposed to be? I know that you¡¯re not Pavia, you¡¯re way too thin.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? You were tricked, dumbass,¡± they reply tauntingly. ¡°My master thought it would be most efficient to get the strongest members of your team out of the way first.¡±


    ¡°And you thought that you¡¯d be able to easily kill us with the element of surprise, huh?¡± I speculate. ¡°Well then. You¡¯re going to take me and my trusty animal sidekick in a fair fight now. En guarde.¡±


    I make to swing at them, but Mask Person releases some sort of electric pulse. It¡¯s not the same attack as before; it doesn¡¯t hurt, but it does immobilize both me and Ted in our tracks, making us stand in place like idiots.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I have places to be right now. You are your little friends better not ever come back here. The Metaverse is our turf, and we don¡¯t like other people messing around here. Goodbye.¡±


    And with that, they reach to the barrel of the electric shock gun, and put their hands on a small green gem that is embedded into the weapon. Then, they teleport away.


    As soon as they¡¯re gone, Ted and I¡¯s paralysis is released. Even though I know it¡¯s not going to help, I finish the sword swing, striking the ground with a loud clatter that almost jams my arm.


    ¡°God damn it!¡± I growl. ¡°What a load of fucking bullshit this is!¡±


    I take a deep breath, release it, and then turn to Ted. ¡°I really am a dumbass,¡± I admit to him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I let that Sarah woman charm me into falling for that.¡±


    ¡°I did try to warn you,¡± Ted says, slightly sternly. ¡°It seems to me as if the people in this palace aren¡¯t who they claim to be.¡±


    I¡¯m not entirely sure what he means by that. But we can talk about it later, as we have more important things to do right now. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get back into the Palace and find out what happened to the other two.¡±


    ¡°Right behind you,¡± he agrees.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    And so, I start running the opposite direction, with Anja running beside me and panting. Before we even reach the football field, however, some type of weird sludge rains down in front of us and forms a puddle in the end zone.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Fuck! To the left!¡± Anja calls out. She sprints leftward, yanking my arm along with her in the process. We got a ways around the puddle before it happens again and blocks the leftward path we were about to run through.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I take it back now!¡± She says, doing a 180 and pulling me the other way. While we¡¯re turning around, I try to catch a brief glimpse of what we¡¯re actually running from. There¡¯s something emerging from that tunnel¡­


    ¡°Watch your step!¡± Anja shouts. I look in front of me and see that the sludge is spreading, so we hop over it and sprint off of the field and behind the bleachers.


    We get to behind where the concessions usually would be. Anja falls down onto the ground, trying to catch her breath and twitching nervously. Now that I¡¯m outside of the stadium, it strikes me how eerie this place is. Behind the bleachers, there is nothing- just a generic green field as far as the eye can see. It feels a lot like we used an out-of-bounds cheat code in a video game and got somewhere that we¡¯re not supposed to see.


    ¡°Wow. Okay.¡± Anja finally says, after about ten seconds. ¡°What the fuck.¡±


    I try to see what¡¯s going on through the gaps in the bleachers. I don¡¯t see the¡­ whatever it is, but I can still hear rumbling coming from the other side.


    ¡°Why did we run away?¡± I ask her. ¡°We came here to fight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, the two of us aren¡¯t going to be able to kill that by ourselves.¡±


    ¡°What even was that?¡± I press her. ¡°I never saw it.¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ the most horrifying thing I¡¯ve ever seen. I don¡¯t even know if words can do it justice¡­¡±


    ¡°And where did Ashley and Ted go?¡±


    Then, a familiar voice sounds from right behind me; ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll be long gone by now.¡±


    I jump to the side instinctively, and whirl around to find Sarah or whatever her name was giving me that weird, twisted smile again.


    ¡°What do you mean, long gone?¡± Anja asks, confused.


    ¡°Hey, what are you playing at?¡± I ask Sarah aggressively. ¡°You said that you made that monster? How the hell did you pull that off?¡±


    ¡°I most certainly did,¡± she answers, speaking in a cold tone of voice that she didn¡¯t have before. ¡°When I learned that he was being targeted, I had him reveal his monstrous shadow form. And it was weak. Too weak to fight a well-trained bunch such as yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ we¡¯re not really that well trained,¡± I admit. ¡°I literally just got my Persona thing yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. I know that Lucy wasn¡¯t going to let you lot in blind.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you know about Lucy?¡± Anja asks curiously.


    ¡°Of course I do. She¡¯s been a thorn in my side for decades, after all.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ that doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Anja replies, drawing her weapon and pointing it at Sarah. ¡°Who are you, actually?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe she didn¡¯t explain everything to you after all,¡± Sarah replies. ¡°How disappointing.¡±


    Sarah whistles very loudly, so loudly that I have to cover my ears again. Then, she teleports away, cheekily giving us a finger wave as her body fades out.


    Almost immediately, we hear the rumbling sound get closer, and then loud clanging sounds coming from the stands in front of us. Then, from above the railing, I see a large, red head poke- with a horrible frowning face- and I see spindly legs claw over towards us¡­


    ¡°Okay, time to move! Go go go!¡± Anja shouts, pushing me from behind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the Monsters Inc. door!¡± I shout, as I break into a run. ¡°Then maybe we can¡­ think about this.¡±


    ¡°Right behind you!¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    After a surprisingly long trek, we make it back to the Palace, through the first chamber, and then through the hall back into the courtroom. When we get there, however, Anja and Nova are already there, just sitting on the floor near the front. Both of them are panting like they just ran a mile.


    ¡°What are you doing back here?¡± I ask them.


    ¡°Well, Ashley¡­ it turns out that the boss was in that football stadium place the whole time,¡± Anja explains.


    ¡°Oh, I see. It does make sense to regroup as a party before fighting it,¡± I say.


    And then, without warning, the entire room starts shaking, like there¡¯s an earthquake. Anja bolts upright, terror in her eyes. Nova hastily starts getting to his feet and says, ¡°Oh no¡­ did that thing follow us here?¡±


    ¡°Who? You mean Pavia?¡± I question them.


    ¡°Uh¡­ well, sort of, but he¡¯s been turned into this horrifying, red¡­ thing,¡± Anja explains. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to describe it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s like a Cthulhu monster,¡± Nova says, shuddering slightly. ¡°Someone did something weird to him.¡±


    I look around the room for a sign of where he would be entering, but I don¡¯t see any cracks in the wall or anything. However, over time, the rumbling slowly seemed to become more and more distant, moving towards where I entered the room and then past the door. Then, after a while, it stops.


    ¡°Phew¡­ that¡¯s a relief,¡± Anja comments.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you hang up your hat just yet,¡± Ted interjects, causing the three of us to turn to him. ¡°He is not gone¡­ he is waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Where? You mean outside the Palace?¡± Nova asks, the irises in his eyes tiny with apprehension.


    ¡°No¡­ I think he will strike when we re-enter the first chamber.¡±


    ¡°When? Who said anything about when?¡± Anja asks frantically.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s another way out,¡± I reason.


    ¡°Yeah, that stadium place was in the middle of nowhere,¡± Nova commented.


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± I say. ¡°Does everyone feel relatively refreshed?¡±


    I get shaky nods all around. So, we begin moving back into the front chamber.


    <hr>


    Sure enough, as soon as we step foot into the front chamber, the rumbling sound begins. I feel someone cling onto me from behind.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ I don¡¯t wanna do this¡­¡± Anja says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a coward,¡± I tell her. ¡°We¡¯re finishing this now.¡±


    Then, I see it.


    Through the window on the ceiling, the scenery changes. The day turns to night. The clouds turn to blood red. An unnaturally large moon hangs in the sky. And then, two spindly spider legs smash through the ceiling, making glass rain down on us. Even inside the chamber, things change- the gold seems to lose its glimmer. Blood pours out of the mouths of all of the creepy statues. (Which, if you ask me, is kind of extra, but oh well.) But only when the monster enters the room do I really understand why Anja is acting so afraid.


    It had an uneven head with a horrible, frowning face, which it sticks into the room first. If that wasn¡¯t enough, its eyes glow bright white, with fury. It then drops down, landing on the floor in front of us on a pair of spindly back legs just like the front one. Other than its head and legs, its body seems to be mechanical. Its thorax is what looks like a huge, round generator, which is as large as my living room and arcing electricity at random. It also has two short robot arms, and two huge cannons mounted near its neck.


    Okay, I admit it. I¡¯m a little scared now. But I try not to show it. I simply draw my sword, and prepare for the fight of my life.

 Chapter 19: Envy Of The Divine (September 3 Part 3)

    <Ashley>


    Immediately, a few things happen in quick succession.


    The beast, upon laying eyes on us, immediately rears its head and breathes a huge amount of fire directly towards us. I watch, as if in slow motion, as it comes towards us; bizarrely, the fireball almost looks like it has a face on it; then, before it can reach us, something small and round shoots into the air, and absorbs the full force of the flame. The ball uncurls, revealing itself to be Ted, who seems to be channeling the fire with a maniacal look in his eyes.


    ¡°Scatter!¡± I shout, running to the side, in case Ted¡¯s block falls through. The others follow suit.


    Ted lands on the ground, seemingly unhurt, and with a yell, shoots all of the fire straight back at our foe. Unfortunately, it seems to be completely unfazed by having its own fire blasted at it. The beast simply reaches out one of its spider legs and stabs it straight through his heart.


    I cannot let that stand. Thinking fast, I reason that the spindly quality of the legs makes them susceptible to attack, so I charge it with my sword drawn.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Ashley runs straight at the spider monster, while Nova charges up his lightning attack. He rains thunder down upon the monster¡¯s head. No visible damage is done, but the creature releases Ted and turns its head towards us. Just the sight of that thing looking at us is almost enough to make me pee myself.


    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡± Nova shouts. ¡°What the hell do we do? Fire doesn¡¯t work! Lightning doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    ¡°Nova¡­ you have the powers of Thor, right?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Uh, I think so.¡±


    ¡°Remember in The Avengers when he swung his hammer around like a helicopter propeller and flew in the air?¡±


    However, I hear a roar, and I turn my head back towards the monster. It is now shooting more of that sludge all around the room. Which reminds me¡­ I should probably go check on Ted.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I leap forward and start swiping at its legs. As I suspected, they are easily crumpled by my sword. I keep up the assault, trying to knock it off balance.


    It isn¡¯t having any of that, however, and kicks out at me with legs that I haven¡¯t hit yet. Somehow, I¡¯m not affected by these attacks at all; in fact, contact with my armor just seems to hurt the legs more.


    ¡°Not today, asshole,¡± I say to myself, very pleased with this turn of events. However, the beast lets out a bellowing roar. Around me, I see some type of toxic fluid raining down on the room. Then, with surprising agility, the beast dashes across the room, leaving the sludge to flood towards me. It covers me up to my knees and seems to seep right through the armor, painfully assaulting my very skin.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Everything¡¯s moving too quickly! What the fuck! The thing roars, Anja just kind of runs off, then the creature dashes across the room. I¡¯m having trouble keeping track of it all.


    I try to stay focused. What did Anja just say? Oh yeah. I try swinging my hammer around, and though it seems humanly impossible, soon enough it is spinning like a propeller, and I am rising into the air.


    I use this flight ability to chase after the creature. After running several yards, it comes to a halt, and turns back around towards the others. It doesn¡¯t see me landing on its back¡­


    ¡°NOVA!¡± Anja shouts from somewhere I can¡¯t see. ¡°GET RID OF THE CANNONS!¡±


    I look at the cannons that are mounted near its head, and I start carefully making my way forward towards them.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    By the time I¡¯ve reached Ted, I noticed that Ashley is being engulfed by the sludge pool. She seems to lose her balance and fall face forward into it, which looks really bad. I see that Nova was able to get on the monster¡¯s back, so I shout at him to take out the cannons.


    Then, I get on one knee and look over Ted. He has a nasty black substance coming from the hole in his chest, and he is laying so still that he could be dead. I lay my hand on him and using my healing move, and thankfully he stirs and wakes up. He stands up and coughs up more the black stuff. ¡°Those legs¡­ they have a curse on them,¡± he says.


    ¡°We¡¯d better keep our distance, then,¡± I remark. I then turn to Ashley, who has disappeared under the pool of sludge.


    ¡°Oh shit! Ashley!¡± I shout, running towards it.


    ¡°You must have another ability,¡± Ted tells me. ¡°Maybe something that can help here?¡±


    I stop and take a deep breath. Wait a minute¡­ At a burst of sudden inspiration, I start turning my hands over each other, manipulating the very air. (Or¡­ wait, is there technically air in the Metaverse?) Anyway, I¡¯m able to create a flurry of winds that blows the sludge away towards the wall.


    ¡°Huh, I guess it¡¯s never too late to randomly realize you have a new ability,¡± I remark, more to myself than anything else.


    We rush over to Ashley, who¡¯s been revealed amidst the pool. As we¡¯re running over to her, she is starting to get to her feet, but she looks very shaky.


    ¡°Can you heal her, Ted?¡± I ask. ¡°I don¡¯t think I got much magic left after that¡­¡±


    Ted does so, also seeming to give himself a pick-me-up in the process.


    ¡°Um¡­ good job, guys,¡± Ashley says awkwardly. ¡°Let¡¯s go help Nova.¡±


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    I arrive at the cannon on the left, and I wail on it with my hammer. It only takes a few hits for it to come loose. The creature diverts its attention away from the others, and starts running around in circles, trying to shake me off. I stand my ground, and with another swipe of my hammer, the cannon breaks clear off. I turn to go get the cannon on the right, but then I see a huge amount of electric arcing from beneath my feet. I brace myself for pain. The electric current runs through me¡­ but I don¡¯t feel pain at all, actually. In fact, I feel stronger! Hell yeah! Emboldened, I run over to break the other cannon.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Anja, Ted and I run to the monster just in time to watch Nova knock one of the cannons off of it. It is trying to use its robotic arms to swipe at its back, but they are too short.


    ¡°Okay, Anja¡­ in just a moment, fire a round right into its face,¡± I tell her. I take a deep breath, and then I throw my light attack at it with as much force as I can. I see some cracks in its abdomen, and a few of its legs break clean apart. In between the cracks, I see inside the metal hull, to see some sort of strange spinning contraption¡­


    Anja recognizes my cue and lets loose right into it.


    Our dual assault seems to be effective. For the cherry on top, Nova makes use of this distraction to finish off its second cannon.


    The creature is now bleeding all over its face, and it¡¯s only barely still standing. It looks furious¡­


    Its eyes light up a bright white, and then it lets out a terrible roar, more guttural than any sound it has made yet.


    Then, something absolutely unbelievable happens.


    We hear a loud cracking sound coming from above us. I look up to see that it¡¯s coming from the moon in the sky, which we can still see through the broken glass on the ceiling. The moon appears to be breaking apart and cracking¡­ like an egg¡­


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°What the motherfucking christ?¡± Anja asks, terror in her voice. I share her sentiment.


    The moon¡­ breaks apart into halves, and from inside it, one of the cherubim creatures flies down. It swoops straight down at Nova, knocking him off of the beast¡¯s back.


    ¡°Go help him!¡± I shout at Ted. ¡°It has to be him¡­¡±


    Ted nods in understanding and takes off towards where Nova fell.


    Its eyes still white, the beast then locks eyes on us, and before we can do anything to react, it unleashes another fire attack. This time I¡¯m sure of it; I see a miserable skull face in the flames as they shoot towards me and sear me from head to toe.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    The thing slams me to the floor and begins scratching me all over. I tried to whack at it with my hammer, but it has my arms pinned down. I focus my energy, and bring down a lightning bolt right onto it, now knowing that I have nothing to fear from electricity in this world.


    The force of the blast knocks it away from me, allowing me to get to my feet. The thing is getting back on its feet and preparing to make another leap at me¡­


    When suddenly, a familiar gunshot rings through my ears, and the winged thing¡¯s head explodes. I look to my side and see that Ted has come to my aid. Unexpectedly, he then proceeds to climb up my back and sit on my shoulder.


    ¡°This is your moment, Nova!¡± he tells me.


    I turn back towards the monster. I see both Ashley and Anja lying on the floor, looking charred all over¡­ Then, the spider creature turns towards me, the white glow fading from its eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for that!¡± I shout at it. I run towards it and prepare to do another leap right into it.


    However, the creature still has some limited mobility, and is able to move enough to meet me halfway and grab me out of the air with one if its arms. Then, it opens its mouth, and starts slowly moving closer¡­ I understand that I¡¯m about to become dinner.


    ¡°NO! NOT INTO THE MOUTH!¡± Ted shouts in my ear. He unexpectedly leaps up off of my shoulder and manages to stick a landing right on the edge of the creature¡¯s mouth. He then unloads every round he has straight down its throat¡­


    The creature drops me on to the floor, and its jaws close down onto Ted. He goes back inside his shell right before the impact, but the creature¡¯s bite still has enough force to dent his shell, leaving Ted to fall uselessly back to the ground.


    Then, I see something I didn¡¯t expect. While the creature was trying to eat me, Ashley had somehow gotten to her feet and was now standing under the creature again.


    ¡°Finish this, Nova!¡± Ashley shouts at me. She takes a huge swipe at one of its legs, cutting it clear in half. The creature screams in agony, and it finally totally loses balance and falls to the floor, its legs useless. Ashley is crushed underneath the hull. Ouch¡­


    Now motionless, the creature simply glares at me, and is trying to swipe me with its arms. I know what I must do.


    I use the propeller technique to bring myself into the air- as far as I can go. Then, I take my hammer, and I bring it down right onto the top of its head.


    The force of my hit dislodges the head. Its neck breaks apart, spewing some type of tar-like substance up like a geyser.


    I jump off of its head and see that the creature is finished. Its head seems to quickly break down, and shatter into nothingness. Where the neck was, I see inside the hull. It appears to be a giant centrifuge, which is now slowing down. When it finally comes to a stop, the metal hull itself disintegrates, leaving behind a strange glass capsule, large enough to fit a person into.


    <hr>


    I lean down to Anja. She looks terrible. Her skin is covered with black soot, and her dress is singed off in places that I¡¯m¡­ trying not to look at.


    I lower my hand to her forehead. After a few seconds, she sleepily opens her eyes.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Nova¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m¡­ hot?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ I was basically just cooked alive¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that.¡±


    She giggles at me weakly, and then pushes herself to a sitting up position and embraces me.


    ¡°We won, Anja,¡± I tell her. ¡°We defeated the¡­ whatever.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I figured so. What happened to the rest of our party?¡±


    I help her get to her feet. Several yards away, Ted lies. His shell is still crumpled, and his head and appendages are limply hanging out of it.


    Anja scoops him into her arms and carries him like a baby. ¡°He¡¯s still alive¡­ I hear breathing,¡± she says. ¡°Poor little guy, though. I think he took more of a beating today than the rest of us put together.¡±


    Then, we walk towards the capsule. A few feet away from it, lies Ashley. She¡¯s managed to get herself up to a sitting position before we even get over there.


    ¡°Ashley, how did you get all of the way over here?¡± Anja asks her.


    ¡°I walked over here. What kind of question is that?¡±


    ¡°We were both hit by the fire attack over there.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t quite finished yet, now was I?¡±


    Anja pouts. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. How come you survived the attack, but it finished me off in one hit?¡±


    ¡°I only barely stayed conscious through that. I don¡¯t know, maybe you¡¯re weak to fire.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you need to get good,¡± I suggest.


    ¡°Oh, shut up, you!¡± Anja barks at me. But she¡¯s smiling, so I think she¡¯s not actually mad.


    We gather around the capsule. As we do, a door opens in the front, releasing a bunch of white mist. In the middle of it, is Pavia, at his regular size and wearing his usual judge clothes.


    ¡°Urgh¡­ so you came back yet again,¡± he says begrudgingly. ¡°You kids never listen to what you¡¯re told to do, do you?¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth! We beat you!¡± I yell at him, feeling immensely pleased to finally have him at my mercy.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± Ashley agrees. ¡°I just hope we were able to beat some sense into you, as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let my sister and I stay with my dad, right?¡± I ask him threateningly.


    ¡°You¡­ understand my decision-making process, right?¡± he pleads. ¡°I loathe seeing wasted potential in a young person¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, have you heard what we¡¯ve been trying to tell you?¡± I argue. ¡°I can¡¯t get my stuff done with my mom around. Thinking about having to sit through a temper tantrum again makes me just want to quit any time I make a minor mistake¡­¡±


    ¡°I do regret having overlooked your mother¡¯s¡­ character flaws,¡± he admits. ¡°I thought that perhaps a sterner, tougher hand could guide you in the right direction, but perhaps I was mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Well, what she¡¯s like goes beyond being ¡®stern¡¯ and ¡®tough,¡¯¡± Anja comments. ¡°It¡¯s just outright abusive, the way she treats him. You should¡¯ve known that from his testimonies!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing too,¡± I add. ¡°I¡¯ve realized that¡­ I can¡¯t rely on someone else to let me live my life. I¡¯ve gotta want it. Because someday, I¡¯m gonna be an adult, and I¡¯ll be on my own. I won¡¯t have my parents to buy me video games and stuff anymore.¡±


    ¡°Nor will you have them to pay your rent,¡± Ashley comments. ¡°But you know, that¡¯s secondary.¡±


    ¡°Right. So I gotta start getting ready for that now. I, uh, I don¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯m gonna do yet. But I¡¯ll figure out something. I gotta.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be here to support you, too!¡± Anja says, smiling at me. ¡°I won¡¯t try and tell you what to do. But anything I can do to help, just ask.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Sounds good. Thanks,¡± I reply, caught off guard by this.


    ¡°Very well, then,¡± Pavia says. ¡°I will¡­ put you where you need to be to do that, then.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± I say. That means we won for real!


    ¡°Hey, before you fade away or whatever,¡± Anja says hastily, ¡°I wanna ask, like¡­ what the fuck is with that ugly spider thing?¡±


    ¡°Well Anja,¡± Ashley starts to explain, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what Lucy told us before coming in? About the palace owners taking on monstrous appearances?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember! But doesn¡¯t this just seem¡­ out of place to you?¡±


    ¡°Remember what that Sarah chick said?¡± I say. ¡°She said she ¡®did a good job on him¡¯ or whatever.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ashley asks, frowning at me.


    ¡°Right before she released the thing on us,¡± I explain. ¡°And then she said something about his original form being too weak¡­¡±


    Ashley turns towards Pavia. ¡°What is your relationship to this Sarah woman?¡± she asks him.


    ¡°Hmm? Which one?¡± he replies, looking puzzled. ¡°There is a Sarah that I know from church¡­¡±


    ¡°Does she have dark skin?¡± Ashley questions him.


    ¡°And long hair?¡± I add.


    ¡°And a really thick ass?¡± Anja says, a twinkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ no,¡± Pavia says, looking even more confused. ¡°I have no idea who you¡¯re talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°What the hell, man?¡± I question him. ¡°You don¡¯t even know who¡¯s running around inside your own palace?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ existentially terrifying, in a way,¡± Ashley muses. ¡°And what about that cloaked figure? With the electric gun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ seen no such thing,¡± Pavia answers, looking concerned.


    ¡°Is there anyone you know of who¡¯s supposed to be here other than that assistant of yours?¡± Ashley presses.


    ¡°Assistant? I don¡¯t have an assistant!¡± Pavia replies.


    ¡°I literally saw you two talking yesterday, though,¡± Ashley counters. ¡°Remember Luke?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not my assistant. He was simply¡­ a client of mine. He warned me that you lot were coming and helped me prepare¡­¡±


    ¡°A client of yours? Why did he do this? How did he know about us?¡± Ashley asks, rapid-fire.


    ¡°Look, girl, we operated on a need-to-know basis!¡± he says, starting to get irritated. ¡°I really don¡¯t know much more than you do.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well¡­¡± Anja says, scratching her head. ¡°I think I¡¯m more confused now than I was when I asked the initial question¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯re not going to get any more useful information out of him,¡± Ashley laments. ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here. We can think about this stuff later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± I agree. ¡°The blood coming out of those statues¡¯ mouths is about to reach our feet.¡±


    ¡°Ack! I forgot about that!¡± Anja screams, looking around and noticing it herself. ¡°Yep, all in agreement. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 20: Collar Full (September 4 Part 1)

    <Zoe>


    Another day, another biology class. I walk into the classroom to find my three friends seemingly in hysterics about something. Diana looks embarrassed, and Yonca and Terra are laughing a lot. Curious, I take my usual seat near them.


    ¡°Hello, Zoe!¡± Yonca greets me, still giggling from the last thing that was said. ¡°Is it really true that Mason asked you to Homecoming?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he did,¡± I recall.


    ¡°And you said you¡¯re already going with someone!¡± Diana jumps in, seemingly trying to get the heat off of herself. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us, Zoe? I thought we were your friends!¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­ I only said that so he¡¯d leave me alone,¡± I admit sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m not really going with anyone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re still gonna hide it from us?¡± Diana teases. ¡°Come on, Zoe. Tell us who you¡¯re in love with!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been interested as to who the type is that you¡¯d fancy,¡± Terra adds, smirking at me.


    I can¡¯t answer, but instead simply turn red and sputter a bit, feeling a surprising sense of terror the whole time.


    ¡°Oh come on, leave her alone,¡± Yonca chides the others. I feel very grateful for her. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how nervous you¡¯re making her?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, we¡¯re only teasing her,¡± Diana responds defensively. ¡°Jeez, you¡¯d think we were threatening her with a knife.¡±


    ¡°Well, go ahead and tell her the news,¡± Terra prompts.


    ¡°Oh. Well¡­¡± Diana goes back to looking embarrassed, causing the other two to giggle a little bit more. ¡°Well, today he actually came and asked me!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that crazy?¡± Yonca marvels. ¡°I guess he goes for the blondes.¡±


    ¡°And what did you say?¡± Terra prods her.


    ¡°I said¡­ yes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± I ask her, very surprised by this turn of events. ¡°After everything you said about him last week?¡±


    ¡°Well, whether he deserves it or not, he is in Symphonic Band,¡± Diana points out. ¡°And pretty good looking.¡±


    ¡°Really, Diana?¡± Terra says, shaking her head. ¡°So you don¡¯t even like him, you¡¯re just doing it for the status? I didn¡¯t realize you were a glory seeker.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Diana shouts, starting to look genuinely angry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even think he¡¯s attractive, anyway,¡± Terra continues. ¡°You must not have high standards if that¡¯s what you care about.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Diana argues back. ¡°Back me up, Zoe! Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s cute?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ I¡¯ve never thought about it,¡± I respond stupidly, taken aback by this question.


    ¡°If it¡¯s something you need to think about, then there¡¯s your answer,¡± Yonca concludes, smirking a little bit.


    ¡°All of you shut your mouths,¡± Diana hisses at us. ¡°Let¡¯s just get ready for class, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s about to start it.¡±


    And so that is what we do. I¡¯ve seen enough of these types of conversations to know that Diana isn¡¯t seriously mad; things will be back to normal by the end of the period. I could not say the same for myself, however, if they had known the truth.


    After spending the past few days trying to figure out my feelings, it has become clear to me that there is someone I¡¯m in love with. But I can never tell the others about it¡­ they¡¯ll hate me for it, and I¡¯m not entirely sure if I could blame them. Sitting with them for the rest of the class knowing that I am keeping this secret casts a shadow over me which leaves me feeling morose.


    <hr>


    When I get to the band hall for jazz band, I almost walk straight into Ashley, who is closely examining a piece of paper that was taped to the wall near the door. She¡¯s looking at it with a smug, satisfied expression.


    ¡°Results for our first chair test,¡± she explains, seeing my confused expression. ¡°Surprise, you got first chair.¡±


    I giggle weakly; of course, the joke is that I¡¯m the only bassoon player. I briefly look at the sheet myself, and see that Ashley managed to get first in the horn section.


    ¡°Good job!¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Eh, it didn¡¯t take much,¡± she replies casually, although I know her well enough to tell that she likes the attention. ¡°Alright, we better get ready for rehearsal.¡±


    There¡¯s an awkward pause, as I find myself just looking at the way her hair hangs down neatly to below her shoulders, and the way that the fluorescent lights on the ceiling give it a mesmerizing glint.


    She looks at me, and then does something very unexpected: she smiles at me. ¡°You have a really cute smile, Zoe,¡± she tells me sweetly.


    ¡°Oh? Was I smiling?¡± I ask, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    However, at that point, we are interrupted by someone else walking through the doors; a tall, bespectacled, trumpet-playing junior named Lionel. He comes to a stop when he sees Ashley and I are blocking the path.


    ¡°So¡­¡± he comments dryly in his nasal voice, ¡°Are you guys going to just¡­ stand there?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not,¡± Ashley snaps back. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Ah, marching band. Just about a hundred or so students out in the parking lot after school, in the middle of Texas, during the hottest month of the year. Completely mental, right? Yet that is where I find myself during the beginning of my sophomore year. So what drives so many people to do this masochistic activity? Well, some people¡­


    ¡°Anja! You¡¯re too far back!¡± a voice says suddenly, snapping me out of my trance.


    Ah, that was my section leader. Indeed, it looks as if I overstepped my dot by quite a lot. I guess I got so into narrating my own life that I spaced out. Time for a bathroom break, I suppose.


    However, inside the bathroom, I run into Zoe. She looks nervous about something¡­


    ¡°Hello there, Zoe!¡± I say to her, waving.


    ¡°H- hi, Anja,¡± she stammers, looking around the bathroom apprehensively.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I ask her because it certainly seems as if something is the matter.


    For a few seconds, there is only silence, as Zoe contemplatively bites her lip. Then, she says, ¡°...C-can we talk about something? Somewhere private?¡±


    <hr>


    We both sneak away to the practice room Nova and I usually hang out in during the mornings.


    Zoe does not seem to be in a great hurry to say what is on her mind. She is sitting on the ground in front of me, still biting her lip a bit, and now she is also wringing her hands.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± she says, planting her hands on the floor. She doesn¡¯t quite meet my eyes.


    ¡°At church last weekend,¡± she says, ¡°Some of my friends said something about you and Ashley which¡­ seemed to concern them.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± I reply. ¡°And what did they say?¡±


    She seems to get nervous again, and this time she¡¯s also blushing a bit.


    I''m very concerned for her, but at the same time, I¡¯d like to get back out to the parking lot sometime today. So, I start guessing what she¡¯s trying to get at.


    ¡°Was it something bad about the two of us?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Well¡­ um¡­ I mean, it¡¯s like¡­ I g-guess it¡­¡±


    She doesn¡¯t seem keen to answer that. Okay, maybe that was a bad question. Let¡¯s try something less subjective.


    ¡°So, they seemed unhappy about whatever it was?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Um¡­ yes,¡± she says. ¡°They said that you had¡­ although, I have no way of knowing whether or not it¡¯s¡­¡± She trails off again.


    ¡°What did they say I did?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Well¡­ they said that a few years ago, you were¡­ caught kissing another girl.¡±


    I breathe out with annoyance. ¡°Jeez, people are still spreading that around?¡±


    ¡°Is it true?¡± Zoe presses me anxiously.


    ¡°Yes it is, Zoe,¡± I answer bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if that makes you think less of me¡­ actually, no I¡¯m not.¡±


    Her nervous habits have stopped by this point, and now she¡¯s just sitting deathly still, looking at me with wide eyes. I think it¡¯s time to start getting to the bottom of why she¡¯s talking to me about this.


    ¡°So¡­ what is it about this that upsets you?¡± I ask her.


    She begins moving around again, just a little bit. ¡°Well¡­ um¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you upset with me?¡± I ask her. ¡°Or is it your other friends who you think are in the wrong?¡±


    This takes her a good moment, but eventually she says, ¡°I¡¯m not upset with you¡­ or with anyone. I¡¯m just¡­ scared.¡±


    ¡°What are you scared of?¡± I ask her.


    Uh-oh. This question officially sets her off, and I see tears roll down her face. Looks like we¡¯re going to be here for a while. That¡¯s okay, though.


    I move next to her and set an arm around her shoulder. She immediately caves in and just latches onto me, crying onto my sleeve.


    After a few minutes, she finds the will to speak again.


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t¡­ like Ashley like that, d-do you?¡± she asks me.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not really my type,¡± I explain. ¡°I prefer someone who¡¯s more¡­ Uh, cooperative.¡±


    Suddenly, I get an idea. I think I may know what this is all about. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± I ask her.


    She detaches herself from me and looks straight at me solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot over the past few days, and I think¡­ I do.¡±


    ¡°You do what?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I¡­ like her.¡±


    Ha! I knew it.


    Zoe, however, has gone right back to crying on me.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re worried that¡­ if your friends find out that you feel that way about her, they won¡¯t want to be your friends anymore?¡± I ask.


    ¡°My¡­ friends,¡± she sputters in between sobs, ¡°My family¡­ everyone.¡±


    Well, I wish I could tell her that she¡¯s wrong, but I guess I can¡¯t promise that. There¡¯s one thing I can promise, though.


    ¡°I¡¯ll still be your friend,¡± I tell her.


    Her crying does ease up a little bit at this. But still¡­


    ¡°Are you worried about what Ashley will think?¡± I ask.


    Zoe nods. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends¡­ for so long,¡± she explains. She detaches herself from me and starts wiping her face on her own sleeves. ¡°If our friendship got ruined¡­ it¡¯d all be my fault¡­¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be your fault, Zoe,¡± I tell her.


    Her face scrunches up and goes red. ¡°Yes¡­ it would be.¡± Back to the lip biting again. ¡°I¡¯m the one¡­ who had this thing¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to choose who you have feelings for,¡± I explain to her. ¡°Nobody gets to choose whether they like men, or women, or both, or neither, or¡­ whatever.¡±


    She¡¯s just looking at me intently, so I continue.


    ¡°Some people think it¡¯s all genetic, but it could also be partially developmental. We don¡¯t really know yet,¡± I explain to her. ¡°But what we do know, is that the way you are is not going to change. Just think of it like being left-handed!¡± I tell her. (This is a rather apt metaphor for me, given that I am left-handed myself. It made learning to play the trombone a pain in the ass.)


    These words do not have the effect that I hoped they would. Zoe is now looking at the floor, looking crestfallen.


    ¡°What am I¡­ gonna do then?¡± she asks me.


    ¡°I think you should tell Ashley how you feel,¡± I tell her soothingly. ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t recipo¡­ uh¡­ even if she doesn¡¯t feel the same back, if she¡¯s really your friend, she¡¯ll understand.¡±


    She looks up at me at last, with her wide, blue eyes. ¡°You¡­ you really think so?¡±


    ¡°I really do,¡± I tell her.


    And with that, we really need to get back on the field. I give her a minute to wipe the rest of her face off, and then help her to her feet.


    Hey, I did it! I helped her with her problems. Honestly, I did such a good job, I should start charging people for this. Take a leaf out of my old man¡¯s book.


    Also, for the record, I¡¯m like 100% sure that Ashley is also gay. I mean, come up. Just look at her. It¡¯s so obvious. Man, I should try and find out if Nova is gay too. If he is, we¡¯d have a full set! Score another one for the gay agenda! Mwahahaha!

 Chapter 21: The Judge (September 4 Part 2)

    <Ashley>


    Now that we have finished with Pavia¡¯s palace, I decide that it¡¯s a good time to jump into the Metaverse and give Lucy a report about what went down, especially since some of that didn¡¯t quite go like we expected. We have our first football game tomorrow, and a contest the next day, so today¡¯s my best opportunity to get that done.


    I give her a call, and then recap everything that happened. After I¡¯m done, there¡¯s quiet for a little while.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, first of all, you all did an excellent job. Seriously, kudos to you,¡± Lucy tells me. ¡°You¡¯ve taken down your first palace, despite facing some pretty unique challenges. I expect great things to come from you in the future, Ashley. That said¡­ I am disturbed by some parts of your account. Let me break it down for you in chronological order.


    ¡°First of all, the opening chamber. That is a rather unique challenge for a palace to have. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anything quite like that before. However, I have been in palaces which had the power to emotionally affect those who travelled through it, so it¡¯s not out of the realm of possibility. As for why Ted didn¡¯t have to go through it, your guess is as good as mine. Ted himself is kind of an exception in and of himself since I haven¡¯t exactly met many other creatures like him. Your own ability to make it through the chamber was a stroke of good luck. Pavia seemed to only want to meet with people of a certain disposition, which you happened to match.¡±


    This makes me frown, as it reminds me of what Anja said when she was driving me home on Tuesday. ¡°Well, I only barely got through it,¡± I defend myself. ¡°And if I hadn¡¯t, I have no clue how we would¡¯ve gotten through there.¡±


    ¡°I just said as much. I never said it was a bad thing.¡±


    Oh. I feel a little silly now, so I just let her continue.


    ¡°Anyways. Your meeting with this ¡®Luke¡¯ fellow is when things start to get strange. His explanation of cognitive beings is accurate; it is likely that you¡¯ll run into a least a few of those in each palace. Honestly, I feel kind of bad that I forgot to mention it. However, they almost never pose any sort of serious threat to a Persona user. But a cognitive being really shouldn¡¯t have that level of knowledge of how a palace works on a technical level.


    ¡°After hearing your account of ¡®Sarah,¡¯ I think I know what¡¯s going on, and it¡¯s very troubling. I think that both ¡®Luke¡¯ and ¡®Sarah¡¯ were the same entity; an enemy of mine who is actually named Moloch.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what, slow down,¡± I stop her. ¡°Moloch, as in the pagan god? The one that people sacrificed their children to or something? I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re mentioned somewhere in the Old Testament.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe. It¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess if this thing was really around back in Ancient Judea, or if this is just a random demon who appropriated the name. Either way, it¡¯s very troubling that he already has his sights on you.¡±


    ¡°An honest-to-God demon, huh? So how do you know those two people were him?¡±


    ¡°Moloch is a shapeshifter, and since you never saw both of them in the same place, he would¡¯ve had no problem changing forms between the two days. Moloch¡¯s typical modus operandi when he first meets someone is to take on a very sexually attractive form to put his target at ease. After meeting you on Tuesday, he must¡¯ve figured out that, well, men don¡¯t do it for you. Given our past run-ins, it wouldn¡¯t be the first time he¡¯s made that assumption and been wrong. So he changed to an attractive female form to get your attention, and well, it worked.¡±


    Hey, look at that, Lucy and I have something in common.


    ¡°Wait. You keep referring to Moloch as ¡®he,¡¯ but he can also take the form of a woman. Does it matter what pronouns we use?¡±


    ¡°He appears as a male like 90% of the time I see him, so it¡¯s a force of habit. And come on, he¡¯s a demon. He¡¯s not gonna be offended if I misgender him. And given that he¡¯s an evil bastard, I honestly don¡¯t really care anyway.¡±


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s what I figured.¡±


    ¡°There are a few other suspicious aspects of the story which make it a dead giveaway that you did truly meet Moloch. First of all, his choice of the names ¡®Luke¡¯ and ¡®Sarah.¡¯ ¡®Luke¡¯ is, well, a name that I used to go by, and ¡®Sarah¡¯ is the name of one of my close allies. I highly doubt that¡¯s a coincidence.¡±


    Huh. So it sounds like Lucy is trans too, then.


    ¡°So why would he give that away to me?¡± I question.


    ¡°Probably just his way of making fun of us, honestly. Another suspicious circumstance is what happened with Pavia¡¯s shadow form. I know from personal experience that Moloch has the ability to¡­ beef up shadows like that. It¡¯s never a good time when he does that¡­


    ¡°Finally, let¡¯s talk about the football stadium area you all visited. Given that the stadium did not match the rest of the palace whatsoever, I¡¯m willing to bet that it was actually in The Shadow Realm.¡±


    ¡°Well, that sounds ominous. So what the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, how do I explain this¡­ how good are you at math, Ashley?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m extremely good at it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, maybe this metaphor will help. Think of the number zero. It is neither a positive or negative number, so in a way, it is like the bridge between the two. Now imagine that the reality you¡¯re currently living in is the number zero.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ so are there an infinite number of realities above and below ours, then? Like the number line?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I imagine that they probably stop at some point, I just have no idea how to determine where.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Also, what is the difference between the ¡®positive¡¯ and ¡®negative¡¯ realities, in this metaphor?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I have my theories, but they require a certain prerequisite knowledge of both theoretical physics and deep philosophical theology. Let¡¯s just¡­ not get sidetracked for now, please.¡±


    ¡°Aw come on, now I¡¯m just more curious. But fine, go on.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, the Metaverse is like the number one. It is greater than zero, so in a way it is like the bridge between zero and two. Two, on the other hand, is The Shadow Realm.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay. So you¡¯re saying that the Metaverse is a reality that is ¡®higher¡¯ than mine.¡±


    ¡°Essentially. Recall when you broke the seal in your church and awakened your Persona. That stained-glass window created a portal to the Shadow Realm, which is where the shadows came from.¡±


    ¡°Okay. That should be easy to remember.¡±


    ¡°The Shadow Realm is where Moloch comes from. I think that, if he really wanted to directly change Pavia¡¯s shadow form, he would¡¯ve had the easiest time doing it on his own turf, so he linked the shadow world to the palace. Except it probably wasn¡¯t fully in the Shadow Realm; it was sort of a ¡®one and a half¡¯ that had the properties of both.¡±


    ¡°I guess that would explain why the place was so ominously empty. I remember Nova making a comment about that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, perhaps. That space was most likely a sort of a floating liminal area.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Well, I¡¯m not entirely sure what to make of that, if I¡¯m honest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that this won¡¯t be your last experience with the Shadow Realm. That said, I would urge you to avoid going in there unless I tell you to. Moloch¡¯s power level is increased there, so it¡¯d be an easy place for him to corner you. And you don¡¯t want to know what happens if he corners you.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ if he¡¯s stronger there, why didn¡¯t he just kill all of us in one go as soon as we stepped foot in there?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s complicated. Moloch usually doesn¡¯t directly try to kill people. He uses institutions to his advantage instead of acting directly. He likes to plant ¡®seeds¡¯ in the Shadow Realm that infect people automatically when left to their own accord. More on that later. I already knew that Moloch carries out extensive operations in Texas, and the information you¡¯ve given me further confirms this.¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck is that guy here specifically, though?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have no clue why he was in Pavia¡¯s palace, if that¡¯s what you mean. It could¡¯ve just been very bad luck that you happened to walk in while he was there.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean in the state of Texas in general. Like, is it just because it¡¯s one of the largest states by population, so there are more targets?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t just operate in Texas. I think that he is also involved somehow in activity in both coastal regions. My close ally has recently reported strange things happening on the west coast, though I still need to investigate this more thoroughly. In addition, I think I may be on the cusp of uncovering a dark secret in the northeastern US, which I¡¯m convinced that Moloch is behind.¡±


    ¡°Wow, he really gets around,¡± I say snidely. ¡°So does he have minions to do his bidding, too? Is that who the masked person was?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, he just has the one. I usually just call her ¡®The Dark Trooper.¡¯ Yes, don¡¯t be fooled by the voice, I¡¯m pretty sure this person is a woman. She has been working for Moloch for about as long as I have been working against him. I don¡¯t know much about her history. And yes, that gem you saw implanted into her gun is something like the pink one that you have. I would love to know how she got it. I suspected that she had found a fourth stone, but I have yet to see it, so I¡¯m very glad that you reported this detail to me. Since it is green, we will name it the Emerald Stone.¡±


    I¡¯m trying to remember as much of this as I can, but it¡¯s starting to get to the point where it¡¯s beyond me. I wish I had something to take notes on.


    ¡°And finally, let¡¯s talk about Moloch¡¯s ¡®seeds.¡¯ Thanks to your work, I can now say without a shadow of a doubt that Moloch has planted an evil entity in the southern US. I call this entity ¡®The Queen of Shadows,¡¯ as it has taken the form of a woman the few times I¡¯ve seen it. Her purpose is to take people in the region who have impure hearts and corrupt them to the level of being unrecognizable. The judge you fought was clearly not finished being corrupted, so it¡¯s a good thing that you got to him when you did; you have saved your locality a lot of future trouble.¡±


    ¡°So, this Shadow Queen figure will corrupt anyone who already has a palace, and make them worse?¡± I ask, trying to wrap my head around the concept.


    ¡°It¡¯s more like she¡¯ll take people who are susceptible to forming palaces, and speed up the process,¡± she corrects. ¡°At some point, you may want to scout your whole town and see if there are any other palaces around, other than the jungle one we discussed a while back.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll try and get the others together to do that sometime.¡±


    ¡°Good. These ¡®seeds¡¯ are extremely difficult to find and destroy. And trust me, we want to destroy them; they are responsible for corrupting people that have committed many atrocities in the past. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some historical events, like the rise of Nazi Germany, were caused by some other supernatural entity planting a seed that got way too powerful. I have defeated a few of them in my day, but she so far has eluded me. Keep on defeating villains in the region, and eventually, you will find her.¡±


    Once again, I would¡¯ve appreciated a more detailed process than that, but once again, I guess I¡¯ll take her word for it for the time being. I¡¯m getting tired of this conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest,¡± I admit, ¡°I think I¡¯m more confused now than I was before you started trying to explain everything. Are you saying that there¡¯s been a supernatural war happening in America for decades that nobody knows about?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not really a war, it¡¯s more like a bunch of competing espionage schemes. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t get it; I understand that this is a lot to take it. How about you sleep on it tonight, and we can talk about it later?¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure. Actually, that reminds me of something interesting Anja told me.¡± I briefly tell her the story of the ¡®Thieves in the Night¡¯ group.


    ¡°Oh¡­ heehee. Don¡¯t worry, I know all about the Thieves. I used to be their leader.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, really?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Those were the days. Unfortunately, what your friend told you was true; most of the other members are dead or missing. There is only one other I know of who is still alive. But given the circumstances, I think it¡¯s crucial I protect their identity, so that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say on the matter.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that my friends and I may be hunted down as well?¡± I question. ¡°It¡¯s only fair that my friends know what risk they are taking if they involve themselves with me. And I could probably convince my mom to let me keep a weapon of self-defense in my room¡­¡±


    Lucy giggles at this. ¡°Smart girl. But there is no need for that. The Thieves got wiped out mostly because Moloch caught us off guard; we were completely unaware of his shapeshifting abilities at the time. That will never happen again.¡±


    ¡°Can this Moloch enter the real world, by any chance?¡± I question her, not entirely convinced.


    ¡°No. If you have a Persona awakened already, he really can¡¯t do anything to you at all except maybe make you have a bad dream, and even that would take such a great amount of effort for him that he won¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°Okay. That is reassuring.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll let you process all of this crazy stuff. Keep in touch, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Talk to you later. God bless.¡±


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Oh man, I just can¡¯t wait for this. Soon enough, everything is going to change. My dad¡¯s being all gloomy; my sister is biting her nails; my mom is wearing a smug expression. I feel pretty smug too- I¡¯m remembering back to when I used my lightning powers to blow those winged things out of the sky. It happened here, in this very room, yesterday. Man, isn¡¯t life weird?


    The person I¡¯m watching the closest, however, is Pavia himself. He¡¯s just kinda¡­ sitting there. Looking over a bunch of notes. Kind of taking a long time. He seems¡­ I don¡¯t know. Uncertain, maybe?


    After a while of this, he says, ¡°Mr. Mosely¡­ may I have a word with your two kids?¡±


    ¡°Um, sure,¡± my dad says. Kat and I walk up to him.


    ¡°Now, answer me honestly,¡± he says to us in a low voice. ¡°You have been living with your father for the past few years¡­ correct?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± I reply.


    ¡°Do you two feel¡­ reasonably well cared for? Is your father a fit parent?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± my sister says, trying to push herself over the stand to make herself look taller. What a dork. ¡°We may not have too much at our home¡­ but dad does the best he can. We¡¯re happy together.¡±


    Pavia looks at me.


    ¡°Uh, what she said,¡± I say.


    ¡°Very well. You may be seated.¡±


    We both sit back down where we were. Mom is getting antsy at this point. We hear a clip-clop as she walks up to the front in her high heels. (I never understood why women wear those. They look painful as hell.) She starts speaking to Pavia in a low voice. Eventually, though, they¡¯re talking loud enough that we can hear it.


    ¡°¡­Make something of their lives. You can¡¯t do this. You don¡¯t want this on your conscience.¡±


    ¡°Madame, please. This is my court. Please take a seat and await my¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I cannot believe that I am being disrespected like this. You¡¯re finished, you hear me? Oh, you laugh now, but I think that the ACLU will be very interested in knowing why you¡¯re denying a mother the right to properly care for her children. They will certainly be notified¡­¡±


    ¡°You do that, then.¡±


    My mother is infuriated. She begins walking back to her table, ranting as she walks. ¡°This is the end of your career, you hear me? You have no idea what powers that you¡¯re messing with.¡±


    ¡°Miss Vasquez, be real. I¡¯ve proudly served this town for years now. Who¡¯s going to replace me? Jared Carson?¡±


    ¡°Damn you!¡± My mom shouts. It seems like she¡¯s finally lost her temper; she¡¯s totally dropped her whole professional shtick. As she gets back to her table, she grabs it and flips it over in a rage. Then, she just grabs her briefcase and walks straight out without another word.


    My dad is pretty confused by all this. ¡°Um¡­ Sir¡­ Justice Sir¡­ Uh¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it seems as if my hunch about that woman was correct. I ought to report her for contempt of court¡­ Anyways. Go take your children home, Mr. Mosely.¡±


    My dad¡¯s eyes go wide like saucers. ¡°Wait¡­ are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. Upon further review of my notes over the case, I began to suspect that I was not taking into account all aspects of parental fitness. I have decided that you will retain custody of both children for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ great. Uh, thank you very much, Justice.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Dad won?¡± Kat said, looking positively giddy. ¡°Awh hell yeah!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me young lady!¡± My dad interjected. ¡°Do not use that kind of language here. Do you want the Justice to change his mind?¡±


    Pavia apparently didn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°My apologies if I misjudged you at first. You had better take care of those kids. I don¡¯t want to see you in this room again, understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir. Absolutely, judge sir. I will do my very best,¡± my dad says awkwardly, getting up from his seat.


    ¡°May¡­ may God¡¯s blessing be upon you,¡± Pavia says.


    ¡°I very much appreciate that,¡± my dad says.


    As we head for the back of the court, I nudge Kat in the ribs.


    ¡°I told you he was going to win, idiot. You didn¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up! You had no way of knowing,¡± Kat argued back. ¡°Hey Dad¡­ do you think we can go to Sonic again to celebrate?¡±


    My dad doesn¡¯t respond immediately. He just laughs.


    And man, is it a relief to see the last of this god damn courthouse. And you know what? I feel a really good feeling. I¡¯m not really sure exactly how I¡¯d describe it. It¡¯s like¡­ I did something really good, for myself. It¡¯s like how it feels when I win a match on Pok¨¦mon Showdown, except like, times a hundred. It¡¯s cool.

 Chapter 22: Ignition (September 5)

    <Ashley>


    After school that day, the band has a final, short practice out in the parking lot, and following that, we split up, eat, and then grab our uniforms. The first game is an away game at Pflugerville High School (quite a name, I know), so instead of just walking down to our stadium we all have to get onto a set of school busses.


    Predictably, everyone in ¡°the squad¡± made sure to sign up for the same bus, so I see Zoe is in a seat near the front right in front of Anja and Nova. The latter two are playing more video games. Not Pok¨¦mon this time, though past that I couldn¡¯t tell you what it is. Whatever it is, it involves a lot of flying and shooting.


    ¡°Those two and their games,¡± I say to Zoe and I slide into the front seat next to her. ¡°I haven¡¯t played video games in a while, I¡¯ve been too focused on school and band.¡±


    ¡°Same here,¡± Zoe says. ¡°I used to play on the Wii a lot with my brothers. We loved to play Super Smash Bros.¡±


    ¡°I had that one for the GameCube,¡± I say. ¡°Who was your favorite character?¡± (I ask this because I have a theory that which characters people choose in video games says a lot about their personality.)


    ¡°Kirby,¡± Zoe says. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I found out that the best fighter is Samus,¡± I tell her. ¡°Did you know Samus is actually a girl under that armor?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes!¡± Zoe says. ¡°I can¡¯t not know that, given how she has a tendency to strip down to a skin-tight suit¡­¡±


    ¡°She does that? Awwh, I should¡¯ve played the Wii version,¡± I say.


    Zoe giggles nervously again. I wonder if that joke was too dirty for her.


    <hr>


    To tell the truth, I¡¯ve never really been that interested in sports, so if I weren¡¯t in band I probably wouldn¡¯t bother showing up to the football games. Thankfully, being in the band gives me plenty to do during them.


    After marching onto the fields in full uniform (a bit dramatic if you ask me,) we take our places in the stands to play some shorter pieces of music, most of which are based off of mainstream rock/pop songs, during the game. We don¡¯t play the entire time, though, just whenever Mr. Castro says we can. There¡¯s some sort of invisible calculus that band directors have to use to determine when the appropriate time is to play during the game.


    Then, of course, there¡¯s the halftime show, which is honestly the only part of this ordeal I was looking forward to. We play the beginning of the show we¡¯ve been preparing for the past month now for contests. I¡¯m glad that we have these games to act as a sort of trial run, because being out there on the football field for the first time is quite nerve wracking: in front of God and everyone, without the aid of the handy blue dots that are marked in the parking lot to help us find our spots. Given that our very first contest is tomorrow, it¡¯s good to preliminarily get a feel for it. I think I pulled it off okay for the first time.


    Then, the director has the mercy to give us most of the third quarter off, so that we can partially take off our uniforms and rest our faces. Since we aren¡¯t playing for a bit, some people are crossing over into other sections to talk to their friends. I take this opportunity, first and foremost, to use the bathroom.


    The bathroom at the stadium is terrible, which I suppose is to be expected. It¡¯s filthy as all hell, and one of the two bathroom stalls is out of order. Nobody else is in there when I go except for Yonca, who waves at me but otherwise does not acknowledge me in any way. Which is just fine with me.


    I¡¯m a bit surprised to find Zoe standing outside when I exit the bathroom. She doesn¡¯t make any move to go in after me, and instead just looks upon me, looking nervous about something.


    ¡°Hey Zoe,¡± I say to her. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she says, before abruptly grabbing me and bringing me into a deep hug.


    I¡¯m taken by surprise, but I hug her back all of the same. I figure that the experience of playing the halftime show must have softened her up emotionally.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± she says, ¡°You¡¯ve been such a good friend to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I do try,¡± I tell her. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I have a soft spot for you.¡± (I dare not say more, of course.)


    I was hoping that this bit of information would act as a pick-me-up, but to my surprise she begins sobbing on me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I say to her gently as I remember something, ¡°You seem to have been under a lot of stress recently. How about we step somewhere out of the way for a bit and talk?¡±


    She nods at me, still sniffling, but if anything seems even more nervous than before. I figure that whatever¡¯s going on, it must be weighing upon her very heavily.


    We find a quiet spot behind the concession stands, in between that and the wire fence that separates us from the currently deserted main high school building.


    When we get there, Zoe doesn¡¯t seem to be in a big hurry. For a while, she just looks at the ground and sort of twitches nervously.


    I am pretty well acquainted with her nervous habits, as she tends to act this way before major events which she¡¯s worried about, like major tests or auditions. And as much as I am concerned for her in these situations, I cannot deny that there is something endearing about it all.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± she begins, ¡°I really do¡­ um¡­ appreciate your friendship,¡± she tells me slowly. ¡°It would really be¡­¡±


    But she doesn¡¯t seem to want to finish that thought, and she sort of curls up into a ball by grabbing her legs. Suddenly, I think I have a hunch as to why she¡¯s acting like this.


    ¡°Zoe,¡± I begin, ¡°You can tell me what¡¯s going on. No matter what it is, I promise I won¡¯t be mad.¡± I pause, and then add, ¡°As long as, you know, you haven¡¯t committed any felonies.¡±


    She manages to weakly chuckle at this. This assurance does seem to make her feel a bit better, as she is now sniffling less frequently. And yet, I can still see terror in her eyes, like if there was a chance that an unseen sniper might take her out at any moment.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ I¡­¡± and then she hangs on it, for a while. It¡¯s getting to the point where it¡¯s starting to get infuriating.


    ¡°You what?¡± I can¡¯t help but to interject eagerly.


    I guess this was the wrong thing to do, because she bursts into tears again.


    I pull back towards me into a hug, and she returns it seemingly automatically and begins sobbing on the front of my shirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Zoe,¡± I tell her soothingly. I¡¯m not sure what compels me to do it, but I start running my fingers through her hair.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Then, unexpectedly, I hear her quickly say ¡°Iloveyouashley.¡±


    It takes me a few seconds before I process what she said. But then, I start to feel elated. Surely she can¡¯t mean¡­


    She¡¯s looking up at me now, her eyes wide, seemingly trying to gauge my reaction to this proclamation. And all the while, I¡¯m pressed up against her with my fingers in her hair. I have to admit, the whole scene does seem rather¡­ romantic. The truth starts to truly sink in.


    I put my hand on her cheek tenderly.


    ¡°Zoe¡­¡± I say to her, trying to think of some way to put my feelings into words.


    ¡°And I m-mean as more than friends!¡± she says to me fervently. She follows this up with a loud sniffle. ¡°I just really think¡­ you¡­¡±


    This time, she doesn¡¯t finish her sentence because I cut her off midway by leaning forward and kissing her on the lips.


    <hr>


    Whenever we pull away, I see that Zoe looks pleased and is blushing furiously.


    ¡°Was... um¡­ that your first kiss too?¡± she asks me.


    ¡°Wow, that obvious, huh?¡± I tease. She giggles, perhaps a little more loudly than necessary.


    Suddenly, I think to turn around. Thankfully, I don¡¯t see anyone watching us.


    Zoe seems to be thinking along these same lines, because she suddenly pulls away from me, looking sheepish.


    ¡°Well, Zoe, I feel the same way,¡± I tell her. My phone vibrates, but I ignore it. ¡°I have for quite some time, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she says, her eyes opening wide with amazement.


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m very glad that you¡­ Okay, what the hell is that?¡± I exclaim suddenly, as the sappy lecture I had been preparing is interrupted by my phone vibrating again.


    ¡°Oh, is your phone going off too?¡± she asks.


    I take out my phone and see that the notifications are from Skype. I¡¯ve apparently been added to a group chat with Zoe, Anja and Nova.


    ¡°Oh, that girl,¡± I say as my phone is loading the app.


    The notifications were from Anja, who sent two messages to us: ¡°Hey y¡¯all,¡± and ¡°Did you two kiss yet? -kissing emoji-¡±


    I look up at Zoe, alarmed. ¡°Has she been spying on us?¡± I ask. ¡°How does she know?¡±


    I¡¯m surprised to see that Zoe is looking back at me with a smile. ¡°Umm¡­ no, she¡¯s not spying. I¡­ told her that I liked you,¡± she tells me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you two were close,¡± I tell her, surprised.


    ¡°We¡­ weren¡¯t,¡± she admits.


    <hr>


    I have to admit, it¡¯s a pretty great feeling, to know that, after all this time, Zoe actually feels the same way that I do. Especially with my last crush ending in such a total fiasco.


    Of course, even now in my inner euphoria, I can sense problems and threats on the horizons. Zoe and I agreed to date in secret for the time being, because if what happened between us today became common knowledge¡­ well, things could get ugly.


    First of all, our classmates. I am well aware that the culture of our school is pretty fucked up. Bullies will take the slightest deviation from the norm and use it as an excuse to ostracize someone, or even downright turn them into a social pariah. Of course, I am not worried about this for myself. The aftermath of Aiko¡¯s betrayal back in Concord forced me to get quite used to this behavior, so I am confident that I can withstand anything. But given that Zoe is caught up in this with me, it is certainly in my interest to keep our love a secret for her sake. She¡¯s always been one of the lucky ones to escape the notice of the social hierarchy, so she¡¯ll have never dealt with anything like that before.


    Secondly, our parents. I, obviously, did not tell my parents about what happened between Aiko and I back in the day, and so I won¡¯t be telling them about this. I suppose I don¡¯t technically know how they would react, given that they have never indicated to me their feelings on this sort of thing. But, as a best-case scenario, I imagine that they would be under considerable pressure from their own peers to try and discipline me in some way or stop me from seeing Zoe. And as nice as they have always been towards me, I imagine Zoe¡¯s parents to be in a similar boat.


    Thirdly, on a related note, the church that Zoe and I attend. Unlike my parents, our church has made their feelings on same-sex relationships perfectly clear, and I do not see our relationship being received warmly, not while the majority of the membership seem to regard a nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage to be the equivalent of a second 9/11. (And that¡¯s not an exaggeration, the pastor said something like that once. If that sounds like the most fucking batshit thing you¡¯ve ever heard, join the club.) I don¡¯t much fancy being pestered by random townsfolk every Sunday, so that¡¯s yet another incentive to keep Zoe and I¡¯s relationship under wraps. (I also don¡¯t quite agree with the church¡¯s attitude. Not just for self-interest reasons, but also on a theological and regular logical level. But now¡¯s not the time to get into that, I¡¯ve already been ranting for way too long.)


    I try not to think about all that, at least beyond what it takes to not do something reckless in public. We go back into the stands together, and as we approach the middle where the saxes and mellos would normally sit (separated by the trumpets,) I see a tiny arm in the section behind mine that is waving frantically.


    ¡°We may as well oblige her,¡± I tell Zoe, ¡°Since we¡¯re still on break.¡±


    Anja, the owner of the arm, is giving us a look so smug that I get a strange urge to backhand her across the face. Nova is, guess what. No really, guess. If your guess was ¡°He¡¯s playing his goddamn 3DS again,¡± you are correct!


    ¡°So,¡± Anja says, as we take a seat near her.


    ¡°So what?¡± I ask.


    ¡°How was it?¡± she asks, her eyes looking oddly hungry.


    ¡°How was what?¡± I ask, determined not to let her butt in on our business.


    ¡°Oh, come on, Ashley,¡± Anja replies, ¡°I know what was going on down there.¡±


    ¡°Good for you,¡± I retort.


    A few more moments pass in silence, as we just stare each other down. The silence (or relative silence, given how noisy everything is at the game), is interrupted by Nova, who suddenly looks up and asks, ¡°What are you two doing up here?¡±


    ¡°Selling girl scout cookies,¡± I reply in what I hope is a scathingly sarcastic tone.


    ¡°You guys are in girl scouts?¡± Nova asks, looking genuinely interested.


    ¡°So,¡± Anja says dramatically, as if Nova had not interrupted the previous conversation. ¡°Are you two officially...¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± I say, cutting her off. I look around to see if anyone is watching us. ¡°We are, but don¡¯t go around gossiping about us, it¡¯s kind of a secret.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Anja asks. ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t blame you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I reply, ¡°But if one or both of us turns up dead on the side of the road, you have a good guess as to what happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to turn up dead,¡± Anja says seriously. ¡°Lesbians are far less likely to be victims of hate crimes than gay men. You see, the right¡¯s fear of homosexuality is balanced out just enough by the straight man¡¯s naughty, sexual joy of watching two women make out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our cue to leave,¡± I say, getting to my feet and taking a hold of Zoe¡¯s arm, since otherwise I think I might actually hit her.


    As I march us back to our rightful sections, I hear Zoe call to her, ¡°Thanks for the help!¡±


    Then, she turns back to me and asks, ¡°You don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to be¡­ you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Murdered? No, I was joking about that,¡± I assure her. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not going to pretend that nothing bad would happen¡­¡±


    On that ominous note, I am interrupted by orders to play ¡°The Hey Song,¡± and so Zoe and I scuttle back to our respective spots.


    <hr>


    The bus ride back home is a nice one. Due to the fact that by now it¡¯s pitch black, we get away with holding hands. It¡¯s nice.


    However, at about the time we are cruising back into Enchantment City, Zoe turns to me and asks, ¡°Ashley? Do you¡­ think we¡¯re doing something wrong in all of this?¡±


    I turn to her and lock eyes. I had expected this to come up.


    ¡°No, not really,¡± I tell her. However, I can¡¯t think of a way to explain myself without someone nearby overhearing what we¡¯re talking about, so I tell her, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it more later.¡±


    She just looks back at me, still looking worried. I want so badly to embrace her, to feel her, to reassure her by any means necessary¡­ but I don¡¯t want to push our luck.


    And it really is too bad. As we all tiredly saunter off the buses back at the school, I can¡¯t help but to wish that I had left her on a more positive note.


    Thankfully, I catch her just before she goes off to her mom¡¯s car, so I hurriedly make a path through the percussionists, who are pushing all of the pit equipment back into the band hall.


    ¡°Want to come to my house after church on Sunday?¡± I ask.


    She smiles at me. ¡°That would be nice,¡± she says.


    I can¡¯t help myself any longer, so I pull her into one last hug before we go. She momentarily puts her sax down to hug me back.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay,¡± I whisper to her softly. ¡°I promise.¡±


    After we¡¯re done, I watch her as she pulls open the door to her mom¡¯s car, thinking that I wish I had a way of following up upon that promise.

 Chapter 23: Dawn To Dusk (September 6 Part 1)

    <Nova>


    I wanna die. We just had our first football game yesterday, and now we have a contest? You gotta be freaking kidding me! I barely got a chance to sleep and they¡¯re shoving us all back onto the bus!


    I manage to catch a little more sleep on the bus trip, but I still kinda feel like crawling back into bed when the bus comes to a stop in the parking lot of some football stadium somewhere.


    I turn to Anja, who sat next to me for the ride up. Her eyes are half-open.


    ¡°Good morning sunshine,¡± I say to her. ¡°The Earth says fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Urgh,¡± she grunts indistinctly. ¡°Nova? You wake?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± I say. ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    She moans vaguely and her eyes close again. It¡¯s kinda cute, ngl.


    Ashley peeks over the back of her seat at us. ¡°Well, one of you is awake, at any rate,¡± she remarks chipperly. ¡°That¡¯s good. Zoe is currently unresponsive.¡±


    ¡°How the fuck are you so awake?¡± I ask her.


    She shrugs. ¡°Music gets me excited,¡± she says simply.


    There¡¯s an awkward pause. We¡¯re not getting off the bus just yet; Mr. Castro must be coordinating shit or something. There¡¯s a bit of chatter on the bus, but it¡¯s dampened considerably by everyone¡¯s general sleepiness.


    ¡°So¡­ did it all work out?¡± Ashley asks me.


    ¡°Huh? What did?¡± I ask stupidly.


    ¡°I mean with your parents,¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, it did,¡±


    ¡°Good to hear it,¡± she says. She leans over the seat a little closer to me. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve¡­ you know, accomplished your mission,¡± she begins, ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you want to¡­ continue on the path with us. What we did was part of a longer mission that Lucy gave us, which Anja and I will be continuing.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right,¡± I respond, my brain feeling fuzzy. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ll think about it when it¡¯s not 7 AM.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d like to, I think that you¡¯ll be useful to us,¡± she continues. ¡°You were able to get a good grasp on your abilities in a pretty short span of time, and they were rather useful ones.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Thanks, I guess,¡± I reply awkwardly.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she stops herself, looking very awkward. She takes a deep breath, and then continues. ¡°I feel as if I may have been¡­ unnecessarily rude to you. I see now that you didn¡¯t deserve that.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Uhh, okay.¡±


    ¡°I prematurely judged you based on your lack of commitment to school. But I see now that you have serious potential. All you need is to apply yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m thinking of doing that,¡± I reply, yawning. ¡°But, you know. Shit sucks.¡±


    ¡°It sure does,¡± she replies.


    ¡°You think so?¡± I question her, finding this response to be odd.


    She sighs and slumps over the back of the seat. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I am coping with things which I like to keep quiet and leave it there. In that sense, we are alike in a way; though obviously the ways we chose to cope are opposite.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it helps to talk about shit like that,¡± I suggest. ¡°I mean, probably not to me, since we like just became friends. But you know. Whoever you trust the most.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t say anything to that. She just kinda looks off in the distance for a while.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    If you¡¯ve never been in a marching band contest before, there¡¯s really no experience like it. It all started with us getting off the bus far too early. Before long, it was time to put on uniforms, grab our instruments, and traipse across the entire Earth like three times to get to our warmup spot. By that point, it was far too hot outside to be wearing those heavy-ass uniforms. We somehow had to practice while like, three other bands were right next to us and playing as loud as they could. Impressively, we somehow did it. There¡¯s an intensity to the whole thing that is kind of incredible. It¡¯s like, we all walked into this as like a hundred different people, and temporarily morphed into one entity. It¡¯s easily the closest I¡¯ve ever been to being part of a cult.


    And then, the actual performance, which I found myself surprisingly nervous for. I think I did alright, though. As much as we all complain about having to do this back-to-back with a football game, it was pretty good mental preparation for us, I think. I made a point of asking each of my friends how it went. Nova just said that he wanted to go back to bed. Zoe was really anxious about whether or not we made finals. Ashley gave me a summation of every set in the entire show in which she was like a foot off her dot, and the exact measure of every single note she fracked (though it sounds like she messed up far less than I did¡­) Ashley¡­ kinda scares me sometimes.


    The best part is, we actually did make finals. Which means we have to do it all again¡­


    In the meantime, I intend to spend all the time that I have sitting in the shade and performing my best impression of a vegetable. I am currently leaning against the tire of one of our school busses with my uniform off (except for my bibbers) and my trombone laying under the bus so that nobody will step on it. Nova is sitting with me, playing Pok¨¦mon. Ashley and Zoe are¡­ somewhere.


    ¡°Hey Nova,¡± I ask. ¡°Where do you think those two went?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I dunno,¡± he responds, sounding as tired as I feel. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Guess they snuck off somewhere,¡± I predict. ¡°Probably making out¡­ or maybe reaching second base.¡±


    ¡°Nah, those two? They¡¯re probably talking about the Bible or something,¡± Nova counters. We both laugh at this thought.


    ¡°Yeah, true. They¡¯re too goody-two-shoes to do that,¡± I observe.


    ¡°You wanna battle?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I left my 3DS on the bus,¡± I respond. ¡°I would go get it, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I can walk right now.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Well, I¡¯m getting StreetPasses. There must be someone around here I can play against.¡±


    I put my hand up as a sun shield and look around to see if anyone has a 3DS.


    ¡°Hey, I think I see a dude playing,¡± I tell Nova. ¡°Whoa, dude¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°Really? Where is he?¡± Nova demands.


    ¡°Sitting right near the Claudia Taylor Johnson truck,¡± I explain, pointing.


    ¡°Oh damn. He is cute.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    A moment passes, and suddenly my slow brain processes what just happened. ¡°Wait a minute, Nova. Are you¡­¡±?


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°What?¡± he asks defensively.


    A grin splits my face. What are the chances? ¡°You¡¯re into other guys,¡± I state.


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, I think so,¡± he says.


    ¡°Dude. That makes¡­ four of us.¡±


    ¡°Four of us what?¡±


    ¡°Four of us are gay or bisexual.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Don¡¯t you remember when I said that the B2W2 girl is hot?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. I never thought about it.¡±


    I chuckle slowly. ¡°Oh, this is just too good.¡±


    ¡°What? Why¡¯s that funny?¡± he asks defensively.


    ¡°Just because¡­ all four of us.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ so are you gay, or bi?¡± he asks me nervously.


    ¡°Bi, definitely,¡± I reply. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m¡­ bi,¡± he says.


    ¡°How¡¯d you find out?¡± I ask.


    He blushes. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± I concede. If his story is anything like mine, I think I have a decent idea of why he doesn¡¯t want to tell me while we¡¯re in public.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    ¡°Where are you leading me?¡± I ask Ashley, who is currently dragging me around to the other side of the stadium we performed in.


    ¡°I dunno. Just somewhere where there¡¯s less people,¡± she says.


    We pass by a part of the stadium which shows a huge system of air vents. The rumbling of the vents is very audible, and almost kind of sounds¡­ harmonic, in a way.


    ¡°Wait. Stop here,¡± Ashley orders. I stop.


    She looks at the vents and starts sort of bobbing her head around and looking at them intensely. Eventually, she sits down and closes her eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°If you position yourself just right¡­ the different noises from the vents sound almost like a perfect B-flat chord,¡± she explains.


    ¡°Oh! Cool!¡± I sit down right next to her. From this position, the different rumbling noises do seem to come to a certain balance.


    ¡°Wait, how do you know what specific notes those are?¡± I question her.


    ¡°I have something called ¡®perfect pitch,¡¯¡± she explains. ¡°They say only one in two-hundred people have it naturally. It means that I can identify exact pitches without any reference.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really cool!¡± I say. ¡°I bet you get it from having such musical parents.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± she says simply.


    For a few minutes, we just sit there and listen to the miraculous harmony of the stadium¡¯s air ducts. It¡¯s a weird moment, but it¡¯s really nice.


    ¡°Ashley, I¡¯ve really enjoyed being able to spend today with you¡­ as a girlfriend,¡± I tell her, breaking the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve enjoyed it too,¡± Ashley replies.


    ¡°But still¡­ I can¡¯t stop myself from worrying about what I asked you last night,¡± I confess to her.


    ¡°Well, I promise you I was joking about the whole ¡®being murdered¡¯ thing. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s likely to happen whatsoever.¡±


    I giggle a little bit. ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t mean that. You already said that was a joke! No, I meant about whether or not we¡¯re doing something wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, that. Yes, let¡¯s address that now.¡± Ashley leans backwards, lays herself flat across the pavement, and then looks up at the clouds. I do the same thing parallel to her. There¡¯s something awe-inspiring about the sight of the dusk sky. All the different shades of pink and purple¡­ and the strange shapes that the clouds make as they pass across my vision. I try and take a moment to appreciate natural beauties like this every now and then.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t claim to have ultimate divine judgement, but I can tell you what my story has been,¡± Ashley begins. ¡°One summer, back in middle school, I was re-watching some old movies from my childhood. When I watched the Little Mermaid, I felt the strangest rush when I watched them kissing at the end¡­ Then, I realized that I was imagining myself in Eric¡¯s place, not Ariel¡¯s as I should have been¡­


    ¡°All of those types of feelings began spilling out of me at once. It was quite difficult for me to puzzle out why it was happening for a while. But I¡¯m someone who doesn¡¯t like just blindly bumbling into things; I wanted to come with a game plan right then and there for how I would handle it. Should I try and repress or ignore these feelings, or just accept them, I wondered?


    ¡°Since there is a prevailing attitude amongst Christians that feeling same-sex attraction is inherently a bad thing, I tried the repression tactic first. It didn¡¯t work. You see, at the time, I had fallen in love with the girl who was my best friend back when I lived in California. Her name was Aiko. Any time I thought about her in a romantic way, I tried to redirect my thoughts away from it. Well, that just made those thoughts come at me twice as hard. Then, when I went to sleep at night, she appeared in my dreams, sometimes in rather¡­ colorful ways. It was utterly unbearable, so I eventually gave up.


    ¡°One day, I decided I¡¯d try and tell Aiko how I felt, and so I told her one day during lunch. Her reaction was basically to run away and tell everyone in the whole school I was a lesbian. I was harshly bullied for the remainder of the year.¡±


    ¡°Oh no!¡± I respond, feeling sadness well up in me at her experience. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. And anyway, we moved away to Texas at the end of the year, so I got a second chance. I convinced myself that the treatment I received was my punishment for being gay, and that the only option I had to keep my faith intact was essentially to live as a loner. I decided not to tell my parents about any of this, since I had no idea how they would react and figured it wasn¡¯t worth the risk. And in general, I became far less trusting of the people around me and trained myself to not show emotion around others.


    ¡°Still, this was a pretty miserable time for me. I was in a dark place and was not sure how I was going to find the will to continue living. And then, something happened¡­ I met you.¡±


    I gasp. ¡°You met me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There I was on my first day of church in our new home. And you just so sweetly came up to me and introduced yourself. You showed me genuine kindness, Zoe, in a time in which I didn¡¯t think I deserved it.¡±


    I think back to that day as well. The truth is, it was actually my mom who asked me to introduce myself to her. I found Ashley rather¡­ intimidating, but I decided to do it anyway because I thought she¡¯d be lonely, having just moved to a new place from halfway across the country. It was the same reason my friends and I had reached out to Yonca when she first moved, so it made sense to me.


    ¡°I began to question my theory that being ostracized was my punishment. Then, I began to question whether the prevailing attitude on homosexuality was correct in the first place. The more I looked into it, the more that the prevailing belief on the matter started to seem dubious at best. Via the internet, I learned that sexual orientation is considered by the scientific community to be fixed and immovable, which matched with my personal experience.¡±


    Suddenly, I remember something that makes me feel excited. ¡°Oh yeah! Anja told me that it¡¯s supposed to be partially genetic!¡±


    ¡°Oh, she did? Well, Anja¡¯s dad is a shrink, so she¡¯s probably a decently reliable source of information when it comes to this stuff. And that brings me into my point; if God ¡®stitched us all together in our mother¡¯s wombs,¡¯* and therefore knowingly creates a small portion of people to be gay; then why is being gay also sinful? Is this like, a complicated form of predestination? ¡­Probably not.


    ¡°Well, maybe people who are made gay are supposed to just be abstinent. You know, it¡¯s explicitly stated by Jesus that not everyone needs to have children, and in fact there are ¡®natural-born eunuchs¡¯** who are valid members of the kingdom of heaven. But then, the question is, if God meant for these people to live lives of solitude, why specifically make them gay? Why not make them all asexual/aromantic? The answer may be found in nature. There are many varieties of animals who are capable of being gay, and when this happens the purpose of these members of the species is generally to take care of orphaned babies.¡±


    This makes me think about that strange dream I had almost a week ago, and I momentarily overflow with curiosity. ¡°Hey Ashley. Do you think you ever want to adopt a child someday?¡±


    ¡°Well Zoe, since we just started dating yesterday, that¡¯s very forward of you.¡±


    I blush furiously as I realize how that must have come across. ¡°Oh no! I didn¡¯t mean like that! I just mean like¡­ in general.¡±


    ¡°Relax Zoe, I¡¯m just teasing you. And the answer is, maybe. We¡¯ll see how I feel when I¡¯m older.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I reply. I find that I really like the idea, personally. I think about all those babies in China who get abandoned by their parents because they¡¯re only allowed to have one kid¡­


    ¡°Anyways¡­ I lost my train of thought,¡± Ashley says after a moment. ¡°There¡¯s more I could say about what¡¯s written in the actual text; how the original meaning of the Levitical law against homosexuality uses Hebrew vocabulary that has been lost to time, and theologians actually have very varying opinions on what it was originally supposed to refer to; *** and a couple of other points, but¡­ well, I feel like I¡¯m probably boring you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not boring me,¡± I assure her. ¡°I find all of this really interesting, actually.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re interested in it,¡± Ashley replies. ¡°But I think the average person would be bored to tears right about now after listening to all this philosophical theological mumbo jumbo¡­¡±


    She briefly peeks at her phone. ¡°Alright, I think we should start making our way back to the rest of the band,¡± she states. ¡°Still, it was really good talking to you like this. Nova was right, I do strangely feel better¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I never knew any of this about you,¡± I tell her. ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll never betray you like that. I truly love you.¡±


    She looks touched by my statement. ¡°Thank you, Zoe,¡± she tells me. ¡°It means a lot to me.¡± She gives me a big hug, and then we get back on our feet to get ready for finals.


    <hr>


    <BBD>


    * Psalm 139:13


    ** Matthew 19:12


    *** This is indeed a view that some theologians have. The book Unclobber by Colby Martin provides a decent overview of this perspective if anyone is interested in the topic.

 Chapter 24: Out Of The Frying Pan… (September 6 Part 2)

    <Nova>


    It¡¯s now dark outside, and we¡¯re finally done marching for today. Finals went a little better than our first performance. Despite literally being exhausted all day, right now I¡¯m surprisingly energetic. I guess it¡¯s just the hype of the second performance.


    Once again, Ashley and Zoe have snuck off somewhere, leaving Anja and I to chill while we wait for the cue to get on the busses.


    ¡°Jeez, those two ran off from us again?¡± I complain to Anja. ¡°What a couple of bums.¡±


    ¡°Eh, let them. They¡¯re in their honeymoon period right now,¡± Anja reasons. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve had a lot of fun hanging out with just you!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Same here.¡±


    Something unexpected happens. Someone from our section comes up to us, a guy in our grade named Mason.


    ¡°Hey, you two,¡± he greets. ¡°We¡¯re taking a section picture behind the buses. Thought I should let you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, really?¡± Anja replies. ¡°Come on, Nova.¡±


    ¡°Eh, do we really have to?¡± I complain. ¡°I hate getting my picture taken.¡±


    ¡°We should!¡± She springs to her feet and reaches her hand out for mine. I groan and take it.


    We follow Mason to where the picture is being taken, and we get it over with quickly.


    ¡°Thanks for letting us know about this,¡± Anja says to Mason afterwards. ¡°We¡¯re not really that popular, so I doubt anyone else would¡¯ve come to get us.¡±


    ¡°Eh, well, you know,¡± Mason says, looking uncomfortable. ¡°You guys are a part of the section and all that. It¡¯s whatever.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they would¡¯ve missed us, honestly,¡± I comment.


    ¡°Um¡­ I mean¡­¡± Mason starts biting his lip. ¡°I don¡¯t have any beef with you guys.¡±


    ¡°Even though we¡¯re friends with Ashley?¡± Anja says, slightly teasingly. I¡¯m not sure what this is supposed to mean, but Mason seems to understand it.


    ¡°Well, I do have a beef with her. But that¡¯s just her, that doesn¡¯t extend to you guys. Or Zoe.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s good to know,¡± Anja replies. ¡°I know Ashley is rather cold, but she does have some redeeming qualities.¡±


    ¡°Eh, qualities shmalities,¡± he retorts, making a dismissive hand gesture. ¡°I just think someone needs to show her that she¡¯s not some holy prophet of horn playing¡­¡±


    ¡°But how can you do that if you¡¯re in the trombone section?¡± Anja questions, giggling at him. ¡°You two won¡¯t ever have to directly compete.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take any symbolic victory over her I can get,¡± he replies. ¡°Well, okay¡­ maybe not any victory¡­ but any legitimate one.¡±


    He takes a deep breath. ¡°Also, for the record, I did not know about Ashley and Zoe¡¯s thing when I asked Zoe to Homecoming. I wouldn¡¯t stoop that low!¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know,¡± Anja replies, still looking amused by the conversation. However, I can¡¯t help but to notice that there¡¯s something funny going on here¡­


    ¡°Hey, wait a second!¡± I interject, directing my glare towards Mason. ¡°How do you know about that? That¡¯s supposed to be a secret!¡±


    The smile drops off Anja¡¯s face as she realizes it too.


    ¡°Well, um, it¡¯s not really a secret anymore,¡± Mason comments, looking uncomfortable again. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t participate in that at all. Like I just said, I wouldn¡¯t stoop to depths as low as¡­¡±


    ¡°As low as what?¡± Anja questions hotly, her temperament rapidly changing. The speed of her 180-degree turn from laughter to fury would normally be frightening, but I find it oddly inspiring given the circumstances.


    ¡°Oh¡­ oof. I guess you guys wouldn¡¯t have gotten it, yeah¡­¡± He grits his teeth and looks around us, as if seeing if anyone is nearby. ¡°Di¡­ someone got a video of them, uh, making out during the game yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit.¡± Anja replies, breathing deeply. ¡°And how much has this been spread around?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ enough,¡± he says simply.


    ¡°Shit shit shit!¡± Anja chants quickly, putting her hands to her face. She quickly whips out her phone and starts furiously typing on it. Since mine starts buzzing, I assume that she is messaging in the group chat and open it up.


    Anja:


    Ashley we need to talk


    Ashley:


    Hello Anja.


    Are we heading back soon?


    Anja:


    Someone got a video of you and Zoe together.


    Everyone knows.


    Ashley takes a while to respond, so Anja turns back towards Mason. ¡°Who took the video?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not, uh, totally sure,¡± he stutters, blushing furiously.


    ¡°Liar.¡± Anja states simply, her eyes narrowing at him. ¡°I¡¯m good at telling when people are lying, you know.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m s-serious¡­¡±


    Anja rolls her eyes, grabs me by the arm, and marches us back to where we were hanging out previously.


    By this time, there¡¯s a reply in the group chat.


    Ashley:


    I¡¯m very upset to hear that.


    Who took the video.


    Anja:


    I don¡¯t know. I can try and find out for you, though.


    Ashley:


    Don¡¯t worry.


    I have a theory as to who it is.


    There was someone I saw near the area last night.


    Anja:


    What are you going to do?


    Ashley:


    Apply knowledge gained from past mistakes.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Zoe and I head back to where the rest of the band is. Zoe hasn¡¯t reacted too much yet, but she has been breathing very heavily. I simply keep walking, my hand around her wrist. People we pass by are wise enough to part for us like the water for Moses.


    I just so happen to see exactly who I¡¯m looking for sitting by herself on a curb near the fence. A stroke of good luck.


    ¡°Good evening, Yonca,¡± I state as I approach her.


    I am pleased to see that she jumps to her feet upon hearing my voice. She looks scared.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could catch you alone. I want to ask you something.¡±


    She slowly turns around to face me, trembling very slightly. ¡°Ashley, I¡¯m sorry about¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± I interrupt her. I press my advantage and step close to her, making her cower slightly. ¡°So, it kind of seems like you already know what I¡¯m going to ask.¡±


    She gulps. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, why are you so afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ someone else asked me... I saw you two walk away¡­¡±


    ¡°So who was it then? Who was it who, at your suggestion, followed after us and filmed us during our special little intimate moment?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    I take another step closer to her, and she cowers like she¡¯s about to be hit.


    ¡°You know, I really don¡¯t care about the specifics. I just need a name.¡±


    ¡°Ashley, what are you going to do?¡± Zoe asks me, her voice thin.


    ¡°If she answers my question, nothing,¡± I say simply.


    There is a pause. Then¡­


    ¡°It was Diana.¡±


    Yeah. Somehow, that doesn¡¯t surprise me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she says again. She has a certain facial expression, like that of a broken prisoner of war. It¡¯s one that I know well, for it¡¯s haunted my dreams for the past three years. The fact that they even look a bit alike helps. I¡¯m not sure if this makes me feel better or worse.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really sorry, here¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do,¡± I begin in a whisper. She looks up me apprehensively.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. You know, I¡¯m not really the one being hurt by this. I¡¯m used to this by now. No, you¡¯re going to apologize to Zoe.¡±


    She buries her face in her hands, as if about to sob.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ come on. This isn¡¯t helping anything,¡± Zoe simpers behind me, her face as pale as a ghost.


    ¡°No, Zoe. She¡¯s compliant. She¡¯s not getting away with this.¡±


    I turn back towards Yonca. Her uselessness suddenly makes me really angry. ¡°Well! Go ahead!¡± I shout at her.


    She actually is sobbing now.


    ¡°Ashley! Leave her alone!¡± Zoe urges me, looking close to crying herself. ¡°This isn¡¯t her fault!¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Fine. Just go away, please.¡±


    Yonca follows my advice, half-running away from the scene.


    ¡°So, there you have it then,¡± I state. ¡°It was Diana who videoed us. Couldn¡¯t resist the chance to have something to gossip about, I bet.¡±


    Zoe must have missed it when Yonca said her name earlier, as her face goes from white to red, and she starts hyperventilating.


    At that moment, Anja and Nova appear. Anja immediately goes straight to Zoe, looking extremely concerned about her condition.


    ¡°Zoe? Honey? Sit down for me,¡± Anja says, helping her sit down on the curb.


    ¡°Why¡­ why would she¡­¡± Zoe barely stutters out before breaking down into tears.


    ¡°Take full, deep breaths for me, okay?¡± Anja says seriously. ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay.¡±


    I feel a wave of gratitude for Anja. I¡¯m concerned about Zoe, but currently only feel anger, so I doubt I¡¯d be able to effectively console her. Anja, it seems, is a true friend to us; unlike those worthless whores that Zoe surrounded herself with.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not so good with the emotional stuff,¡± Nova remarks, standing around awkwardly. ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°Commit a murder,¡± I say simply.


    His eyes pop wide open. ¡°Oh. Uh, okay. Good luck?¡±


    I briskly walk away from the others and scan the crowd for a certain dirty blonde flautist.


    ¡°Hey wait!¡± Nova calls after me. ¡°You¡¯re not actually gonna do that, right?¡±


    I ignore him and continue searching. Of course I¡¯m not actually going to. I¡¯m not even sure how I would do that, given that I lack any weapons. I guess I could try bringing her into the Metaverse, since I have my phone¡­


    My thoughts are interrupted when I bump into someone else who is staring at me harder than anyone else in the crowd. Well, no point delaying the inevitable.


    ¡°Good evening, Terra,¡± I say as I approach her. ¡°I was curious if you knew where Diana is.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fear your wrath, Ashley,¡± Terra tells me.


    ¡°Nor do I yours.¡±


    She gives me a hard, steely glare. ¡°Bullying people isn¡¯t going to fix anything, you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from you.¡±


    She leans back against the side of the bus behind her. ¡°You know, when Yonca first moved here, a lot of people picked on her. She was worried that she was never going to fit in here, due to her differences.¡±


    Hmm. So the little whelp must have told her about what happened already.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck,¡± I tell her bluntly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what religious views anyone has, what culture they hail from, what race they are, or what gender they are. We are all equal under the law. And that means that shitty people will get that they deserve.¡±


    ¡°I see you fancy yourself the arbiter of justice.¡±


    ¡°Not me,¡± I say, smiling at her coldly.


    Terra draws herself back up to full height. ¡°I know it seems harsh. But I really am trying to help you guys.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°But since neither of you seemed to have learned anything, I think I may just take this to a higher power.¡±


    I give her a glare of instant death. Surely she doesn¡¯t mean¡­


    ¡°And what makes you think that you¡¯re helping anything by ruining Zoe¡¯s entire life?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that. You did.¡± She bravely returns my glare. ¡°When you did¡­ whatever you people do to spread it.¡±


    I force a fake snigger at her. ¡°Spread it?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± She starts picking at her fingernails, like I¡¯m no longer interesting enough to have a conversation with. ¡°Men go into prison straight¡­ they leave it gay. What conclusion can we draw from that?¡±


    I¡¯m starting to seriously consider my ¡°bring her into the Metaverse¡± idea, when an interruption comes in the form of Nova, walking up to me from the side. I guess he couldn¡¯t resist witnessing the action.


    ¡°Hey Ashley!¡± he says, seemingly ignorant of the intensity of the situation. ¡°Hey, um, Ashley. Zoe needs to, uh, ask you something. It¡¯s really important.¡±


    This is clearly just a bullshit excuse to get me away, but it does make me realize that it probably wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to press the Metaverse app in a crowded area. I give Terra one last withering look, trying to get across that she is lucky she got away with just that. Then, I say, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go see her, then.¡±


    <hr>


    Anja and Zoe are now sitting on the floor solemnly. Nova and I sit down across from her. Zoe presses herself into me in a tight hug and starts promptly crying her eyes out onto my sweaty shirt.


    ¡°You guys should brace yourself for more bad news,¡± I start explaining. ¡°I was just talking to Terra, and she said something kind of interesting.¡±


    ¡°What was she talking about with people becoming gay while in prison?¡± Nova cuts into the conversation unexpectedly. ¡°That¡¯s not how being gay works!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ you¡¯re right, it¡¯s not,¡± I reply, as Anja briefly looks extremely confused. ¡°She said that because she¡¯s a total cunt.¡±


    Zoe winces at this. In all of the drama, I kind of forgot that she used to be friends with these people.


    ¡°Anyway, what did she say?¡± Anja asks me seriously.


    ¡°I think she might be planning to reveal us to the adults at our church,¡± I explain. ¡°She said something¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Zoe shouts through my shirt, starting to tremble.


    ¡°What are they going to do?¡± Nova asks. ¡°Make you do double communion until you become straight again?¡±


    ¡°One, that¡¯s not what communion is; two, the adults at our church include both of our parents, who can do quite a lot!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­ you guys are in danger?¡± Anja asks, looking startled.


    Zoe is squeezing me so tightly that it¡¯s restricting my breathing.


    ¡°In danger? I don¡¯t know,¡± I admit. ¡°But it¡¯s probably not going to be a ton of fun.¡±


    I¡¯m thinking hard about whether or not my parents had ever indicated their feelings on lesbians or gay people in general before, but I¡¯m drawing a blank. Honestly, it¡¯s kind of funny. I could tell you without a moment¡¯s hesitation that Chris Potter is my mom¡¯s favorite saxophone player and that my dad can play every JJ Johnson solo on Trombone Master from memory, but I don¡¯t know their opinions on gay rights, one of the most polarizing political topics of our day.


    ¡°Your parents are fairly conservative people, are they not?¡± Anja asks me. ¡°I saw that sign in your yard when I visited¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that socially conservative,¡± I respond. ¡°They just don¡¯t want to pay out their ass in taxes, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Anja continues to watch me doubtfully. Zoe withdraws from me again and seems to be holding back having another meltdown for now. She¡¯s now holding her head and breathing deeply.


    ¡°When is Terra going to do the thing?¡± Anja questions. ¡°Did she say?¡±


    ¡°Well, given that we have church tomorrow, I think it¡¯s a fairly safe bet she¡¯ll do it then,¡± I begin explaining. ¡°I¡¯d rather rip off the bandage and tell them early morning before we go. If they¡¯re going to learn about it anyway, I¡¯d prefer that it be from me.¡±


    There is a pause. And then¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it before church, too,¡± Zoe adds, sniffling a bit. ¡°I¡­ know they¡¯re not going to like it. My family doesn¡¯t like homosexuals. But maybe¡­ if I can explain everything to them¡­¡±


    She trails off there. I can see that there is fear in her eyes still¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll both do it at once,¡± I suggest. ¡°That way¡­ it¡¯ll all be over in one go.¡±


    Zoe nods in agreement. But she¡¯s still looking blankly at the concrete. Like staring into a fireplace on a cold winter night.


    ¡°Well,¡± Anja says, ¡°If¡­ you need anything¡­ either of you, just let me know. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll be there for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Anja,¡± I respond.


    Zoe doesn¡¯t say anything, but she does scoot over to give Anja a hug.

 Chapter 25: …Into The Fire (September 7 Part 1)

    <Ashley>


    Sunday morning is here, and I¡¯m way more scared than I¡¯d like to admit. With a couple of hours left until we have to leave for church, Zoe and I agree to get it over with.


    Both of my parents are awake, just laying around in the living room. They¡¯re deep in conversation when I walk in, so I decide to just take a seat on the couch and wait for a break. They¡¯re sitting in the armchairs that are set up directly across from the TV, which is playing one of the Star Wars movies.


    ¡°I still remember seeing Return of the Jedi in theaters as a little girl!¡± Mom was saying. ¡°I must¡¯ve been, what, seven? Eight?¡±


    ¡°The cultural impact the series has had is phenomenal,¡± Dad explains. ¡°I wasn¡¯t a big fan of the prequel movies, however.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot about those. Weren¡¯t those coming out around the time you were born?¡± She asks, looking at me.


    Listening to my parents just nonchalantly talk about movies somehow makes me feel worse, so I decide to go ahead and get this over with.


    ¡°We need to talk about something important.¡±


    ¡°Oh, certainly!¡± Mom says, grabbing the remote and turning the volume on the TV down. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    It¡¯s stupid, but now that I¡¯ve gotten myself into this scenario, I don¡¯t even know how to begin.


    Maybe it¡¯s just that I always put myself in situations where I¡¯m on the defense, and so I never have to properly explain myself. What¡¯s the best way to approach this? Should I monologue about my experiences in life, like I did with Zoe yesterday? Should I pose theological questions?


    After I¡¯m silent for a while, my parents give each other a meaningful look. (But what are they saying?)


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about something I¡¯ve known for a few years now,¡± I begin. And I should continue from there, but I can¡¯t bring myself to say the word.


    What¡¯s wrong with me? Why is this the thing that breaks me? I¡¯ve always been able to charge through just about anything. Whenever I imagined this moment in my head, it was always with me being tough, even defiant¡­


    My parents definitely seem alarmed by my behavior. After another significant glance, my mom actually comes over and sits next to me on the couch.


    ¡°Tell me what it is, Ash,¡± she says softly, looking into my eyes.


    I¡¯ve been so stupid. I never should have let any of this happen. I never should have put myself into this situation. My phone vibrates in my pocket, but I ignore it.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Zoe and I,¡± I finally say. ¡°We had a talk on Friday, and¡­ we have mutual feelings for each other. Romantic ones.¡±


    I see Mom¡¯s shoulders relax slightly. (Why? That reaction doesn¡¯t make any sense.)


    ¡°We were thinking something like that might be happening,¡± she says.


    Of all the things I was expecting her to say, that was not one of them. All I can say is, ¡°What?¡±


    Mom gets up from the couch and starts pacing around, like she¡¯s trying to do a lot of thinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Dad explains as she does this. ¡°Your mother and I, we have lived long enough to recognize when two people are in love.¡±


    ¡°Oh hush, I¡¯m the one who noticed it first,¡± Mom snaps, though she¡¯s smiling a little bit.


    I¡¯m speechless. They just¡­ knew already? Or guessed, at least? My phone vibrates again¡­ and again¡­ I guess I better check that.


    ¡°Now, Ashley, you seem very nervous about this,¡± Mom explains uncertainly, turning around towards me. ¡°But, you should know that¡­¡±


    At that point, however, I stop listening to her. My phone was vibrating because Zoe was messaging me. I think she might¡¯ve started earlier than I did.


    And what Zoe says makes my blood run cold.


    Mom must see the look on my face and stops talking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± she asks me, sounding genuinely frightened.


    ¡°Zoe and I had planned to do the big reveal at the same time,¡± I explain. ¡°And it sounds like her parents aren¡¯t taking it well.¡±


    Mom¡¯s eyes start darting around the room, like she¡¯s looking for something. ¡°What do you mean, not taking it well?¡±


    ¡°Well, they yelled at her, and she had to leave the house,¡± I say.


    Mom makes for the kitchen. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if I go and try to smooth things out,¡± she says as she walks. She grabs her purse, which for some reason was sitting on the counter near the fridge, and then takes off. Which, of course, leaves just my dad and I.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that she¡¯s going and not me, honestly,¡± he comments. ¡°I tend to not be the best at convincing people of things. She¡¯s a lot better with that sort of stuff.¡±


    I glare at him, trying to gauge any sort of reaction that would indicate how he¡¯s taking my recent revelation. However, he just sits there, looking thoughtful. Like usual.


    It kind of makes me angry.


    ¡°So¡­ what are you guys gonna do?¡± I ask him.


    He looks at me curiously. ¡°About which thing?¡±


    ¡°About¡­ anything,¡± I ask. I¡¯m really not sure why his nonchalance is annoying me so much. ¡°Are you mad? Am I about to be homeless too?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re certainly not about to be homeless, and neither is Zoe. But are we mad? I think not. I suppose I can¡¯t speak for your mother, but all the same, I think I can be reasonably sure she won¡¯t be.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I sit and wait for a follow-up to this thought, but none comes. I guess what he said is a little reassuring?


    ¡°Did you ever have any experiences like this with other girls before Zoe?¡± Dad asks me after a while.


    ¡°Um¡­ No,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°There was someone else I liked before, but she didn¡¯t reciprocate.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You said that you¡¯ve known for a few years now. Do you have a particular motivation for telling us now?¡±


    ¡°Well, you guys were probably about to find out about it anyway, since some others at school found out and are intent on spreading it around.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± is all Dad says to that. I still can¡¯t see anything on his face, not anger, not concern, nothing. He¡¯s just sitting there staring at the TV with glazed eyes. I can tell he¡¯s not watching it, he just does that when he¡¯s deep in thought.


    I think I¡¯ve had about enough of this. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re done with the twenty questions,¡± I tell him, but I can¡¯t actually think of a way to end that sentence, so I just start making my way back towards my room.


    ¡°Wait!¡± he interjects suddenly as I go. I ignore him and keep walking.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    I¡¯m quite surprised to see Ms. Davis¡¯s car park across from me. Ashley hasn¡¯t replied to my messages yet, but I assume she must have told her parents that I¡¯m in trouble.


    Ms. Davis gets out and immediately looks down at me with great concern. I imagine that I¡¯m a really miserable sight. Sitting on the curb, having just lost about 80% of my body weight in tears.


    She immediately plops right down next to me and pulls me into a deep hug. I hold back more crying for now, though I still can¡¯t stop myself from sniffling loudly.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright, Zoe,¡± she croons to me softly.


    ¡°Do¡­ do you know? Did Ashley¡­¡±


    ¡°She told me about you two, yes. Now, let¡¯s take a moment to get calmed down, and then I can take you home and¡­¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No. I c-can¡¯t go back.¡± Because it¡¯s true. And the thought crushes every inch of me as I hear their angry voices in my head¡­ over and over¡­


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®can¡¯t go back¡¯?¡± she asks, frowning over me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ welcome there. Not w-wanted¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Zoe. I know things might have gotten intense in there, but I¡¯m sure that¡­ your parents still love you, and that in time things will settle down.¡±


    I don¡¯t believe her. But I don¡¯t say anything. I feel like I¡¯ve been torn to pieces.


    ¡°Here, how about I go talk to them?¡± She offers. ¡°You just stay right here, and we¡¯ll talk things over.¡±


    Sure enough, she gets up and walks back towards my house, leaving me feeling strangely cold.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    A few minutes after that, I hear a knock on my door. Dad comes in.


    ¡°Ashley, I really would like to talk to you about all of this,¡± he says.


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t seem to be in a big hurry to spill the beans,¡± I spit at him, moving in my bed to a sitting up position.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why the anger?¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, if you guys already knew what was going on, why didn¡¯t you¡­ I don¡¯t know? Say something?¡±


    ¡°We were waiting to see if you would tell us.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you go, I did. Happy now?¡±


    He takes a few steps closer to the bed. ¡°You told us because you were backed into a corner.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, can you really blame me? Look at what¡¯s happened to Zoe.¡±


    Dad frowns at me. ¡°Did you think that your mother and I would react that way?¡±


    ¡°Well, how was I supposed to know?¡±


    There was a moment of silence. Dad slowly makes his way to the bed and sits down next to me. I kind of just wish he¡¯d go away, though.


    ¡°Your mother and I, we care very much about you, Ashley,¡± he tells me solemnly. ¡°Which means that, whenever something is wrong, we want to know about it.¡±


    ¡°Well then, something has been wrong for the past two and a half years. And I don¡¯t mean me being a lesbian. If you can believe it, there are actually worse things that can happen to a person than that.¡±


    ¡°Why must you take such a defensive tone?¡± he asks, sounding annoyed for the first time. ¡°If you feel honestly that you are that way, your mom and I are not going to fault you for that.¡±


    ¡°But if I was bi and I just happened to fall in love with a girl, would you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°What does¡­ I think you¡¯re missing the overall point.¡±


    I¡¯m so angry that I want to start throwing stuff around the room. ¡°You think I¡¯m missing the point here?¡±


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s really bothering you,¡± he urges me. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong. You can be honest now.¡±


    And how am I supposed to do that? How can I put it into words?


    The answer is, I don¡¯t. I just start crying. I can¡¯t believe it. I¡¯m actually crying.


    I admit that anger wasn¡¯t a rational response to what was happening, but the emotion was too strong for me to overcome. So, after all these years, this is what it takes for my emotions to finally spill out.


    There you go. Are you fucking happy now? You got me. You fucking got me. I failed the test.


    Father just wraps his arms around me, and I do the same back.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Ms. Davis returns several minutes later. Though I did not hear any raised voices from the house, I see that she is clearly furious.


    ¡°Okay, change of plans, Zoe,¡± she says. ¡°How about you come back to our place for the time being?¡±


    I don¡¯t have any other ideas, so I will myself to climb into the passenger¡¯s seat.


    I can tell that she¡¯s still angry, because she¡¯s driving way more aggressively than usual. Her acceleration and turning are erratic, and she¡¯s going several miles over the speed limit.


    My horrible sorrow starts to turn into anxiety. What happened between her and my parents? Maybe she¡¯s angry because she¡¯s on my side, and so she disagreed with them. But what if they managed to convince her to change her mind about being mad?


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I croak to her.


    ¡°Zoe, honey, you don¡¯t need to be sorry for anything,¡± she says softly while running a stop sign. ¡°I just thought that maybe we should take a day to let tempers cool¡­ we weren¡¯t quite able to¡­ of course, I always found your folks to be pretty agreeable before¡­¡±


    She trails off from there. I¡¯m willing to bet that she¡¯s only withholding further ranting because I¡¯m in the car.


    ¡°You¡¯re not... mad at Ashley and I?¡± I ask timidly.


    ¡°No, of course not. Not mad at you¡­ Like I said, let¡¯s wait a little while and see what happens.¡±


    And on that note, we make the rest of the trip in silence.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    My mom arrives a few minutes later, with Zoe in tow, confirming my worst fears.


    Zoe looks surprised, even shocked, when she sees me at first. I lead her back into my room.


    I think that Zoe has already ran out of tears, but she still bawls into me. Loud, ugly sobs, like the cry of a wounded animal.


    When it¡¯s quiet, I can hear my parents talking seriously through the wall. They¡¯re quiet enough to where I can¡¯t make out what they¡¯re saying.


    I don¡¯t even have it in me to be angry right now, about what has happened. I¡¯m sure the anger will come soon. But all I can feel right now is immense grief for her. I¡¯ve lost friends before, but at least I¡¯ve never completely lost a family. It¡¯s tempting to just join in. But I had my little moment to cry, and so now I have to be tough for her sake.


    After a while, my mom pokes her head into the room, now dressed for church. She tells us that we should stay home from church today. That¡¯s fine with me.


    Still, I can¡¯t help but to wonder how they¡¯re going to be received there. Is Zoe¡¯s family still going? That could get awkward, to say the least.

 Chapter 26: A House Built On Sand (September 7 Part 2)

    <Collin (Zoe¡¯s younger brother)>


    This is like, the worst day of my life. I can¡¯t believe they still made us go to church.


    Wasn¡¯t able to retain much during Sunday school, unfortunately. You see, this interesting thing keeps happening. I keep having these weird flashbacks to a few hours ago, when my own sister ran out of our house crying her eyes out. Man, what¡¯s up with that?


    Jeez. If that¡¯s how they reacted to her coming out, I need to watch my fucking back. Still, with any luck they¡¯ll come to their senses and she¡¯ll be back this afternoon.


    I walk past the choir room to see that Mr. Palmer has just finished giving his blessings to the choir, and the members of said choir are nearly done filing out of the room. He¡¯s a tall, thin man, his graying hair buzz cut, yet he managed to be rather imposing. He catches my eye, and to my surprise, he beckons me to come inside.


    ¡°Collin, may I have a word this morning before service starts?¡± he asks me.


    ¡°Uhhh, sure,¡± I reply. Shit. This can¡¯t be good.


    He motions for me to take a seat in a chair by the front of the now empty choir room, and I sit.


    ¡°I have heard from your parents about the incident that happened this morning,¡± he states bluntly. ¡°I want to make sure you understand that neither I nor your parents would ever do anything to harm your sister.¡±


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a little too late for that,¡± I spit out before I can stop myself.


    He sighs and purses his lips. ¡°Well¡­ it is true that much of this could¡¯ve been avoided. It¡¯s a pity¡­¡±


    That¡¯s not what I expected him to say. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I ask, curious.


    ¡°How do I explain this to someone so young?¡± He takes a full breath, and starts to speak more articulately, like he does when he¡¯s preaching. (I don¡¯t even think he¡¯s doing it consciously.)


    ¡°When a child is young, he or she is generally obedient to his or her mother and father,¡± he explains. ¡°However, when a child reaches the teenage years, he or she may become rebellious and reject the rules and morals of the parents. Parents will typically react by either simply letting the child be, withdrawing and no longer involving themselves with the teenager¡¯s life and personal decisions; or, the other extreme, ¡®declaring war¡¯ against their child by setting stricter rules and enforcing them more severely; or, most commonly, the parents will randomly oscillate between the two.¡±


    ¡°Guess there¡¯s just no way to be a good parent, then,¡± I remark.


    ¡°There is a way; but it takes strength, patience, and faith, all working together as one. Anyways, sometimes, the teenager doesn¡¯t rebel, at least not at first. He or she will spend years silently resenting his or her parents, and one day, that resentment will suddenly, unexpectedly, spill out all at once. I fear that this is what happened with Zoe.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°With all due respect¡­ that¡¯s not what¡¯s going on with her! Zoe doesn¡¯t have a rebellious or resentful bone in her body. She was just trying to tell our parents the truth!¡±


    ¡°I believe that she told what she thought was the truth. And I believe that how your parents reacted made the problem far worse. But at the end of the day, we are all accountable for our actions. The sooner we get your sister to realize this, the better.¡±


    I want so badly to keep on arguing with him, but I better hold my tongue or I¡¯ll get in trouble again. Man, he really just doesn¡¯t get it. He doesn¡¯t get that someone like Zoe would never choose to do something so contrary to her upbringing. Well, hopefully somebody will talk some sense into him, but it¡¯s not gonna be me. I¡¯m not putting my ass on the line while things are still tense.


    ¡°I know that this is an upsetting situation¡­ but bear with us,¡± he tells me, evidently misinterpreting the look on my face. ¡°It¡¯s best if we head downstairs¡­ I still need to start service.¡±


    So, we exit the choir room and head down the stairs. By this point, most people have already made it into the sanctuary. However, when we reach the bottom of the stairs, we see a couple coming in through the side door¡­ Ashley¡¯s parents! -Dramatic sting-


    When he sees them, Mr. Palmer¡¯s eyes briefly bulge out of their sockets, but he quickly regains his composure. ¡°Ah¡­ it is good to see you,¡± he says congenially. ¡°We have much to discuss, but let us do after service. I¡¯d rather not make a scene.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not make a scene either,¡± Mrs. Davis says, nodding in agreement. The couple looks unusually dour today. What on earth are they doing here?


    Mr. Palmer leaves for the sanctuary, and I take the chance to go tug on Mr. Davis¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Hey! Where¡¯s Zoe?¡± I ask him. ¡°Did you bring her?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, good morning Collin. No, the girls are not with us this morning.¡±


    ¡°What? Why would you come here and not bring them?¡±


    He turns to face me. ¡°I very much hope I am wrong about this, but¡­ Alyssa and I may not be here for very long this morning.¡±


    Without further explanation, they make for the sanctuary as well. What a cryptic answer. I guess there¡¯s nothing left to do, so I follow them in.


    I dash right for the seat where the rest of my family is. I am expecting to be reprimanded for walking in at the last second (even though it wasn¡¯t my fault,) but it turns out, my parents are quite preoccupied right now. They are furiously whispering among themselves.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± I whisper to Derrick.


    ¡°Well¡­ a certain couple has decided to emerge,¡± he says darkly. ¡°Ashley¡¯s parents.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I bumped into them on the way in.¡±


    I crane my head to look at what Ashley¡¯s parents are doing. They¡¯re just casually walking to the back of the sanctuary. Not stopping to talk to anyone, or even really making eye contact with anyone. Though there are plenty of craned heads looking their way.


    My parents are getting up from their seats!


    ¡°Hey, wait, where are we going?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± Dad says sternly. ¡°Your Mother and I are going to go have an adult conversation.¡±


    And they walk off towards the back. Well, I may not understand what¡¯s going on, but you bet your ass I¡¯m not missing the chance to watch some juicy drama go down. I get up from my seat and try to discreetly scuttle off to where Ashley¡¯s parents are. Derrick gives me a bemused look but keeps his seat.


    My parents position themselves next to Ashley¡¯s and draw themselves up to their full height. Most of the area nearby has hushed the usual chatter to watch. Ashley¡¯s parents don¡¯t seem to have noticed what¡¯s going on yet; they¡¯re seemingly talking about the program with bored expressions on their faces. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re just intently ignoring everyone else.


    ¡°So,¡± my mother begins threateningly. ¡°Since you were so bold as to come here, explain to us all what you are doing with our daughter.¡±


    Mrs. Davis, who is closer to the aisle, doesn¡¯t respond for a few seconds, but then looks up and finally seems to notice my parents standing over her. ¡°Hmm¡­ Oh, hello Marie. What were you saying?¡± she asks in a pleasant tone of voice.


    Mom blinks, surprised, but then her expression hardens again. ¡°What are you doing with our daughter?¡± she asks again.


    Mrs. Davis leans back in her pew. ¡°Momentarily providing shelter, until you can find it in your hearts to act like adults,¡± she explains.


    ¡°Given what you¡¯re doing, you have a lot of nerve showing up here,¡± Dad chimes in.


    ¡°Refresh my memory¡­ what are we doing, exactly?¡± Mrs. Davis responds.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to allow your child to practice filth, aren¡¯t you? And if that were not bad enough, you have taken one of our children into your home to do the same.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ you haven¡¯t been over in a while, but Ashley keeps her room pretty clean. And she¡¯s very good about doing her laundry in a timely manner. I sure as hell wasn¡¯t that clean when I was her age. I had clothes all over the floor¡­ drove my parents crazy.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You are avoiding the issue! Do you deny that you are going to allow the practice of the homosexual lifestyle in your household?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about. You should¡¯ve been more clear!¡± Mrs. Davis gives off a strange smirk.


    Mr. Palmer has given up on trying to pretend that everything is normal and is now walking down the aisle. He is clearly in no hurry; in fact, he looks rather reluctant to be here at all.


    ¡°Ah, you two. I should have known,¡± he says solemnly as he arrives. ¡°I thought I made it clear that I wished to discuss certain matters with you after the service¡­ but if you are so intent on having a discussion now, I would like to come before you as your pastor and hear what is bothering you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Trust me, Jared, I would¡¯ve much rather waited until after the service as well,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom states. ¡°But since these two are still clearly out of their mind, we¡¯ll divulge some of our thoughts on the current situation.¡±


    Both of Ashley¡¯s parents rise from their seats and walk past my parents into the center aisle. There, however, they both come to a stop, facing the rest of the congregation. By this point, most people seem to have realized what¡¯s going on and are turning to look. Ashley¡¯s parents then turn and face one another. They stare at each other so intensely, that I get the impression that somehow the two are communicating via telepathy. Then, Mr. Davis gives his wife a small nod, and she turns back towards the others and begins to speak.


    ¡°To the Parkers, and to the congregation at large, I would like to pose a riddle. First of all, I know that you are clear and outspoken in your belief in the value of human life. Your stance is that you are pro-life: You believe that life is precious, and that it is worthy of protection, starting from the very moment that a sperm fertilizes an egg, and continuing up until the fateful day in which our souls depart from our bodies at last. Very well, then. So, consider this. What would become of Zoe, had nobody come to her aid? My fear is that it would¡¯ve ended like a story I¡¯ve heard countless times. A child who is forsaken by her own parents has few places to go in the world. If they are lucky, like Zoe was, they will have friends or other family members take them in. Otherwise, they are effectively homeless, living in shelters, or couch surfing, or sleeping in the back of a car, or in the park of a large city. You get the idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s a terrible fate to befall on anyone. Put aside, for a moment, whether or not you believe that homosexuality is an inherent moral wrong. If children are a gift from God, whom we are morally obligated to bring to term, otherwise we shall disrespect the blessing of the Lord; doesn¡¯t it naturally follow that we are obligated to take our children from birth up until adulthood? Upon what basis would we be justified, then, in rejecting this blessing? If the child is gay, shall we say to the Lord, ¡®This child you bestowed upon me is not mine, and I want nothing to do with it!¡¯ No. Sexual orientation, as science has found, is a state of nature that cannot be altered once set. Therefore, the child, as God knew them in the womb, is given this characteristic by Him¡­ for what reason, we do not know. But that much is clear. To suggest that to simply be born in a certain manner is to be more sinful than any other person, is to speak blasphemy, for it is a rejection of God as the Creator of life. And so, what, at the end of the day, morally distinguishes the actions of the Parkers from the actions of the Yips? Nothing. Absolutely nothing!¡±


    Mrs. Davis stops speaking, breathing deeply. The congregation, by this point, is totally silent. I guess everyone else is too in awe of their sheer nerve to interrupt, but I do hear muttering coming from the corners of the hall. All eyes are on Mr. Palmer to see how he¡¯ll react.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± he begins. ¡°So you say that we ought to accept one¡¯s vices, if they are predisposed to that vice? There are those in the world who are born to be genetically predisposed to alcoholism. Shall we leave the alcoholic to his debauchery, up until he has killed himself via alcohol poisoning?¡±


    Mrs. Davis shakes her head. ¡°That¡¯s a bad metaphor, and you know it. One who is predisposed to alcoholism does not suffer from this until taking the first drink.¡±


    ¡°So you say,¡± Mr. Palmer says disdainfully. ¡°But you ought to double check where you draw your values from. It sounds rather to me like you are basing your knowledge in the wisdom of the world, and not in faith.¡±


    ¡°Just because it¡¯s of the world doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s wrong!¡± Mrs. Davis snipes back. ¡°We use science to inform our faith- that is how it has always been.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ after gleaning so much about your personal worldview, one thing has become clear to us,¡± my dad says. ¡°Everything that we feared about your household¡¯s downward spiral is true. We shall, henceforth, be taking any action necessary to save our daughter.¡±


    For a brief moment, fear flashes across Mrs. Davis¡¯s face. But then, her scowl returns. ¡°Save her, huh?¡± She retorts. ¡°You have yet to give any good reason why you kicked her out to begin with! You know what? After what¡¯s happened today, we¡¯re not coming back here. You have the word of the Lord printed in every pew, and you proclaim His holiness with your lips. But in the back room, I see the devil sitting, smoking a cigar. And in my dreams, I hear the Lord¡¯s booming voice, saying ¡®Get the hell out of there!¡¯ This house of worship has morphed into a heart of darkness.¡±


    Mrs. Davis seems like she¡¯s finally done. She¡¯s so worked up about this, that she¡¯s gone red in the face. But then, she jerks her head towards her husband, as if to say, ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± Mr. Davis clears his throat.


    ¡°Gregg, do you have something to say too?¡± Mr. Palmer asks.


    ¡°I do,¡± he says. ¡°Have you all not experienced the dark night of the soul? For it is the believer who feels weak and insecure in faith who will cling to what is comfortable and familiar. We wish to hide the world from our sights, by surrounding ourselves with only that which is clean, pure, and holy. But should a Christian fear the world? For it is we who were chosen to go into the world as workers. Is a doctor afraid of the hospital, or of his patients? Is a teacher afraid of the school, or of her students? What good is a worker of God who fears the world and despises those who walk without faith? We are called to be the salt of the earth.(1) What good is it, to the stew, for salt to stay within the saltshaker? I fear that Christians in this country have become complacent in power. Christians were not meant as a group to wield social and political power; we are tasked to turn the other cheek(2), and to give to Caesar what is Caesar¡¯s(3). In the beginning, we had nothing. We were hated and persecuted. And so it will be in the end, before the Lord rises again(4). And in countries across the world, we are still hated, murdered in droves by Islamic terrorists or Communist governments. And yet, here in the United States, things are different. We are not only free to practice, but in fact, it is Christians who dominate our social power structures. And yet, when that power is threatened, we will cling to it by any means necessary. When the schools set a non-religious academic agenda, we claim we are persecuted. When retail stores say ¡®Happy Holidays¡¯ instead of ¡®Merry Christmas,¡¯ we claim we are persecuted. When we are asked to tolerate others who are not like us, we claim we are persecuted. Have you not the self-awareness to see how utterly commiserable you have become? Ah, the trees and the forest, how often must they be in competition for our attentions! The Holy Land has not been ours for millennia. When we are ordered to be the salt of the earth, are we to still believe ourselves a city on a hill?


    ¡°It has been frequently noted over the course of our congregations that the generation who is coming of age today; that generation which our children belong to; has rejected our faith in unprecedented high numbers. This is rightfully a concern; but are we to draw the conclusion that this phenomenon is wholly caused by a failing of this generation? That an institution which is thousands of years old is on decline, because today¡¯s youth are simply more selfish, more undisciplined, and more hedonistic, than any other young generation in the history of society? It is a bold claim to make; and, conveniently, one which requires no action on our part to amend, for it is of no fault of ours that the young generation of today have naturally less moral character than any other, or is raised to have less moral character than any other by those outside of our ranks. What shall we do, then? Well, how often in our personal relationships is the pointed finger a symbol of deferred responsibility? Consider that we, as an organization, have cultivated a culture of apathy and contempt towards those among us who are the most forsaken; the most destitute; and the most impecunious of all. But did not the Lord say that any beggar, any vagrant stripped of a home, may yet be an angel in the clothing of men?(5) It is written, ¡°As you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.¡±(6) Consider the parable of the harvest. The workers sow the seeds into the earth; which shall flourish, and at the harvest, the farmer shall use those who have born good fruit to multiply the harvest exponentially; and determine Himself which fruit bears bad fruit, and therefore is better thrown into the fire;(7) and yet we are workers whom, though our duty is to sow seeds, we instead go into the fields with hatchets, to butcher those crops which are yet to be ready for the harvest; because we are willfully blind to the wondrous fruits of which shall someday come of those crops; we hack and slash not with divine insight, or impartial cogitation, but with a sense of self-preservation of that which is personally comfortable and familiar. What good are we then, to the farmer? How can a field of workers, through centuries of intellectual inbreeding, grow hostile towards its own accredited duty? And so¡­ we will seek greener pastures than here.¡±


    And on that note, they finally leave, seemingly having said their piece.


    For a while, there is stunned silence. I take the opportunity to get back to where I was supposed to be sitting before.


    Well, that¡¯s about as exciting as things ever get around here. My brain is swimming, trying to process everything that just happened. What did Dad mean by ¡°any means necessary¡± to get Zoe back? Does that mean we¡¯re going for the nuclear option? Also, what even was like, half of the shit Mr. Davis said? Whatever it was, it was pretty awesome. I guess I got what I hoped for from earlier. We¡¯ll see what Mr. Palmer says after he gets back up to the podium¡­


    When he does, he spends a few moments adjusting his glasses, and then slowly turns his face upwards to face the congregation.


    ¡°As you have no doubt just heard, there is a family among us who seems to have left our ranks forever. As pastor, it is always my hope that I shall be able to resolve disputes among our members peacefully; in this case, I was unable to do so. We will continue our service as planned today, but first, I would like to take this moment to reaffirm to you all the unique position we are in as Christians. We base our lives solely off of the wisdom of God. Those outside of these walls, all that they have is the wisdom of the world. Whenever you walk into a bookstore, now, there are rows upon rows of so-called ¡®self-help¡¯ books. That speaks volumes about how empty life is for those who abandon the values of God. There is only one thing that will bring us true fulfillment in life, and that is if we come together, united as one church, to spread God¡¯s word through the world, armed with the full armor of God and the shield of faith.(8)¡±


    So that¡¯s his response. Yeah, I¡¯m not buying that.


    I¡¯m kinda glad to hear that Ashley¡¯s parents are going to take care of my sister¡­ but on the other hand, does this mean that she¡¯s not coming home after all? This thought makes me feel lonely¡­ But on the other other hand, our parents really seem to be off their rockers for the time being, so maybe it¡¯s in her best interests to stay there, at least for now. I¡¯ll have to be sure to keep up with her on Skype or something.


    <hr>


    <BBD>


    The title: Matthew 7:24-27


    <ol>


    <li> Matthew 5:13</li>


    <li> Matthew 5:39</li>


    <li> Mark 12:17</li>


    <li> This is articulated many times in The Bible, but one such time is Matthew 24:9</li>


    <li> Hebrews 13:2</li>


    <li> Matthew 25:45</li>


    <li> Matthew 13:3-8;19-23</li>


    <li> Ephesians 6:10-17</li>


    </ol>

 Chapter 27: The End. (September 7 Part 3)

    <Zoe>


    ¡°Hey. Hey. Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup-¡±


    It feels as if someone is shaking the bed. I try to remember what I had just been dreaming about. It had been a rather frightening one. I think it involved an amusement park mascot kidnapping children. I try to put it out of my mind as soon as possible.


    ¡°Zoe! It¡¯s Christmas Eve! The whole family¡¯s going to be here in like an hour!¡±


    My eyes fly open. There, at the side of my bed, is my younger brother Collin, no doubt sent here by my parents.


    ¡°I must have overslept,¡± I say, already starting to feel panicky. I only have an hour or less to get dressed and ready¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re fine, we still have an hour,¡± he says flippantly, clearly not understanding my unique challenges. He dashes out of the room without a second thought.


    As I crawl out of Ashley¡¯s bed, a shadow envelops me as I remember what happened. I must have cried so hard that I fell back to sleep. I check the clock- it¡¯s now 1 PM. I should feel hungry since I never actually got to eat breakfast, but I just feel a sort of dullness. Some part of me, a huge part of me, has been ripped away, leaving me empty forever.


    I walk out of Ashley¡¯s room and into the kitchen area. Her parents are home from church by now, but there don¡¯t seem to be any lunch plans in motion. Her father is on the couch in the living room, talking on the phone with someone. Her mom is washing dishes, a glum look on her face. Ashley is nowhere to be seen.


    I overhear Mr. Davis¡¯s side of the conversation as I walk in.


    ¡°Mm-hmm¡­ Well hold on there, we don¡¯t have any proof something like that even happened. Of course, it hardly makes a difference either way¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey there, Zoe¡± Ms. Davis says, putting the dishes down and turning to me. She tries to give me an encouraging smile, but gives up after a second or two. ¡°We¡¯re still working on talking things out with your folks. You can get something to eat if you need to.¡±


    I appreciate how hard they¡¯re trying to make things right, but... somehow, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m ever going to be able to live there again. And even if I do, things will never be the same. They can¡¯t be.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± I ask, my voice small and squeaky.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°What will happen if¡­ I don¡¯t get to go back?¡±


    Ms. Davis gives a heavy sigh. ¡°Well¡­ if it comes to that, you can stay here as long as you need to. Of course, we won¡¯t force you to, if you have a family member you¡¯d rather stay with¡­¡±


    ¡°Why, ma¡¯am, you¡¯re jumping to conclusions. I never¡­ Yes, I do, of course I do, you know that¡­ No, I¡¯ve never smoked marijuana. What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    It suddenly occurs to me who Mr. Davis is talking to on the phone with.


    Ms. Davis clears her throat loudly, which seemingly was a signal, as Mr. Davis gets off the couch and goes into the master bedroom, still talking: ¡°Come on now, be reasonable¡­ They¡¯re children, Marie! There¡¯s no way that¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you something,¡± Ms. Davis says, slightly louder than she was before.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agree. ¡°I never actually ate breakfast, so just some cereal is fine.¡±


    She scoots over the pantry and opens it up. On a middle shelf are five unopened boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.


    ¡°Sorry for the lack of variety, there was a sale,¡± she explains.


    <hr>


    Only about ten minutes left until people start arriving, and I¡¯m still putting on my makeup. I picked out my flowery white dress for the occasion, I hope that it will do¡­


    There¡¯s a knock on the left door. ¡°Hey! Can I come in and brush my teeth?¡±


    ¡°Come in!¡± I say.


    Collin barges in, and slides past me to get to the other sink. He gives me a sort of mystified look.


    ¡°Why are you putting on makeup?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important to look nice for a family gathering like this!¡±


    He scoffs. ¡°Is it really, though?¡± He reaches under my arms to grab his toothbrush.


    Let¡¯s see here¡­ which shade of blush for this? My cheeks are naturally very rosy, so maybe not something too red¡­


    I put on a paler shade, ignoring Collin¡¯s usual overly loud spitting into the sink.


    ¡°How do you even keep track of all of that stuff, anyway?¡± he asks, watching me work with a sort of fascinated horror.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not that complicated, you know,¡± I explain. ¡°Primer, foundation, contouring, blush, then eyes and lips last.¡±


    He stares at my kit for a little bit, as if trying to make sense of which item was which. Eventually, he gives up, and rolls his eyes dramatically. ¡°Girls are weird,¡± he declares, before exiting the bathroom.


    I take a hard look at myself in the mirror. Since I¡¯m rather low on time, should I bother with mascara? It might come off as over-the-top anyway.


    From the right, Ashley enters. She looks surprised to see me there.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asks me.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ really lost in my own head right now.¡±


    ¡°Can I use the sink for a moment?¡±


    I move aside to give her access to the sink, where she starts thoroughly scrubbing her hands.


    I look around Ashley¡¯s bathroom and notice something odd. There¡¯s a little shelf right next to the toilet which has a small stack of fashion magazines on it, as well as a book titled The Ask and the Answer that I¡¯ve never heard of. Ashley really doesn¡¯t seem like the type to be interested in those types of magazines. Maybe she uses them as spare toilet paper?


    After Ashley is done, I follow her back to her room, not having any other ideas for what to do with my time. We both sit down on her bed, where Ashley puts her face in her hands. After a few minutes, she sits up, takes a deep breath, and asks, ¡°So, how are you feeling after this morning?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? I¡¯m having a hard time feeling much of anything right now.¡±


    ¡°I know how that feels,¡± she declares, before stretching and hopping to her feet. ¡°And I hate to be a downer, but I should warn you that whenever that happens, it doesn¡¯t mean your emotions are gone. It just means they¡¯re waiting, spying on you for the most unexpected time to invade again.¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    I don¡¯t know how to react to this information. I guess now I¡¯m more prepared?


    Ashley grabs a dirty, brown journal with a pretty pink gem in it that was sitting on her bedside table and sets in on her desk.


    ¡°My parents seem to be reacting to the news in an¡­ interesting way,¡± she comments.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been very kind to me,¡± I tell her. ¡°Your mother said I can stay here as long as I need to.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? She said that?¡± Ashley whirls around suddenly. ¡°I just wish I knew what¡¯s going on inside their heads right now. Because it¡¯s not like they¡¯re ever going to tell me.¡±


    And after all of that, she sits back down on the bed again.


    ¡°You seem restless,¡± I comment.


    ¡°It just feels so stupid,¡± she gripes. ¡°Just sitting around the house right now. Doing nothing. Nothing happening. While all of this horrible shit is happening. I need some sort of outlet.¡±


    For some reason, I get a vivid mental image in my head of Ashley burning down someone¡¯s house. I lean over and put my head on her.


    <hr>


    It¡¯s a real family reunion today. Pretty much every family member who lives nearby is here. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins¡­ lots of cousins. So many that Collin needs my help in remembering their names. The chatter is so loud that it¡¯s deafening. Some of the younger ones are lined up by the TV. Seating is so tight that Collin and I are sitting on the floor.


    ¡°When do you think we¡¯re going to get our turn on the Wii?¡± he gripes.


    ¡°Oh, let the younger ones have their fun!¡± I chide him.


    ¡°We hardly ever have a chance to play together anymore!¡±


    ¡°Well Collin, we¡¯re getting older. We have responsibilities now.¡±


    ¡°Responsibilities.¡± He says this in a mournful way, like he¡¯s speaking about a tragic event that took place recently.


    ¡°Things are only going to be more busy when we get to high school, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah, so I¡¯ve heard. School is all anyone cares about anymore.¡±


    That¡¯s when we¡¯re visited by our own golden retriever, Shadow, who rolls right onto my lap.


    ¡°Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± I croon at him, as I pet him along his back. He¡¯s panting heavily, no doubt excited to see so many people over.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there just something sick about it?¡± Collin says. ¡°The fact the most important aspects of our lives right now are a bunch of numbers on a piece of paper?¡±


    He starts picking at the carpet agitatedly. ¡°And no matter how high you work those numbers, you don¡¯t get any respect!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t do our schoolwork to be praised for it,¡± I tell him. ¡°We do it for our personal betterment as people.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯d still be nice to get some recognition every now and then!¡± He again looks twisted, and oddly mournful.


    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten him so worked up. Oh well. It was always on me to be the more mature one. (At least, that¡¯s the way I rationalized it back then.)


    <hr>


    By the time of the evening, Ashley¡¯s parents are away for a gig, leaving us on our own once again for dinner. Ashley evidently isn¡¯t much of a cook, as she is currently rummaging around the freezer.


    ¡°Oh, here we go!¡± she exclaims, pulling out a rather large TV dinner. ¡°Do you think that if we split this lasagna, it¡¯ll be enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be enough,¡± I reply, feeling like I¡¯ll be lucky to even finish my half with my current appetite. ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a TV dinner. I think I¡¯ll be okay.¡± She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, and then walks over to the microwave to get it started. I figure that I¡¯ll go wait in the dining room.


    The dining room table is packed to its full carrying capacity. There are actually so many people here that some of them are sitting in the living room. Everyone has their plates piled with grilled salmon, asparagus, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. I take a seat in between Collin and my mother. Collin¡¯s plate is about 75% macaroni and cheese.


    ¡°Is everyone at the table?¡± asked Grandpa Bob, my grandfather on my dad¡¯s side. ¡°If we¡¯re ready to start¡­ I just want to say thank you to Jesus our lord. Thank You for our food today, for family, and for everything we have in life. On the eve of Your birthday, we praise You. Amen.¡±


    There are a few ¡°Amens¡± around the table, and then everyone goes back to chattering as before.


    Ashley walks into the dining room holding a plate in each hand. Shadow runs up to her and starts pawing along her front. Ashley is very confused by this, and simply stands still and says ¡°Um¡­ um¡­ what do I do?¡±


    ¡°Get down, boy! That food isn¡¯t for you!¡± Dad shouts, getting up from the table. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll let him outside.¡± I make a mental note to slip him some leftovers later.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I¡¯m not too used to pets,¡± Ashley explains as she sits down directly across from me. ¡°You wanna know a fun fact? Jesus wasn¡¯t born on Christmas Day.¡± She slides me one of the plates she was carrying. ¡°He was most likely born in the summer or fall, according to historians. Christmas was actually adapted from a pagan festival. So really, Christmas isn¡¯t actually even that Christian, despite having the word ¡®Christ¡¯ in the name. Weird, huh?¡±


    Nobody else reacts to this, which makes sense because she wasn¡¯t really there. I ponder this as I start on my portion of the lasagna. It almost feels like something I should point out¡­ but somehow, I feel that my family doesn¡¯t really want to be corrected.


    ¡°So, how is my favorite niece doing?¡± My Aunt Kathy asks me, sitting on the end of the table past Collin. (The joke is, of course, that I¡¯m her only niece.) ¡°You¡¯re at an age where you¡¯re starting to get interested in boys, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh Kathy, she¡¯s still in eighth grade!¡± Mom interjects. ¡°It¡¯s too early for that!¡±


    ¡°What kind of boys are you interested in?¡± Aunt Kathy asks me, ignoring Mom.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± My brain scrambles to think of some boy I found interesting¡­ but I end up going with a boring cop-out answer. ¡°Ones who have noble character and a strong sense of purpose, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Oh honey, I didn¡¯t mean like that. I meant like, tall? Short?¡±


    ¡°Um, tall, I guess,¡± I say. I wink at Ashley, who looks confusedly back at me.


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s very admirable that you would prioritize a man¡¯s character,¡± Mom comments. ¡°Looks won¡¯t determine if a man is marriage material¡­¡±


    ¡°Not everyone gets married, you know,¡± Collin cuts in unexpectedly, stabbing his mac and cheese so hard that it¡¯s making loud clinking noises.


    ¡°Your hair is getting too long, boy,¡± Mom retorts, reaching over to comb through his hair with her fingers. Collin just ignores this, and keeps on spearing his noodles as if they personally insulted him.


    As for me, I stay silent and continue with my lasagna. It¡¯s actually pretty good for a TV dinner. I wonder which brand it is?


    <hr>


    Later that evening, both of us were lounging around in Ashley¡¯s bedroom. Ashley got so bored that she started talking about state politics.


    ¡°...Everyone thought that Lt. Gov. Perry was going to go on to be the next long-term governor, but in 2002 Schneider pulled off an upset win against him in the primaries. Then, you already know this part, Rep. Beatty challenged him in the general when he was up for re-election¡­ Anja¡¯s mom. It¡¯s a damn shame that she passed away like that. Of course, we didn¡¯t live in Texas yet at the time, so I don¡¯t know a lot about the controversies surrounding that race. Anyway, since then, he¡¯s been re-elected again and again pretty much uncontested. He¡¯s now the longest serving governor in the history of the state.¡±


    Suddenly, she catches my eye and stops talking. ¡°I bet I¡¯m boring you to death.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not you. It¡¯s just¡­ I can¡¯t stop thinking about them.¡±


    She slowly sits up and puts her arm around me gingerly.


    ¡°This is going to sound really stupid,¡± I say, ¡°But¡­ I think I¡¯m going to miss them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not stupid to me,¡± she replies. ¡°Every now and then, when I¡¯m having trouble getting to sleep, I still think about my old friends. I wonder if they still remember me. If they¡¯ve changed. If they regret what happened¡­ not like it really matters.¡±


    ¡°And the other thing is¡­ all my memories of my life¡­ even ones that used to be happy¡­ now just seem so¡­ wrong.¡±


    ¡°We all miss the good old days. Even if they weren¡¯t as good as we remember. It¡¯s human nature.¡±


    I lean over against her, pressing my head above her chest. She wraps her arms around me, seemingly instinctively.


    ¡°If there¡¯s any silver lining to this,¡± she says, ¡°It¡¯s been really nice to have you around the house today. Having someone to talk to. Normally I¡¯d be practicing, doing homework, maybe reading, maybe watching TV if I¡¯m home alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for being here for me,¡± I tell her. ¡°It means more to me than I can ever say.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in this together, Zoe. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    And for a while, we just sit there like that. Feeling each other. Our souls momentarily vibrating together.


    I thought it this morning, and I still think it now. I don¡¯t think things are ever going to be the same again. My life has been changed dramatically, permanently, and harshly. It feels as if I¡¯ve been poisoned.


    It feels as if I¡¯ve been poisoned, not just yesterday, but for a long time. I couldn¡¯t have ever believed this of my own family. But now that I have seen a new side of them, it feels rather like something which I''ve always known, that¡¯s haunted me like an ominous shadow. Because everything in my life- private and public, morning, day, night, inside, outside¡­ it was all for them. And it¡¯s hard not to feel like it was all for nothing. Because I couldn¡¯t have ever been the child I needed to be for them. The thought crushes my soul like a soda can.


    My life has been destroyed, and now it¡¯s up to me to do something I¡¯ve never dreamed of doing before; forming a new one from the ashes. But at least the new one won¡¯t be all bad. After all, I have her.


    ~Ending of Movement I: Shattered Dreams St.~

 Chapter 28: The Phoenix (September 15)

    <Zoe>


    School and band do not stop. Even if I¡¯ve been suddenly uprooted from the home I¡¯ve lived in for almost fifteen years, living off of my best fr- my girlfriend¡¯s utilities and even needing to use some of her clothes, which don¡¯t quite fit me. For some reason, talks between our parents over the course of the last week don¡¯t seem to be going well. It apparently took quite a bit of negotiation just to get my school things and instruments here.


    As hard as it is to do, I need to put that out of my mind for right now. My world geography class just ended. I only have to focus for two more class periods¡­ and then marching band¡­


    My silver lining for today is, I was actually able to make all-region jazz band! Auditions happened last weekend, and I managed to get the second alto saxophone position in the second band. Ashley did even better, she made third trumpet in the first band and is actually getting to move on to all-area. She was quite pleased, naturally. That said, there was one thing that annoyed her: Mason also made the first band, which means that she¡¯s going to have to deal with him when it comes time for the concert. In addition, because he made second chair, he tried to claim to her that he ¡°beat her¡­¡± despite the fact that there are three tenor trombones and five trumpets in the first band, so if anything, they tied. Anyways, this coming weekend is the Homecoming Dance. I probably won¡¯t be able to attend it, unfortunately. Without easy access to my wardrobe, what would I wear?


    I¡¯m almost to my biology class when I accidentally bump into someone. It seems that I got lost in thought once again.


    ¡°Oops, excuse me,¡± I say softly.


    However, the other person; a tall brunette with straight hair; turns towards me and puts her hands on her hips angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me again,¡± she scolds me.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ it was just¡­¡±


    ¡°I know who you are. Don¡¯t you dare try and fool me, you pervert.¡±


    She pushes me backwards, and my backside slams against the lockers behind me and I fall to the ground. And I feel like I could cry and my butt hurts and everyone¡¯s staring at me and I put my face in my arms trying to make everything stop¡­


    ¡°That¡¯ll teach¡­ AARGH!¡± I hear something slam loudly against one of the lockers.


    I look up from my arms. The girl who pushed me is now bleeding profusely from the nose and is bawling. Ashley is suddenly standing near me, cold fury etched into her face.


    ¡°Come on, Zo. Get up.¡± She extends a hand towards me, which I take, and she pulls me to my feet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to class. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I say. We walk the rest of the way to my biology class, Ashley¡¯s arm around my waist.


    However, as we get to the door, Coach Everheart pokes his head outside the classroom.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on out here? I heard a noise,¡± he says, in his normal slightly awkward tone. When he sees what happened to the other girl, a look of shock comes over his face.


    ¡°What happened to Taryn?¡± he asks us.


    ¡°I slammed her into a locker,¡± Ashley explains, as if it was no big deal.


    Coach Everheart¡¯s look of shock turns into utter bafflement, and he turns towards Ashley and stares at her. ¡°You did this?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Ashley replies.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Ashley, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to go explain this to a counselor.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will. Have a good class, Zoe,¡± she says. She turns and goes back down the hallway. Though she is being disciplined, she still walks with the same confidence as always, like she¡¯s still somehow in charge. Coach Everheart then makes his way over to the girl, who is still crying hysterically. I can¡¯t find it in me to feel bad for her right now.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    The school counselor I end up getting set up with is a woman named Sydney Snyder. Yeah, I had to do a double take when I saw the name on the desk. She has blonde hair, but it looks like it was dyed. Her eyes are constantly open just a little bit too wide for some reason, and she speaks with a thick, southern accent. She has a husband and a son; I can see a vacation picture pinned behind her of the three of them at Yosemite¡­ which is not far from where I used to live. What a small world it is.


    The door opens behind me.


    ¡°Thank you for being here, Misses¡­¡±


    ¡°Cooper. I¡¯m Ashley¡¯s mom. Her father could not be here today.¡±


    My mom takes a seat next to me. I knew that Dad couldn¡¯t make it, as he has a rare Monday afternoon gig.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Okay, Ashley, how about you explain to your mother why you are here?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I let out a small sigh before explaining. ¡°I walked out of my biology class, and I saw someone bullying Zoe. She shouted insults at her, and then pushed her into a locker. I took this girl¡¯s head and slammed it into a different locker. It apparently broke her nose, so I¡¯ve heard. Coach Everheart told me to come here. Now, I¡¯ve missed almost all of my speech class.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ I see.¡± My mom says.


    ¡°Mrs. Cooper, I am giving your daughter Saturday detention for this. And I want you to understand that I am being generous. I know that you are mostly a good kid, Ashley. You have no record of disciplinary issues and extremely good grades. I understand that everyone has moments now and then in which their temper gets the better of them. But if there are any more incidents like this, you will be receiving in school suspension. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Miss Snyder¡­ may I ask a question?¡± I ask her. ¡°If you saw someone doing something like that to somebody that you care about- your spouse, or even your son- wouldn¡¯t you have done the same thing? Wouldn¡¯t you want to tear them apart, limb from limb?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    My mom kicks me under the desk.


    ¡°Ashley, you cannot just act violently towards people like some sort of vigilante,¡± Miss Snyder lectures. ¡°There¡¯s a system in place to deal with situations like this. If you see another student being bullied, you need to tell a teacher and let them take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Right. Miss Snyder, I¡¯m going to be frank with you,¡± I say. ¡°The teachers here don¡¯t give a damn about us. This is not an isolated incident. Things like this have been happening for the past week, consistently. Sometimes in the middle of class, when a teacher was sitting right there. And they haven¡¯t done a single thing about it.¡±


    ¡°Ashley¡­ how about you to get to your last class,¡± my mom interjects. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to the counselor by myself. And after school, we¡¯re going to have a serious talk about this as well.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I say. I get up from my chair and leave the office before Miss Snyder can override her. On my way out, I make brief eye contact with my mom, and her gaze¡­ doesn¡¯t tell me much. Typical.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    I walk into the practice room in the back and am surprised to see that Nova is in there, on his 3DS. I guess he wanted to get a quick round in before marching band starts. He¡¯s already in his shorts.


    ¡°Oh, hey there,¡± I say to him as I walk in.


    ¡°¡¯Sup?¡±


    ¡°Hey Nova¡­ can you turn around for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay.¡± He does so.


    I grab my own shorts out of my backpack and slip into them. ¡°Alright¡­ see you on the field,¡± I tell him.


    I step out of the practice room and make to go outside, but I hear a voice addressing me.


    ¡°Did you really just change in a practice room?¡± it asks.


    I turn and see that it¡¯s Diana Coleman the flute player, who¡¯s leaning on a pillar on her phone.


    ¡°Well, the other girls don¡¯t like it when I change in the bathroom, now don¡¯t they?¡± I explain to her.


    She looks up at me with a leer. ¡°I know about you. You¡¯re Anja, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I sure am. I think I¡¯ve heard of you as well. Don¡¯t you like to sneak up on people, take videos of them when they¡¯re doing something compromising, and then send that video to everyone in the school?¡±


    ¡°If you mean your girlfriend Ashley, she deserved it.¡±


    ¡°First of all; Ashley isn¡¯t my girlfriend. Second; no, she most certainly did not deserve it! Nobody deserves to have their privacy compromised like that.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s not your girlfriend, why are you sticking up for her? She is such a total¡­ b-word all the time.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I am very aware of her personal flaws. For one, however, I consider her my friend, and she has many admirable qualities. And even if we assume for a moment that Ashley is this evil person who deserves punishment; is it really okay to act cruelly towards somebody because we consider them immoral? Doesn¡¯t that make us just as bad?¡±


    ¡°Not if you¡¯re just getting them back for what they¡¯ve done to you.¡±


    ¡°But then¡­ when does it end? Think about whatever it was she did to you¡­ and then everything that has happened since. I don¡¯t know what set you against her¡­ but surely, justice must be more than served now, right?¡±


    I see the gears turning. Her face seems to soften a bit. ¡°Fine¡­ I guess I sort of see your point.¡±


    At that point, I am saved from this awkward conversation by Nova, who comes out of the practice room after me. ¡°What are you doing, Anja?¡± he says, uncharacteristically chiding. ¡°Practice starts in five minutes! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    When mom comes by to pick up Zoe and I, she asks me to get into the passenger¡¯s seat instead of sitting in the back with Zoe. This is not a good sign.


    What¡¯s also not a good sign is that once we leave, there¡¯s about five minutes of solid silence. Finally, after we are already halfway home, my mom breaks the silence.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Ashley¡­ why did you have to break her nose?¡±


    ¡°I told you. She was¡­¡±


    ¡°No, hush. I meant¡­ why did you break her nose, instead of just¡­ giving her a bitch slap, or something like that. That would¡¯ve been a much better move.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mom. If you define ¡®better¡¯ by how much pain the other person feels, it wouldn¡¯t have been.¡±


    Mom shakes her head. ¡°Ashley. I know that you¡¯re having a hard time with everything. But you¡¯re going to have to grow up a little.¡±


    I feel my anger flare up again. I need to grow up? That¡¯s rich.


    ¡°Mom, you would¡¯ve done the same thing in my place. Don¡¯t lie.¡±


    She pauses for a while. Then, she exhales and says, ¡°You¡¯re right. When I was your age, I would¡¯ve done the same thing. In fact, I probably would¡¯ve done something worse.¡±


    Wow. I wasn¡¯t expecting her to actually reply honestly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do what I would¡¯ve done,¡± she explains. ¡°I was always the impulsive one. In this case, you should really act more like your father. He thinks everything through- sometimes to the point of being exhaustive. But because of that, he always comes back down to earth with great ideas.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t acting impulsively,¡± I say in my defense. ¡°It was all premeditated. Like I told that counselor, this has been happening for weeks. We¡¯ve been sneered at, and intimidated, and called all sorts of names.¡±


    ¡°And you think that¡¯s just going to stop now, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve shown what happens when people mess with us. They¡¯d better leave us alone now.¡±


    Mom shakes her head, visibly frustrated. I can¡¯t help but to notice that the car is getting steadily faster.


    ¡°No, Ashley. In the grown-up world, being the ¡®big tough guy¡¯ doesn¡¯t really work. I mean, honestly. George W. Bush wanted to be a big tough guy and look how well that¡­ Damn it!¡±


    I turn around and look out the back window to see that a police car is following us and flashing lights. I also catch a glimpse of Zoe, since she hasn¡¯t made a peep this whole ride home. She¡¯s intently staring out the window, her leg twitching slightly.


    Anyways, Mom pulls over into a nearby parking lot.


    The officer walks up to our side window. He¡¯s a bit slimmer than your average police officer, but otherwise looks like your typical white guy. That said¡­ I can¡¯t shake the feeling that I¡¯ve seen him before.


    ¡°Good afternoon ma¡¯am, I¡¯m Officer Caleb Snyder, I pulled you over because you were driving 47 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone,¡± the officer says in a hurry.


    ¡°Oh, no¡­ I¡¯m sorry, officer. I¡¯m having a bad day. I promise that it won¡¯t happen again,¡± my mom says stiffly.


    ¡°Well, I understand, but I¡¯m still gonna have to¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you say that your name is Officer Snyder?¡± Zoe asks unexpectedly.


    Officer Snyder pauses for a bit, startled. ¡°Um¡­ yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a wife who works at the school?¡± Zoe asks.


    ¡°Why yes, I do,¡± he says. Suddenly, it occurs to me where I¡¯ve seen him; that Yosemite vacation picture in the back of the counselor¡¯s office. It¡¯s a small world, but it¡¯s an even smaller town.


    ¡°Well, what a coincidence!¡± my mom chimes in. ¡°It must have been your wife we were just talking to earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Yes sir. Unfortunately we didn¡¯t meet in the best of circumstances; disciplinary issue with this one,¡± she explains, gesturing at me.


    ¡°Ah, troublemaker, are you?¡± he asks me, leaning through the window and grinning at me.


    I¡¯m about to say ¡°no,¡± but then I remember that I recently viciously attacked a local politician with a sword. ¡°In a sense,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d better remember to keep an eye on you,¡± he says, but his tone is joking. ¡°As I was saying, I¡¯m still gonna have to give a warning. This won¡¯t be on your record, it¡¯s just a written note explaining why I pulled you over.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, officer,¡± my mom says.


    He spends an agonizingly long time writing up the note, and then hands it to my mom. ¡°You have a good day, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°You as well, officer.¡±


    After he drives away, we set back out on the road.


    ¡°Anyways, Ashley¡­ I think that you¡¯re going to find yourself paying dearly for this in the coming days,¡± my mom continues.


    ¡°What, the fact that you got pulled over?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean, smart mouth.¡±


    There¡¯s a pause. Then, my mom just has to get one last word in.


    ¡°I know that this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, but¡­ ¡®If somebody slaps you on one cheek, turn the other to them as well. If they want to sue you for your shirt, give them your coat as well. And if you are forced to walk a mile by this person, walk two.¡¯¡±


    She¡¯s right. That is the last thing I wanted to hear right now.


    ~Beginning of Movement II: Beating Out Of Time~

 Chapter 29: Butterfly Farm (September 16 & 17)

    <Anja>


    It¡¯s yet another morning. Funny how¡¯s it¡¯s only mid-September, and I¡¯m already sick of school.


    I¡¯m a bit crankier today than my usual chipper self because today is the day that my Aunt Kierstyn is moving away. Last week, she got a call that she was needed somewhere else in the state, and she¡¯s had to get up and leave in a hurry. It¡¯s all rather sudden, so I haven¡¯t had much time to try and process my emotions on this. I¡¯m going to go see her once more before she leaves after school today, but I¡¯m still rather down about it all.


    But still, I show up at school and walk into our usual practice room. Neither Ashley nor Zoe are there, what are they up to? Nova is there, but unusually, he has a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird out and open and is looking down at it with a forlorn expression.


    ¡°Good morning, my fine fellow,¡± I say to him. ¡°Doing homework?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no, not really.¡±


    I sit down across from him. ¡°Reading To Kill a Mockingbird for leisure, then?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m supposed to be doing a reading log of this, but¡­ problem is, I haven¡¯t finished the book yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That is a problem.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what SparkNotes is for, bud.¡±


    He starts drumming his fingers on the table, as he sometimes does when he¡¯s thinking. ¡°The problem is, I kinda want to actually finish the book. It¡¯s actually pretty good, and I¡¯m trying to not slack off on this stuff as much.¡±


    ¡°Well, when¡¯s the reading log due?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Uh, if you¡¯re a fast reader, maybe you can burn through it during your other classes.¡±


    He stops drumming, and instead starts feeling the spine of the book, looking at it intensely. ¡°Maybe I can read some of it like that, but it¡¯s so hard to focus in class when everyone is talking. Plus, some teachers get mad if you do that.¡± He sighs at his book. ¡°But then, when I get home, I¡¯ll probably just procrastinate it more, since that¡¯s where my computer and games and stuff are. Too many things which are more fun to do.¡±


    I ponder this for a moment, and then an odd idea springs into my mind. ¡°That gives me an idea, actually. There¡¯s an audio book for TKaM, right? Maybe you can listen to that while playing a video game on mute. It needs to be something just stimulating enough to make you sit still and pay attention, but not stimulating enough to make you stop listening to the book. So maybe like, a game you¡¯ve already beat before, or like an RPG. I dunno, something relatively mindless.¡±


    Nova goes still for a bit, staring into space. ¡°Damn,¡± he says. ¡°That might work. I¡¯ll try that.¡±


    ¡°Tell me how it goes, man,¡± I reply, pleased that he liked my idea. ¡°And if all else fails, ring me up and I could probably find my reading log from last year.¡±


    ¡°Nah. If I get all the answers wrong, I want it to be on my own terms.¡±


    I frown at him. ¡°Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    After school that day, Ashley and I huddle together on her bed to do an English assignment. Specifically, the reading log for To Kill a Mockingbird. We both lay on our fronts with the reading logs in front of us, mirroring each other.


    ¡°Okay¡­ protagonist. Scout Finch," Ashley is rattling off. "Though come to think of it, she really doesn¡¯t do much¡­ Shouldn¡¯t Atticus be the protagonist, in a sense? Imagine that. A story that¡¯s from the perspective of a young girl, but her parents are more important to the wider, overarching plot than she is. Anyways, antagonist. Bob Ewell."


    We both write that down onto our respective papers.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the easy part,¡± she says. ¡°Alright, you think you can do the next one?¡±


    I look down at the paper. The next thing we have to fill out is setting.


    ¡°Um¡­ somewhere in the south.¡±


    I look at Ashley, who just silently stares back at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so tired, I can hardly think,¡± I admit to her.


    ¡°Understandable. All of the drama¡­ constant schoolwork¡­ and marching band. It wears you down,¡± she says. ¡°Actually¡­ can I ask you a personal question?¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°What motivates you to do your schoolwork? Why do you keep at it?¡±


    ¡°Well, I really value getting my education,¡± I reply without thinking. ¡°I try to be diligent in my schoolwork so that I can learn as much as I can.


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a pretty good reason, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Zoe? I don¡¯t really have a good reason at all. The only real reason I work so hard at school is because I just like seeing my numbers go as high as possible. It¡¯s one of the few ways that I can prove my status.¡±


    She lets out a large sigh. ¡°And I guess I sort apply that to band as well. I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong. I do really love music. And it¡¯s when I feel that love of music that I have my best practice sessions. But then, there are other days where I only think about getting ahead at the next audition. Those are the ones in which practicing only fills me with frustration and hatred. Then again, I suppose that¡¯s just how I spend most of my life¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, startled by this proclamation. ¡°Hatred of what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Myself. My life. The world around me. Does it matter?¡±


    She puts down her pencil and sits up. ¡°It¡¯s stupid¡­ to only want to succeed to rub it in other people¡¯s faces. I wish I could do what I do just because I love learning or whatever¡­¡±


    I feel a little guilty, so I decide to spill the beans. ¡°Well¡­ if I¡¯m honest, that¡¯s not really why I do schoolwork either. When I really think about it¡­ I do it because I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯m always amazed when I hear about the nightmares that you have, and how it¡¯s always about alien invasions, or wars, or big things like that. My nightmares are always so simple. They¡¯re always about me failing a test¡­ not getting good enough grades¡­ disappointing my family in some way or another.¡±


    ¡°Wow, they really screwed you up,¡± Ashley comments.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to lie to you. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m never supposed to talk about stuff like this. So I¡¯ve sort of¡­ trained myself to give answers like that when people ask me. Most people are happy with me just saying that I love learning, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well Zoe, I don¡¯t want you to have to feel the need to hide who you are anymore. I mean¡­ you¡¯ve already ripped off the bandage, so to speak. Maybe sometime¡­ we should go on a date together, and just talk. Just the two of us. No need to be afraid of anything.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but to blush a little bit. Which is stupid, because we literally already live together. ¡°A date¡­ I think I would like that. Where do you want to go?¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Try and think of a good place. And I don¡¯t mean tonight, we really need to finish this. But¡­ whenever we can. Anyways, setting: Maycomb, Alabama, the 1930s¡­¡±


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    After band is over, I drive up to my Aunt Kierstyn¡¯s place, for the last time. It looks like I got there in the nick of time- the moving truck has left already, and she¡¯s packing the last few boxes into her car as I pull into the driveway.


    I walk up to her as she is closing the trunk. ¡°Hi there, Aunt Kierstyn¡­¡± I say.


    ¡°Oh, hey Anja.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to come and see you one more time before you left.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will be leaving in a matter of moments, I nearly have everything packed up now.¡± She kneels down a little bit to be on my height and smiles at me. ¡°You look really sad- don¡¯t be so down, Anja. I¡¯m not going far, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I¡¯ll still miss you. I always enjoy it when I¡¯m able to come over.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad that there¡¯s at least one person in the world who likes seeing me. You take care of yourself while I¡¯m gone, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    She opens her arms to me, and I walk into them and give her a big hug, which she returns.


    ¡°And Anja¡­ remember a while back? When we discussed a certain something?¡± she asks me after we finally break apart.


    ¡°Oh, do you mean the Met-¡°


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t say it out here please. I just wanted to tell you¡­ I don¡¯t know what that friend of yours might be doing, but please, for your own good, do not fuck around with any of that stuff. Can you promise me that, Anja?¡±


    I gulp. Hopefully she didn¡¯t hear. ¡°Okay. I promise,¡± I lie.


    We say our final goodbyes, and then I have to watch her drive away. I take a moment before I drive back home to wipe away my tears.


    I know she¡¯s not my mom. I know I can never replace her. But it was something, to have my mom¡¯s sister around. And now that she¡¯s gone, I feel so¡­ alone.


    <hr>


    The next day...


    <Collin>


    ¡®Sup fools. It¡¯s Collin. You may remember me from narrating that one scene in the church. You know the one.


    So, you know how parents lie to their kids a lot? Everyone has stories about how they waited in the living room on Christmas Day for Santa Claus to show up, only to see that ¡°Santa¡± is actually just your dad. The best part about that whole charade is the whole milk and cookies thing. Like, they literally just make up this whole thing so that they have an excuse to give themselves cookies in the middle of the night.


    Also, a lot of parents don¡¯t want to tell their kids that their pets are dead, so they¡¯ll say that the pet ran away to a ¡°butterfly farm¡± or some shit like that. I know this because my parents actually tried to pull that on me when our old dog, Toby, passed away.


    Oh, it¡¯s okay Collin, Toby isn¡¯t dead, he¡¯s just on the butterfly farm, endlessly frolicking and enjoying life forever. You could at least tell me that he¡¯s in Doggy Heaven or wherever. I¡¯m not sure how accurate that is, because I don¡¯t think the Bible explicitly says that animals go to heaven. But it¡¯d at least be closer to the truth.


    The punchline is that they¡¯re doing it again. But instead of doing it with a pet, they¡¯re doing it with MY SISTER!


    You see, the reason why my parents say stuff like this is because they¡¯re just trying to hide what really happened from me. And this time, I think it¡¯s a lot more damning. And I don¡¯t just mean because they¡¯re trying to pull it with a human. I mean, at least when Toby died, that wasn¡¯t really my parents¡¯ fault. You see where I¡¯m going with this?


    Because nobody talks about it. Nobody wants to discuss the rather horrifying scene Derrick and I had to endure a week ago! Whenever I ask a question like, ¡°Is she coming home soon¡± or ¡°Do we need to move her stuff to the other house,¡± they just get angry and don¡¯t give a straight answer. So it¡¯s basically the equivalent of the ¡°butterfly farm¡± thing.


    Oh, it¡¯s okay Collin, we didn¡¯t massively fuck up. Zoe¡¯s just on the butterfly farm. Well, I guess in this case, at least she¡¯s not actually dead. YET! ¡­No, that was a joke, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s gonna die anytime soon.


    And so I¡¯ve found myself getting dragged along in this¡­ cover-up operation. Basically, my parents are trying to use their connections to somehow spin this in their favor. So that¡¯s why we¡¯re at the local courthouse today¡­ probably.


    ¡°Why do Mom and Dad have to drag us along for their boring business shit,¡± I complain to Derrick in the hallway.


    ¡°Dude, shut up!¡± he responds to me angrily. ¡°If that dude hears you swearing, it could ruin whatever deal they¡¯re doing!¡±


    Yeah, he¡¯s really fun at parties. Actually, what the hell are they doing here, exactly? What¡¯s this Pavia guy gonna do to help them? I decide to listen at the door.


    ¡°Why did you come to me, then?¡± The Justice guy is saying. ¡°All kidnapping cases should be reported to the police, first and foremost.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t play dumb!¡± Mom snipes at him. ¡°You know why we¡¯re here. We need to know if we can count on you to take our side.¡±


    He guffaws at them. ¡°Oh, please. Don¡¯t think that you can sway me by dangling cash in front of my face. I make my decisions based on the higher principles of law and order!¡±


    ¡°And by that you mean, you think you can win re-election just by being the incumbent!¡± Dad counters.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the help of people like you, Parker. I¡¯ve served this locality for decades now.¡±


    ¡°You are truly an arrogant man!¡± Mom hisses at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be certain about your position. I¡¯ve caught wind of a shadow campaign brewing against you. Something about denying a mother the chance to care for her own child¡­ hmm, I wonder how a second count of that would speed things up!¡±


    The Justice sighs heavily. ¡°Already? That foolish woman¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Uh-huh. You don¡¯t even deny it!¡± Mom presses him.


    ¡°Um¡­ honey, please don¡¯t give away too much classified information,¡± Dad cautions Mom.


    And then there¡¯s a little more of my parents bitching at him and they get all pissy and they storm out and wow, that backfired on them. I thought that this guy was pretty much totally in their pocket, but it seems that he¡¯s grown a backbone recently and is now actually gonna do his job. Good on him.


    And I mean, I¡¯m not even sure why this would go to court. I guess maybe Ashley¡¯s parents could make some sort of case because my folks are neglecting their child, or maybe her parents will try to get legal custody of Zoe and they don¡¯t want that even though they aren¡¯t really making any attempt to get her back so I don¡¯t know what their plan is. Anyways, clearly my parents were worried about something happening in the courts.


    And dude, this is just stupid beyond belief. At least when Nixon fucked up, sure he tried to cover it up at first but eventually he resigned when he was caught in the act, sparing us from having to go through a lengthy and ugly Senate trial. But no, we¡¯re dragging this out all the way, it looks like.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    It¡¯s time for another Skype lesson with Sarah today.


    ¡°Hello there, Ashley!¡± she greets me cheerily, as the video comes up on my laptop.


    I¡¯ve probably never mentioned it, but¡­ Sarah is totally gorgeous. I always felt a little flustered being around her back when we did our lessons in person. I always tell people that she¡¯s like my ¡°cool aunt,¡± but thankfully she¡¯s not like, actually literally my aunt or else being this attracted to her would be weird. I guess I just really like blondes¡­


    ¡°Hey. What¡¯s on the menu this week?¡± I ask.


    However, she tilts her head sideways at me and says, ¡°You seem troubled.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, a lot has been going on with me recently,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Want to talk about anything? You know, we don¡¯t always have to be strictly professional. If you ever need help with any personal issues, I¡¯m here for you. Don¡¯t tell my other students I said that, though¡­¡±


    I think about this for a second. I don¡¯t know, it still seems inappropriate to talk about stuff like that with her. And how would Sarah even react to me being a gay, anyway? Actually¡­ maybe I can take this opportunity to ask her something I¡¯ve always wondered.


    Sarah has never married, nor even been in any sort of relationship as far as I can remember. It¡¯s a little unusual for someone her age. I always kind of wondered if she might be a lesbian herself. I know that in the old days, most people who were gay would either pose as straight or would simply not marry.


    ¡°Well¡­ can I ask you something?¡± I say.


    ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but¡­ why have you never gotten married?¡±


    She chuckles a little. ¡°Oh, I suppose I just haven¡¯t met the right person yet.¡± She says that last part really sarcastically.


    ¡°You mean¡­ you¡¯ve never met someone you liked enough before?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯ve met many great people in my life, whom I consider friends. But¡­ I¡¯ve always kind of felt like I¡¯m not really the marrying type.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t really elaborate on that, but I¡¯d like to get to the bottom of this now.


    ¡°But in our culture, there is a heavy pressure put on people to get married- especially women. Do you ever feel any shame that you¡¯re defying that?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I feel shame about it¡­ but it is aggravating. I won¡¯t deny that I am very¡­ sought after by men. It¡¯s a chore to have to constantly turn people down. I¡¯ve had to get really good at noticing when people are trying to flirt so I can put a stop to it quickly.¡±


    ¡°Is it just men? Do you ever get hit on by other women?¡±


    She giggles at this. ¡°Occasionally. More so recently, given how the times are changing. Are you bringing this up because you¡¯re trying to figure out if I¡¯m also a lesbian?¡±


    Also, she said. She already knows.


    ¡°Well¡­ I was curious. So you¡¯ve figured me out, huh?


    ¡°I do maintain regular contact with your dad, so I know more or less what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. Thanks for mentioning that earlier.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t want to bring it up if you weren¡¯t willing to talk about it. And so that we can quit dancing around this question- I¡¯m not a lesbian. You¡¯re not the first person to ask me that, you know. I just am not really interested in dating in general.¡±


    ¡°So, do you think you might be asexual?¡±


    She gives me a perplexed look. ¡°A sexual what???¡±


    ¡°No, ¡®asexual¡¯ as one word. It means you¡¯re not attracted to people of any gender.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that word used before, except in science class. What are you kids going to come up with next?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know the half of it. Trust me.¡±


    She laughs at this. ¡°Okay Ashley, I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±


    ¡°Actually, that reminds me,¡± I add, realizing something. ¡°If you¡¯re not interested in dating, the actual term for that is ¡®aromantic.¡¯ ¡®Asexual¡¯ is specifically not being interested in sex. And so, being interested in neither would make you ¡®asexual aromantic.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, Ashley. Anyways¡­ anything else you want to ask me?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Let¡¯s get to the music now.¡±

 Chapter 30: From Bad To Worse (September 18 Part 1)

    <Zoe>


    It¡¯s a cloudy, mild morning today. It must have rained overnight, because the roads are wet.


    Ashley has a dentist¡¯s appointment this morning, which means that I am dropped off by myself. Not having Ashley around makes me feel a little bit nervous.


    After I put away my instruments, I sit down in a chair near the front of the band hall. For the past few days, Ashley and I have been spending mornings in the library, but since she is not here, there¡¯s not much point to going in there. Hmm¡­ maybe I should go there anyway, though. The chairs there are comfortable¡­


    ¡°Zoe! You have to tell me. Is it true?¡±


    Startled, I look up to see two people standing over me whom I¡¯d rather not be talking to: Diana and Terra. Ever since¡­ the thing happened, they¡¯ve been giving me the cold shoulder during our classes, so I haven¡¯t actually talked to them in the past week.


    ¡°Uh¡­ is what true?¡± I ask.


    There¡¯s something funny going on. Diana is in one of her¡­ gossipy moods, I can tell by how deeply she¡¯s breathing.


    ¡°I just heard¡­ Terra told me¡­ Uh¡­ You explain it,¡± Diana says disjointedly.


    ¡°Zoe, let me just say, that¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I really am,¡± Terra says. I feel my heart lighten. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t have gotten you out of this situation. I did try, but¡­ it seems as if things are only getting worse for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­ I¡¯ve been managing to survive,¡± I reply, though I¡¯m a little confused as to what she¡¯s talking about.


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t have to live like this,¡± Terra continues. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid. Your family¡­ they want you to return home. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    I¡¯m really confused now. ¡°You¡¯ll protect me¡­ from who? My family?¡±


    Diana looks a little confused too, as she¡¯s lost a bit of her gusto. ¡°Zoe, you have to tell me if it¡¯s true,¡± she urges me again. ¡°About¡­ what Ashley does to you.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ does she do?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Well, due to recent events, we now all know about Ashley¡¯s¡­ violent temperament,¡± Terra explains. ¡°I mean it- we¡¯ll protect you. You don¡¯t need to be afraid of her.¡±


    My heart plummets again. ¡°N-no. I¡¯m not afraid of her.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Zoe. We¡¯re trying to help,¡± Terra says, though her eyes narrow a little in anger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need help. Ashley¡­ she loves me. And I love her. I¡¯m not being forced to do anything.¡±


    Terra draws herself to full height and looks down at me with a look of disdain. ¡°So¡­ it looks like she¡¯s already got you brainwashed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this,¡± Diana frantically interjects, her eyes wild. ¡°I think it¡¯s called¡­ Stockholm Syndrome!¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on over here?¡± I hear a new voice say.


    I see Anja walk up to the other two, and I feel immensely relieved. Even if she¡¯s not as tough as Ashley is, it¡¯ll be a major relief to have someone else on my side.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ trying to help Zoe out of her relationship,¡± Diana explains. ¡°We think Ashley may be abusing her. But Zoe won¡¯t admit it!¡±


    Anja frowns and turns to me. ¡°Zoe, is this true? Is Ashley abusing you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I say.


    ¡°And¡­ do either of you have evidence on the contrary?¡± Anja asks. ¡°If not¡­ that kind of settles the matter.¡±


    ¡°You wanna know something? I don¡¯t really care what you think,¡± Terra says to Anja, looking at with her such pure venom that even Diana looks a little nervous. ¡°You know, this is really all your fault. You couldn¡¯t just be content being a dyke loser, now could you?¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t call her that,¡± I say meekly.


    Terra turns towards me so quickly it¡¯s uncanny. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said¡­ don¡¯t call her that,¡± I say again. The effect is sort of ruined by the fact that I¡¯m cowering, though.


    ¡°Well. Looks like we have a whole little sect going. I tried to warn you. It¡¯s a disease, Zoe. And guess what? I''m done. Until you come to your senses, I¡¯m not going to stick up for you. You¡¯re going to get what¡¯s coming to you. Maybe it¡¯s too late to save you, but at the very least, we can stop it from spreading!¡±


    And with that, she storms off, leaving me sitting there in utter shock. Diana looks at me timidly.


    ¡°Zoe¡­ please. Come back to us. You can put a stop to all of this right now,¡± Diana pleads. ¡°Please, Zoe. You were like, my best friend.¡±


    It¡¯s too much. I start crying yet again.


    ¡°If I was your b-best friend¡­ why? Why did you do it?¡± I ask in between sniffles.


    ¡°Zoe¡­ I never wanted to hurt you,¡± she says.


    ¡°Well, you did. You sniveling bitch.¡±


    Diana turns towards Anja, shocked. Anja looks absolutely livid; like she¡¯s barely holding back from stabbing her.


    ¡°You started this. Not her. You can put a stop to all of this right now. You¡¯re the reason why Zoe got kicked out of her own god damn house, after all! But no. It¡¯s too bad you¡¯re too big of a coward.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ call me a coward, you slut!¡± Diana hisses back, going red in the face. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help her by keeping her away from¡­ creeps like you!¡± On that note, she quickly walks out of the band hall.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Fucking bitch,¡± Anja spits. ¡°Come on, Zoe, let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡±


    I don¡¯t need her to tell me twice- the argument drew the eyes of everyone else in the band hall. Why does this keep happening to me? I just want to disappear¡­


    I follow her to the back of the hall, and it looks like she¡¯s about to head back into that practice room with all the percussion equipment. However, while we¡¯re passing by Mr. Castro¡¯s office, the door opens.


    ¡°Zoe. May I have a word?¡± Mr. Castro says.


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ okay,¡± I reply.


    ¡°Step into my office,¡± he says gently.


    I walk in and take a seat in one of his chairs. Though she wasn¡¯t asked to, Anja follows me in and takes the other chair. Mr. Castro doesn¡¯t seem to mind, however. He goes back behind his desk and also sits down.


    ¡°You seem to be doing a lot of crying recently,¡± he observes. ¡°What¡¯s been going on with you?¡±


    Though he doesn¡¯t say it judgmentally, I still feel a little guilty.


    ¡°Zoe has been dealing with a lot of bullying recently,¡± Anja explains in my stead.


    Mr. Castro peers over the desk at me, looking a little stern. ¡°Those two girls who you were talking to¡­ are they the ones bothering you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not just them,¡± I explain. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a lot of kids doing it.¡±


    ¡°Have you reported any of this to another teacher or a counselor?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think that they really care, sir,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well, I do. I can¡¯t really do anything about what¡¯s happening outside of the band program¡­ but I want you to be able to feel safe when you¡¯re here. If anyone ever bothers you while you¡¯re in the band hall, tell them that I told you to come to my office, and then come in here. Then, you can tell me about whatever just happened, and stay in here as long as you need to.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ thank you very much!¡± I say, feeling a warm glow in my chest.


    <hr>


    A few minutes later, we are walking into the library, as I was able to talk Anja into coming here. She, in turn, talked Nova into coming.


    However, immediately after we walk in, Anja quickly comes to a stop, and I almost run into her.


    ¡°Um¡­ okay, on second thought, let¡¯s not be here right now.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± I ask her.


    She looks very uncomfortable. ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, Anja, we¡¯re already here!¡± Nova protests. ¡°Can we just sit down?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ okay. Sorry,¡± Anja says sheepishly.


    The library is pretty nice. It has a row of computers down the middle, with tables on either side for classwork, and in the back are a set of armchairs with a circular table, which is where Ashley and I usually go to study. Almost nobody is here, relative to its size. There is a boy using a computer whom I think is one of the trumpet players in band; the librarian, sitting behind the desk half-asleep; a couple of students on the right side of the library playing a board game; and a single, overweight Mexican girl sitting a couple of tables in front of our armchair spot, who is deeply immersed in a chemistry textbook.


    We make our way to the back and take our respective seats. After Anja sits down, she shoots a nervous glance at the Mexican girl, but the girl doesn¡¯t even seem to notice us.


    ¡°So¡­ where¡¯s Ashley today?¡± Anja asks, as Nova gets his game system back out.


    ¡°She¡¯s at a dentist¡¯s appointment,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Ah, that explains it. Anyways, I didn¡¯t really buy that Ashley was being abusive towards you. She may be abrasive, but just being abrasive is a far shot from being a total scumbag, and I know that she¡¯s made of better stuff than that.¡±


    ¡°Still, can you really blame the others for believing that?¡± Nova interjects. ¡°Given how Ashley is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can, because there just isn¡¯t any evidence for it,¡± Anja explains. ¡°Still, I understand what you¡¯re saying. People are irrational. There is a tendency for everyone to jump onto these hate mobs without trying to verify the claims with any actual facts. Especially if it¡¯s someone who¡¯s already disliked.¡±


    She turns towards me. ¡°Zoe, while we¡¯re on the subject¡­ is it true that Ashley broke someone¡¯s nose the other day?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I admit. ¡°There was a girl in the hallway who pushed me into a locker, and Ashley came up and¡­ did that.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯m not too surprised. I¡¯ve seen Ashley¡¯s more violent side firsthand. After watching her utterly eviscerate some of those shadows¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t talk about that here!¡± Nova cuts in.


    ¡°Oh¡­ right,¡± Anja says, glancing again towards the Mexican girl. Thankfully, she hasn¡¯t made any sign that she heard us.


    ¡°Um¡­ what are you talking about?¡± I ask, confused by Anja¡¯s comment. ¡°Is this from some sort of video game you all play?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, it¡¯s a video game,¡± Nova explains in a thoroughly unconvincing way.


    <hr>


    <Collin>


    Uh oh¡­ looks like I¡¯m about to get busted.


    I¡¯m in the kitchen snitching a few cookies, when there¡¯s a knock at the door. Oddly, both of my parents leave the master bedroom to go answer it.


    I peek through the bar area to see that it¡¯s the pastor of our church- Mr. Palmer. ¡°Good evening,¡± he says solemnly.


    ¡°Thank you for being here this evening,¡± Mom says. ¡°Please, take a seat¡­¡±


    This is a fairly normal occurrence around here. The pastor, as well as a bunch of other boring adults, will sometimes come by to talk to my parents about boring adult stuff. Usually I ignore it¡­ but given recent events, I think it might be interesting to see what they¡¯re about to talk about. Besides, it¡¯s not like I can get back to my room without passing them, so either way my goose is cooked.


    ¡°So, tell me,¡± Mr. Palmer says. ¡°Did you have any luck with your connection?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± Dad replies. ¡°We¡¯re getting the cold shoulder at the moment.¡±


    ¡°And the police department?¡±


    ¡°They apparently can¡¯t do anything else without evidence. And that Sheriff Hurt is quite the stubborn man. It looks like we may have more than one election to arrange soon.¡±


    ¡°Never mind that for now. You¡¯ve done what you can. It¡¯s a shame. I¡¯m afraid something strange is happening to this town.¡±


    ¡°You ain¡¯t just whistlin¡¯ Dixie!¡± I hear the sounds of Dad putting up the footrest of a chair. ¡°That girl¡¯s parents¡­ they¡¯re just letting it all happen! And they call themselves conservatives. Well, I say they¡¯re wimps.¡±


    ¡°Jared¡­ I¡¯m worried about my daughter,¡± Mom says. ¡°You see it on the news all the time these days. People go that way¡­ and they don¡¯t come back.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are ways of bringing people out of that. But first things first- we need to focus on returning your daughter home.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Dad asks. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®bringing people out of that¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I do know of a place¡­ faith based, of course. I know the couple who runs it, they¡¯re very nice people. It¡¯s a place that can treat people with that condition¡­ people like your daughter.¡±


    In a rush, I realize what he¡¯s talking about. I completely lose my shit and walk straight out into the living room.


    ¡°Wait a minute! You¡¯re talking about sending her to¡­ conversion therapy!¡± I say.


    ¡°Collin, what on Earth are you doing out here?¡± My mom accosts, glaring at me.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, you can¡¯t send her there!¡± I plead. ¡°Those places¡­ they mess people up! All the experts say that they commit human rights violations!¡±


    ¡°You mean that liberals say that,¡± Dad contradicts. ¡°You can¡¯t trust a word out of those folk¡¯s mouths.¡±


    My mom stands up from the couch and looms over me. ¡°Collin, do not speak up about matters that are best left for adults to decide. We are going to do whatever it takes to get your sister back, and we will do whatever is best for her.¡±


    ¡°If you want her back so badly, how about saying ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯?¡± I argue. ¡°Maybe actually listen to her, and take just a hint of responsibility?¡±


    ¡°Do not try to pin this on us!¡± Dad yells. ¡°Do you think we wanted her to just run away from home like that?¡±


    ¡°¡¯I will not have a homosexual in this house,¡¯ you said. That¡¯s a direct quote. How else was she supposed to interpret that?¡±


    My mom has had enough, and she grabs me by the ear.


    ¡°Ow! Let me go!¡± I protest. I hate it when she does that!


    ¡°Collin, you need to shut your mouth and go back to your room,¡± she lectures, her voice like acid. ¡°And later, we are going to be having a serious talk about your behavior.¡±


    She drags me back into my room. As she does, I catch a glimpse of Mr. Palmer¡¯s face. It¡¯s a look of disappointment¡­ but there¡¯s also a savage look in his eyes, which is unsettling.


    Mom shoves me into my room and shuts the door in my face.


    Well¡­ on the bright side, I totally got away with snitching those cookies.


    But this whole thing is going from bad to worse. Actually, it was already worse. Now it¡¯s worser.


    I resist in the only way I currently can. I get onto my computer and pull up Skype.

 Chapter 31: Point Of No Return (September 18 Part 2)

    <Ashley>


    Well, here I am again. Walking under a starless sky. Walking through my familiar town, made strange by its bulging veins and jarring colors. Walking the same route that we drive every Sunday- or, more accurately, the one that we used to drive. Knowing that dark fog surrounding us conceals inevitable dangers. But we¡¯re almost done for today, so surely we can survive whatever is still coming for us.


    I guess it was almost a month ago that I walked this exact same path, except then, I did it scared, alone, helpless, clothed in pajamas, and with nothing but my fists for self-defense. This time, I walk with¡­


    ¡°¡­I mean, recently there have been a wave of Tea Party judges elected across the state. You should know, we fought one of them,¡± Anja prattles on. ¡°They have recently been responsible for giving too much power to landlords. We already kind of had a problem with that. San Marcos is infamous nation-wide for college students getting fucked over by landlords.¡±


    ¡°Okay, nice theory,¡± I reply. ¡°A couple of nitpicks, though- Pavia has been in office for a while, way before the early 2010s Tea Party wave. Second- I don¡¯t understand the correlation you¡¯re drawing here between deficit hawking and the rights of property renters.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Ashley! Don¡¯t be na?ve. You know the real reason why these people want to cut government spending.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. It¡¯s so that you and I won¡¯t have to be burdened with a fifty trillion-dollar national debt by the time we¡¯re the age of our parents.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. What¡¯s your big fixation on that, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Well, more deficit spending means more money available for lenders; aka Wall Street, whom liberals weren¡¯t super happy with last I checked; faster inflation, higher interest rates, and eventually a national security risk as foreign adversaries will start buying up our debt to use as leverage. We need to start dealing with this now, because by the turn of the decade, the baby boomers will be retiring, which means that Social Security is going to be running at even more of a loss than it is now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, first of all, if the money is managed properly and is aimed at helping the working class, the benefits of the program will outweigh the negative side effects, creating a net positive for poor Americans- unless the deficit spending is more giveaways to the super rich or corporate welfare. Second, the current rate of inflation is¡­ AAARGH!¡±


    That is the scream that can only mean one thing: there are wasps amok. Sure enough, I see three of them coming from my left.


    ¡°Finally, something to smash!¡± Nova shouts, actually sounding relieved.


    ¡°You ought to have been paying attention just then, Nova,¡± I tell him. ¡°Someday we¡¯ll all be voting age. There¡¯s more to life than just video games, you know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me zap you, bitch!¡± Nova retorts, branding Mj?lnir at me threateningly.


    On that note, we get into battle positions. By this point, we¡¯ve pretty much figured out some solid team strategies for dealing with each different type of enemy. Wasps go down the fastest when you get up close and personal, but you have to keep your wits about you, as those fuckers are fast. Since Anja and Ted don¡¯t really have a great up-close game, they hang back and provide ranged support. (Anja also hangs back partially because she¡¯s a wuss.) Nova and I go in with our respective melee weapons. In this case, we¡¯re able to take them out pretty easily between just the two of us. Anja only has to use her wind attack once to disorient them so they don¡¯t attack our backs after we take out the first one. I have to hand it to Nova- he¡¯s fairly decent at this. He has good reflexes when his head is in the game.


    After dealing with the wasps, however, something isn¡¯t right. I swear I feel something rumbling¡­


    ¡°Ha! No insect stands a chance against us,¡± Nova brags.


    I see something running up to us from behind him¡­ it looks like an enormous black bear.


    ¡°Nova! Get out of the way!¡± I shout at him frantically.


    He frowns at me. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    The bear promptly knocks him aside and into a tree.


    Yeah¡­ ¡°When his head is in the game¡± isn¡¯t all the time, unfortunately.


    ¡°Wow, look at that!¡± Anja shouts. ¡°I guess I¡¯m finally going to become a true Texan and use my right to bear arms!¡± She takes aim at the bear.


    ¡°Anja, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ve made that joke before,¡± I say. ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t get a trigger finger, I want to do something first.¡±


    Normally, when we run into larger enemies, I like to weaken them up with my weird light attack, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I have one of those in me right now, I¡¯ve had to use a lot of magic today. Thankfully, I unlocked another move last week which accomplishes a similar purpose.


    I take my sword and swing it behind me, switching it between my arms a few times. I do this so quickly, that it becomes imbued with some sort of golden aura. Then, I send my sword crashing through the enemy, slicing apart the very fabric of space-time itself. It doesn¡¯t use any magic, but there is still a drawback: I¡¯m left feeling exhausted immediately afterwards.


    Once I¡¯m done with my attack, Anja takes advantage of the few seconds that the bear is stunned to open fire, slowly closing in on it. It seems to do a pretty decent damage. I start creeping up behind, hoping to jump up onto it while it¡¯s focused on Anja and slice its neck.


    However, the bear does something odd. It stands up on its hind legs and then slams its whole body into the ground. It sends a shockwave through the ground that knocks me straight off my feet. My head hits the ground, and I lose consciousness.


    <hr>


    Unsurprisingly, I wake up to Anja using her healing move on me. She¡¯s looked better- she has a large, bleeding cut on one of her cheeks.


    ¡°How did you get cut?¡± I ask. ¡°You have a gun as your weapon!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± she replies cheerily. She reaches out her hand helps pull me to my feet.


    I survey the rest of the team. Nova doesn¡¯t look physically hurt, but he is panting and sweating. Ted has several scuff marks on his shell.


    ¡°So, did you win against the bear?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah, but he was¡­ pant¡­ a tough son of a bitch,¡± Nova responds.


    ¡°And by the way¡­ wind attacks do not affect bears,¡± Anja comments. ¡°I got to learn that the hard way.¡± I am only barely able to bite back my sarcastic reply.


    Ted uses his party-wide healing move on us. Anja¡¯s cut stitches itself shut right in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Team¡­ we¡¯ve made a decent amount of progress as a team since the last palace,¡± I declare. ¡°But yet¡­ there is still work to be done. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s continue on.¡±


    <hr>


    We finally arrive at the First Baptist Church, and I am very startled to find it looking quite different than it did when I first awakened my Persona here. It doesn¡¯t even look much like a building anymore; its walls and ceiling have become soft, fleshy, and pulsating.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ utterly disgusting,¡± Anja remarks. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is not what it looked like before?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± I reply. ¡°I have yet to see anything like this. Got any ideas, Ted?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that this transformation happened overnight,¡± he comments.


    ¡°Hey! There¡¯s something on top of it!¡± Nova shouts, pointing.


    I squint my eyes, at first expecting him to just have seen the pulsating¡­ but sure enough, I can just barely make out a figure on top.


    I recognize the outline of a cape¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s her! It¡¯s the Dark Trooper!¡± I tell the others.


    ¡°Uh¡­ the Dark Trooper?¡± Nova questions. ¡°You mean like the class from Star Wars Battlefront II?¡±


    I ignore him. ¡°She¡¯s the one who ambushed me after we got separated at Pavia¡¯s¡­ Let¡¯s try and see if we can get up there and ambush her back.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Ashley¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonna happen,¡± Anja says.


    I look back up just in time to see a flash of electricity- she teleported away already.


    I let out a sigh. ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s great,¡± I say. ¡°Well, if there are no other immediate dangers, I¡¯m going to take this opportunity to report everything we¡¯ve seen today to Lucy.¡± I pull out my phone to call her.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Be my guest. I¡¯m going to rest my legs¡­¡± Anja says, sitting down onto the floor.


    I start the call, and am greeted with, ¡°Hello there, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°Uh, hi. We have finished sweeping the town like you suggested. We¡¯ve found a few points of interest.


    ¡°First of all: We went to the high school and examined it from the outside. It looks like one would expect: the whole building is obscured by dense jungle. We still have no clue who it could belong to, but given that we¡¯re imprisoned there five days a week, we should be able to figure it out eventually.


    ¡°Second: We actually think we found a completely different palace. It¡¯s an area that usually is an apartment complex, but now appears as some sort of gothic mansion. Anja has a theory that it might belong to the manager of the complex- but we don¡¯t know that yet.


    ¡°Other than those two, we haven¡¯t found any other palaces yet, but we did find something¡­ different. I went back to my church like you suggested, and¡­ it¡¯s all pink and fleshy now. It¡¯s like a huge, pulsating organ. Have you ever seen anything like this?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ it looks like what now? A fleshy organ?¡± Lucy inquires. ¡°No, I have never seen anything like that. I guess it just goes to show that even though I¡¯ve spent decades of my life in this world, it still contains many mysteries. I suppose that¡¯s the nature of research. Is the portal to the SR still inside?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ we haven¡¯t checked that yet. We¡¯ll do that right after this. There¡¯s one more thing- the Dark Trooper was just here. She teleported away shortly after we walked up.¡±


    ¡°Shit! It really was a stroke of bad luck that you got onto Moloch¡¯s radar so quickly. If she didn¡¯t try to fight you or confront you¡­ I need a while to think about this. But that¡¯s¡­ not good. Would it be possible to take your posse inside your house with you?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ probably, yeah. Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll make sense later- but basically, I need to get them close enough to my journal to do something.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to bring Ted too?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Well, does he have a smartphone?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡±


    ¡°Then I think it¡¯ll be okay if only your human friends come along. Talk to you later.¡± She hangs up.


    ¡°Okay then¡­ guys, you are formally invited to visit my house after this,¡± I tell Anja and Nova. I look down at Ted. ¡°She said that you need to have a smartphone, so¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Ted responded. ¡°I have no patience for pleasantries.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ okay. I guess it all works out, then.¡±


    I turn towards the church. ¡°Let¡¯s check and see if the portal is still there, and then we¡¯ll head back.¡±


    ¡°Ew¡­ we have to actually go in there?¡± Anja whines.


    ¡°I bet the walls and stuff in there are slimy!¡± Nova points out. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to slip and fall.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± I growl at them. ¡°But for the record, you are both pussies.¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ bitch, shut the fuck up!¡± Nova protests. ¡°You know what? Fuck you. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it. You never saw it before, so you won¡¯t know what to look for,¡± I argue. And so, I head inside the church, this time going in through the front like I normally would¡¯ve.


    Nova is right- everything is slimy. The whole building looks just like the outside, and the slight pulsation makes it hard to walk through. I step very carefully through the entrance hall.


    Jeez, what happened to this place? I remember back to how it looked the first time I was here. I do remember there being more veins inside than there were anywhere else¡­ perhaps Ted is right, and that was the early stages of this building becoming a giant, human heart?


    I manage to tiptoe into the sanctuary, where I see that the portal is indeed still there¡­ sort of. It seems to have a different property- it has lost its shimmer. Instead of looking like a wall, or any sort of solid substance at all, and now just looks like¡­ a void. I¡¯m curious as to what would happen if I tried to touch it again, but I don¡¯t want to bother walking all the way across the sanctuary to find out, so I leave.


    ¡°Okay¡­ it isn¡¯t there anymore. I think,¡± I announce to the others when I return to them. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, lead the way,¡± Anja says, getting to her feet. ¡°I was saying before¡­ the current rate of inflation is considered acceptable for maintaining a stable economy. I don¡¯t care what the gold bugs say, I think that everything is going to be fine if we keep the course with the Federal Reserve.¡±


    I sigh. Well, at least she makes better points now than when we first met, I suppose. Still, this is gonna be a long walk back...


    <hr>


    After we finally return to the real world, Anja is kind enough to drive us to my house, though it¡¯s only like less than a block away from where we entered. I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s not nighttime yet. The passage of time in the Metaverse plays weird tricks on me. However, it thankfully doesn¡¯t seem to actually throw off my circadian rhythms.


    We arrive and walk in through the front door. My mom is in the kitchen, cooking, and my dad is reading in the living room.


    ¡°Oh, well look at this!¡± Mom calls to us, setting down her pan and walking over to greet us. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Ashley¡¯s mom. As you can probably guess. Let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯ve met Anja already. And you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Nova,¡± Nova mutters. He¡¯s not making eye contact and is instead staring at the wall awkwardly.


    ¡°Nova, huh? Nice to meet you!¡±


    ¡°Is it okay if I bring these two in here?¡± I ask her. ¡°We wanted to get out of the heat for a little while.¡±


    ¡°No problem! Hmm¡­ do you two need dinner?¡± Mom asks.


    ¡°What are you having?¡± Anja inquires.


    ¡°Bacon and egg omelets,¡± my mom explains.


    ¡°Breakfast for dinner! I like it,¡± Anja says, grinning. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just have to text my dad and let him know.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zoe?¡± I ask.


    ¡°She should be in her room,¡± Mom says. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her since you left.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Follow me,¡± I tell Anja and Nova.


    I walk into the side hallway, turn towards Zoe¡¯s room, and knock on the door. ¡°Hey Zoe. The gang¡¯s all here. Want to join us?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ in a m-minute,¡± she calls back. Something¡¯s wrong. I can tell by her voice.


    ¡°Can I come in by myself?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°Wait here,¡± I tell the other two. I open the door.


    Zoe is currently sitting on her knees on the bed, staring at her phone, and trembling slightly. She¡¯s still wearing the shirt she wore during band and doesn¡¯t have any pants on. It looks like she got halfway through changing into new clothes and was interrupted.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask, sitting on the bed next to her.


    She hands me her phone, which is showing a recent messaging conversation between her and her brother Collin.


    I read through it, and¡­ oh boy.


    ¡°Okay¡­ wow,¡± I say. ¡°Get yourself dressed, and we¡¯ll discuss this as a group in my room.¡±


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    ¡°Your brother is right, you do not want to go to one of those places,¡± Anja is explaining to me. ¡°They¡¯re actually illegal in California and New Jersey. I think they should be illegal everywhere. The conversation around this all started when¡­¡±


    It¡¯s hard to listen to her. My heart is beating faster than is comfortable. My vision is blurry.


    Around me, Ashley is sitting on the bed next to me and is furiously scribbling in that grimy journal and not talking. Anja is sitting backwards in Ashley¡¯s desk chair, ranting away. Nova is on the other end of the bed, just sitting in place and fidgeting, seemingly not knowing what to contribute.


    ¡°¡­And the bill was signed into law by Governor Chris Christie.¡± Suddenly, Anja stopped. She makes eye contact with me, and her expression softens, the previous fervor she had melting away.


    ¡°Zoe, you look really anxious about all of this. Here¡­¡± Anja hops out of the chair and starts rummaging around Ashley¡¯s desk. After a few seconds, she hands me a pencil and sheet of notebook paper.


    ¡°Zoe, I want you to just take a minute and write down¡­ things that you know are true. Things about your surroundings, for example.¡±


    I look down at the paper and start slowly writing.


    ¡°My name is Zoe Parker. I¡¯m the daughter of Abram and Marie Parker. I have three brothers: Patrick, Derrick, and Collin. I¡¯m currently sitting on Ashley¡¯s bed. Her bed sheets are pure white. Her room is fairly organized. The walls are tan and have a bumpy texture. She has a chest of drawers that looks old and ornate on the other side of the room. On the other wall are Ashley¡¯s French horn, her trumpet, and her black Manhasset music stand, that has music piled onto it.¡±


    I take a deep breath and look up from the paper.


    ¡°Feel any better?¡± Anja asks me kindly.


    ¡°A little,¡± I say. I still feel anxious, but I at least feel more focused than before. And now that I¡¯m focused again, I suddenly realize that¡­


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I say, leaving to use the restroom.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    As soon as Zoe steps out of the room, Ashley suddenly slams the journal shut. ¡°Anja. Nova. Phones.¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡± I question.


    ¡°Give them to me.¡±


    Uh, okay then. I don¡¯t know what the fuck she¡¯s on, but I give her my phone anyway since she seems serious about this.


    Ashley holds the phones near that journal she was writing in for a few seconds, and then tosses them back to us.


    ¡°Um, okay,¡± Anja says. ¡°What was that all about?¡±


    ¡°Lucy thinks that Moloch and/or his cohort may try to attack someone in one of our families to keep us down,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°She gave both of you the app so you can protect them without having to wait for me to get there.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second, hold on,¡± Anja frets, now looking a bit panicky. ¡°How can that even happen? Nobody in our families have palaces or personas or anything.¡±


    ¡°There are other ways of hurting someone using the Metaverse,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°They¡¯re just rather more¡­ complicated. If you¡¯re trying to do good in the world, it¡¯s usually best to just focus on fighting those who have palaces. If you¡¯re trying to do evil¡­ all options are on the table.¡±


    ¡°How will we know if someone comes to our place in the Metaverse?¡± I ask, seriously freaked out by this new information.


    Ashley flips the journal around and shows this pink gem on the cover, which looks exactly like the one in her armor. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize this, because I always keep this thing hidden away, but the gem has the ability to detect Metaversal activity. It will shine very brightly if someone is messing around in the area. When this happens, I will call your phones and we will all enter in unison. But this means that you all have to keep your ringers on while you¡¯re sleeping.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Anja says. ¡°Nobody ever messages me other than you three, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be kept up by my notifications.¡±


    ¡°Also¡­ another thing,¡± Ashley continues. ¡°This situation with Zoe¡¯s parents is looking like it may become a big problem for us. Lucy thinks that this may not be a coincidence. She thinks that the weird state of the Metaverse version of the Baptist Church is a sign that it may have become some different type of palace. However, we are not sure, so we need to gather more information.¡±


    ¡°So, who do you think it belongs to?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing- we don¡¯t know. For now, we should see if tensions escalate further. However, I think it is time that we start seriously planning for the possibility of having to do another infiltration soon.¡±


    There¡¯s a brief pause as this ultimatum hangs in the air. After a moment, Anja breaks the silence by saying, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think it¡¯s time we spill the beans on all of this stuff to Zoe.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ why?¡± I question.


    ¡°Because it now directly involves her,¡± she states simply. ¡°It¡¯s only fair.¡±


    Ashley shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to involve her in this. She¡¯s too innocent to be fighting shadows and evil people.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to intervene on her behalf, she needs to be given the choice to help us,¡± Anja insists. ¡°If we go into that church palace¡­ or whatever, it¡¯ll be her friends and relatives that we¡¯ll find inside, after all.¡±


    Ashley doesn¡¯t respond. She just sighs and puts her head in her hands.


    ¡°Just promise us you¡¯ll tell her what she needs to know tonight, okay?¡± Anja asks persistently. ¡°Nova and I are her friends, too. We¡¯ll all be there with her, to make sure nothing happens. Ted will, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Fine,¡± Ashley agrees, though she looks pissed about it.


    And then, silence. There¡¯s a very awkward pause in which Ashley just kind of sulks while Anja breathes deeply with her eyes closed. Damn, as if focusing on school shit wasn¡¯t hard enough, now I have to worry about my house being attacked by supernatural people? Why has my life suddenly become a JRPG? Well, let me tell you, it¡¯s not fun when it happens in real life. I just kind of want to¡­ you know¡­ save and quit¡­ play something else¡­


    The moment is interrupted by a shout from the next room. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡± Ashley¡¯s mom calls to us.

 Chapter 32: Alone Together (September 19)

    <Ashley>


    Almost to fifth period biology. Outside the door, I see some random guy and girl who are about to enter in front of me.


    The guy holds the door open and slyly says, ¡°Ladies first,¡± letting the girl enter before him. The girl giggles and does so. Then, after she does, the dude, without even looking at me, enters and slams the door behind him.


    Fucking prick. What a disrespectful piece of shit. I have a mind to tape him to the floor and perform a live in-class dissection. Of course, I¡¯m not actually going to do that, because I don¡¯t need another lecture from Mom.


    So I just take a loud breath and go through the door. I take my seat near the back at a table by myself as usual, not caring about how much noise I make. I see a few heads turning towards me, but I ignore them.


    ¡°Okay class, today we¡¯re going to be talking about the circulatory system,¡± Coach Everheart begins. As if we didn¡¯t already learn this shit in 7<sup>th</sup> grade science class.


    ¡°The circulatory system is basically how blood travels throughout your body,¡± he explains. I sure would like to drown this classroom in blood. Fuck all of these assholes.


    ¡°All blood flow travels to and from the heart,¡± he rambles on. There¡¯s nothing in my heart right now but burning rage.


    I mean, why would anything else be there? A lot of people think that everyone is out to get them, and those people are usually crazy. But I think that I actually have a pretty legitimate case here. Let¡¯s review the facts.


    <ul>


    <li>My classmates are out to get me.</li>


    <li>The teachers and school staff are out to get me.</li>


    <li>It¡¯s a miracle that the fucking government isn¡¯t out to get me. If we hadn¡¯t done what we did to Pavia, my parents might have been dragged into a phony kidnapping trial.</li>


    <li>LITERAL DEMONS are out to get me. And they are doing so extremely aggressively, to the point of spying on my friends and I and possibly planning to target our families.</li>


    <li>SATAN HIMSELF is most likely out to get me at this point. He¡¯s out to get a lot of people, but I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s literally out to get ME SPECIFICALLY.</li>


    <li>Fuck my life.</li>


    <li>Fuck everything.</li>


    </ul>


    Nothing to do but to just keep on scribbling notes, though. I¡¯ll get a rare moment of happiness tonight, that is if that doesn¡¯t somehow get fucked up too. But for now, just gotta get through the daily business of misery.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    As if life wasn¡¯t crazy enough already, Ashley told me¡­ a lot of things last night which I¡¯m still sort of in shock from. She talked about how she, Nova and Anja had found out how to access supernatural powers¡­ Well, it does explain why those three have been hanging out so much recently. Still, I wouldn¡¯t have believed if I hadn¡¯t seen it myself; she briefly used some phone app to bring me into this Meta-place. And then, she went on about how we need to go there and use it to change our church?


    You¡¯d think that it¡¯d make it even more difficult to focus on school after being told of these¡­ indescribable and rather frightening things. But I¡¯ve actually found that holding this new secret information has made me more determined to act normal while at school.


    I don¡¯t know what exactly I¡¯m going to do with this new information; I¡¯m still trying to process all of it. On one hand, the supernatural nature of these activities makes it seem like it¡¯s something wicked, which I should avoid¡­ but Ashley also swears that it can be used as a force for good. And the most important thing I can do for right now is trust in her.


    To get away from all the stress, though, we decided we¡¯re going to have a date night tonight! This makes me very happy, and it goes a long way to help me make it through the day without being overwhelmed by all the schoolwork, mean classmates, and impending supernatural doom. I suppose I live for the simple things in life.


    As usual, Ashley and I meet briefly in between our respective biology classes.


    ¡°Hey. Hanging in there?¡± She asks me.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m staying focused as well as I can,¡± I reply. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to tonight.¡± I can¡¯t help but to grin to myself as I think about it.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    It¡¯s then that I notice it. Something seems a little weird about her today. Something about the look in her eyes¡­


    ¡°Ashley... are you upset about something?¡± I ask timidly.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually upset about almost everything,¡± she answers bluntly.


    I bite my lip nervously. That¡¯s not really an answer I particularly wanted to hear. ¡°Awh¡­ just please, don¡¯t get into any more fights, okay?¡± I urge her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± she says flatly. She gives me a quick hug, and then is off to her next class. I make my way into the room for mine.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    After walking away from biology, something unexpected happens as I am approaching the staircase. A vaguely familiar looking boy with a lean build and glasses makes eye contact with me, after seemingly having waited in that spot.


    ¡°Hey, Ashley,¡± he says awkwardly.


    I don¡¯t say anything. I just look at him.


    ¡°Um¡­ you probably don¡¯t remember me, but we¡¯re in the same English class¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask. My next class is on the other side of campus.


    ¡°I, umm, do you¡­ would you like to go to Homecoming tomorrow with me?¡±


    He immediately recoils slightly at the look I give him.


    ¡°Is this some kind of fucking joke?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­ Noo? I¡¯m being genuine¡­¡±


    I¡¯m not buying that. As if what¡¯s going on between Zoe and I isn¡¯t already known about school-wide. ¡°Please, just¡­ get out of my way. Now,¡± I tell him.


    I am satisfied to see that he gives me a fearful look and does so, and I head to sixth period. Some people think they¡¯re so funny¡­


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    It¡¯s much later in the day. All of our classes and rehearsals are done, and the sun is setting. Ashley and I are going out for a while, as we had planned the previous day. It¡¯s traditional for dates to happen at restaurants or movie theaters, but Ashley thought it would be nice for us to get away from other people for a while. So instead, we¡¯re walking to a nearby park. It¡¯s only about a ten-minute walk away from our house.


    ¡°Um¡­ Ashley? Are we even supposed to be out here this late?¡± I ask her as we arrive at the park.


    ¡°Who cares? What are they gonna do?¡± She answers. And with that, I suppose the matter is settled.


    The park is pretty simple; it¡¯s a river with a dirt path running alongside it. Still, it looks serene and beautiful at night. We walk past the river, our reflections showing in the water by the moonlight. On the other side of the river, we can see fireflies flying about. Unusually for this time of year, a number of pretty pink flowers float at the surface of the water.


    I try to figure out what she¡¯s thinking- but it¡¯s hard to do. Sometimes trying to read her is like trying to read a brick wall.


    ¡°What were you upset about earlier today?¡± I ask her tentatively.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she shakes her head. ¡°Honestly, it could¡¯ve been anything. I didn¡¯t exactly sleep the best last night, so I¡¯ve been irritable. Something about the idea that I might have to wake up at any time and fuck someone up doesn¡¯t facilitate a great mindset for sleeping.¡±


    This is more or less what I guessed. Now that she seems much calmer than she did earlier today, I decide to press the topic.


    ¡°I know¡­ I heard you up at 2 AM,¡± I say. ¡°You were in the bathroom for a while.¡±


    ¡°Well, sometimes it helps to bring my hormones into better balance, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ actually don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± I admit. What on earth could she be talking about?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, then. Wait, why were you up at 2 AM?¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been having nightmares recently,¡± I confess.


    She turns and locks eyes with me. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down for a moment.¡±


    I nod in agreement.


    She walks me over to a small patch of trees right by the river side. In the middle of the trees are a small wooden bench, as well as a large rock that it looks like someone might be able to sit on. We sit down on the bench, and Ashley takes my hand.


    ¡°Do you mind sharing about the nightmares you¡¯ve been having?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± I take a deep breath. ¡°They¡¯re mostly the same thing over and over again. The police come to our house in the middle of the night, break down my door and put me in handcuffs. Then, they take me back to my parents, who yell things at me and tell me I¡¯m never allowed to leave the house ever again.


    ¡°Last night, it ended differently than usual. Some doctor came into the house and said that there was only one cure for my condition. He got out a hammer and drove a nail straight into my head¡­ and that¡¯s when I woke up.¡±


    Ashley seems to be looking deeply into my eyes. ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s pretty frightening.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I say. I close my eyes for a moment and focus the warmth of her hand. Then, I suddenly get curious about something.


    I open my eyes. ¡°Have you ever had recurring nightmares?¡± I ask her.


    Ashley takes a deep breath, and stretches out her posture a little, extending her relatively long legs.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this exactly qualifies as a nightmare, but¡­ In seventh grade, I did have this really odd recurring dream,¡± she explains. ¡°It''d start with me being high up in a tree by the river. Aiko, my ex-best friend, would be with me. I¡¯d tell her I wanted to dive into the river. However, right before I would jump, she would shake the branch I was jumping from, and I¡¯d stumble and fall straight to the ground. But I wouldn¡¯t actually hit the ground. I¡¯d just sort of fall through blackness for a while. It was very reminiscent of that one scene from Toy Story 2, when Woody thinks that Andy is going to throw him away because his arm is torn.


    ¡°Anyways, after falling for a while, I¡¯d somehow end up being at our church. It¡¯d be like the first time I ever went, the day we met. Except I could somehow manipulate time, and sort of float around through space without being bound by the walls. I kept on saying things to people to see how they¡¯d react, and then just rewinding time if they got mad at me.


    ¡°These dreams never ended the same way. For example, one time, the dream ended with both of your parents loudly talking about how I was such a fine young lady and I¡¯d be a great friend for you, all the while you just sat there and looked at me with a terrified expression. There was a different time that the dream ended with my parents whisking me out of church, because apparently my mom was pregnant with a new child, or something like that.


    ¡°However, there was one ending that¡¯s always stuck in my memory more than any other. One time, I walked up to you, and suddenly the church¡¯s organ played a really loud C Major chord. I pulled a grenade out of my pocket, and said, ¡®666 is no longer alone; he¡¯s getting out the marrow in your backbone.¡¯ Then, I pulled the pin, and there was a brief flash of the explosion before I woke up.¡±


    Wow. This utterly surreal description leaves me very confused.


    ¡°What you said to me in the dream¡­ what does that mean?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a line from a song I like. I have no clue why I said it then, though.¡±


    For a few minutes, we sit there in silence, looking out upon the still water. To my surprise, she eventually starts talking again without being prompted.


    ¡°It reminds me of another dream I had near the start of this year. Us two and a bunch of random girls from band were walking through the woods on some sort of field trip. At one point, they all just randomly turned around, pushed me to the ground, and started repeatedly kicking me until I started bleeding this weird, glittery purple substance that stained my skin. You didn¡¯t kick me, but you also didn¡¯t stop them. You just kind of looked at me sadly. Anyways, the other girls then pushed me into a hole in the ground, and then just left me there. The dream cut to me being inside of a cage at a dog kennel. My parents were outside the cage, looking in at me and trying to figure out if I was actually their daughter or not. I tried to tell them I was, but I couldn¡¯t talk, so I had to resort to making hand gestures at them.¡±


    ¡°Ashley¡­ why are your dreams so weird?¡± I ask, not able to help myself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she says. ¡°I never eat sugary food before bedtime or anything.¡±


    Another moment passes. The sun is gone now; the night is out. I finally decide to say it.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s probably stupid, but¡­ what if my dream happens in real life? Or something like it, at least?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I promise you, that¡¯s not going to happen. You haven¡¯t done anything wrong. The police aren¡¯t going to come hunt you down and put you in cuffs.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ remember what almost happened to Nova? Couldn¡¯t my parents do that?¡±


    She turns her eyes up and starts looking at the sky. ¡°Well, they could try. But the cases are very different here, so they probably won¡¯t. You¡¯re legally considered a runaway until my parents are able to get legal custody over you. So if your parents wanted to make you come home by force, they probably would¡¯ve done it already.¡±


    This confuses me again. I start unconsciously knocking my knees together. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. They told the pastor that they wanted me home. Why won¡¯t they just come get me, if they can already do so?¡±


    ¡°To put it in plain terms, because your parents are full of shit. My theory is, they¡¯re not as concerned about where you are as much as they are about saving face at this point. If they came over to get you back, that would mean they¡¯d have to admit that they did something wrong. Nobody in the community would buy that a goody-two-shoes girl from a rich family with no prior disciplinary issues ran away from home one day for no reason. By spreading this narrative that you¡¯re actually being coerced into staying with us, or being indoctrinated into some sort of weird cult, that gives them the ability to absolve themselves of responsibility.¡±


    This analysis is very disheartening. Unfortunately, her theory makes way too much sense to ignore, given how my parents usually are.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that¡­ they¡¯re not gonna come get me, because¡­ they don¡¯t want me. They just say that they want me back so they don¡¯t look like bad guys.¡±


    ¡°Essentially, yes. They¡¯re not trying to get you home. They¡¯re just trying to stir up a big fuss so they can tell the others that they tried.¡±


    ¡°But what about that stuff Collin said about¡­ conversion therapy? Is that just part of their story?¡±


    She pauses for a moment before answering, now turning her head down and staring at the water. ¡°You know¡­ I don¡¯t know. Now that you mention it, I have to wonder if they¡¯re plotting something, now that that option is available to them¡­¡±


    Part of the wave of terror I feel must have shown on my face, because she quickly says, ¡°But we¡¯re not gonna let that happen, no matter what. My parents are proud second amendment supporters, after all.¡±


    This makes me feel a little better. ¡°You¡¯re really going to try and protect me, no matter what?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Even if I have to actually kidnap you¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she swoops down on me and grabs me around the waist. ¡°I got you. There¡¯s no getting away¡­¡±


    ¡°Eek! Somebody help me!¡± I say, giggling.


    She pulls me towards her, so that I¡¯m sitting in her lap. She¡¯s looking down at me with an odd look; it¡¯s like an intense expression, but also somehow fun at the same time. ¡°Nobody¡¯s coming for you. You¡¯re mine,¡± she says. My face feels really hot for some reason¡­


    For a while, we just sit together like that. She starts brushing my hair with her fingers again, and I just sit there and enjoy it, melting into her.


    After a while, she stops, gently lowers her hand to my shoulder, and then sighs. ¡°In all seriousness. If your parents were to actually try something like that... we¡¯d be looking for an unconventional solution to our problems,¡± she explains.


    I gulp. ¡°You mean¡­ going back to that strange world?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d really rather not bring you there, but we may have no choice.¡±


    Something seems weird to me about the way she says this.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me to go in?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Because, Zoe¡­ that place is dangerous, and it can be extremely scary. I would rather not have anything happen to you.¡±


    ¡°Ashley¡­ I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you either,¡± I tell her. ¡°I get so sick with worry at the thought of you guys going in there¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. We can take care of ourselves.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Ashley, you don¡¯t get it. If it¡¯s what needs to be done¡­ I¡¯ll go with you guys in there,¡± I state. ¡°I know it¡¯ll be scary¡­ but I¡¯d rather be there with you, helping you. I will¡­ try my best to do so.¡±


    Ashley seems troubled. She closes her eyes and puts her free hand on her face for a while. But then, she says, ¡°You¡¯re a great girl, Zoe.¡±


    I blush. ¡°Th-thank you,¡± I say. ¡°Ashley¡­ I really want you to know that you don¡¯t have to do this alone anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it alone,¡± she counters. ¡°I have Ted, and Anja, and Nova¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean just that. I want to know when you¡¯re hurting¡­ I want to be here for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Zoe. You have enough woes right now without also having to deal with mine¡­¡±


    I shake my head at her again. ¡°No, Ashley. That¡¯s not how this is supposed to work. We¡¯re in this together.¡±


    We lock eyes again. She puts her hand back into my hair. ¡°I love you, Zoe,¡± she says.


    ¡°I love you too, Ashley.¡± I feel a sudden rush of emotion and latch onto her with both arms.


    She embraces me back and lowers our head so that our lips touch. I feel something odd¡­ like a sort of electric shock going through my body. I pull away in surprise.


    I look up to her, to see a rare smile on her face. ¡°That one was good. You¡¯re getting better at this,¡± she says.


    I smile back at her. We lean in to kiss again.


    And that¡¯s what we did for quite a while. I don¡¯t know how long it was that we did. It felt like it could¡¯ve been thirty seconds, or it could¡¯ve been two hours.


    At some point, we are unfortunately interrupted by a voice from the darkness.


    ¡°You two?¡± It says. It¡¯s a man¡¯s voice, that I know I¡¯ve heard before. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡±


    I jolt and pull away, while instinctively clinging harder to Ashley and looking out in the direction of the voice. I¡¯m surprised to see that it¡¯s none other than Mr. Castro, our band director.


    ¡°I might ask you the same question,¡± Ashley replies, sheltering me with her arms and coming off as surprisingly standoffish.


    Mr. Castro gives us a strange look. ¡°No kids should be out here this late at night. You ought to head home.¡±


    For a moment, I wonder if Ashley is going to argue with him. Ultimately, she stands up, pulling me up as she does.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right. Don¡¯t want to make Mom and Dad worry,¡± she says. I¡¯m relieved that she isn¡¯t trying to fight him.


    ¡°Alright. Have a good evening, you two,¡± he says.


    So the two of us take off into the darkness. As we are departing, I look behind us at Mr. Castro, who is standing around as if he¡¯s waiting for something.


    ¡°What is he doing out here?¡± I ask Ashley curiously.


    ¡°Well, we can probably scratch off ¡®Klan meeting¡¯ from the list of theories,¡± she says. ¡°It¡¯s for the best, anyways. We better get some sleep tonight. Big day tomorrow.¡±


    I giggle, knowing her well enough to know she¡¯s being sarcastic.


    The school scheduled her to do her detention during the Homecoming Dance. They probably thought this would serve as an especially harsh punishment, but that sort of backfired. Ashley assured me that she had ¡°No interest in going to some stupid ****ing dance anyway.¡± Since she¡¯s going to the school anyway, I¡¯m going to go ahead and hang out at the dance since Anja and Nova are going.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    At about 1 AM, I hear someone opening my door. Though it¡¯s almost pitch black, I can barely make out Zoe¡¯s figure moving towards the bed. She seems to be trembling slightly


    ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± I tell her, slightly hoarse. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I had another nightmare. Is it okay if¡­ I join you for a little bit?¡±


    I shift over a little in my bed and roll back the covers for her. She climbs in and snuggles up right beside me, putting her head on my chest. As usual.


    I wonder if my parents would be angry if they found us in bed together. Ah, who am I kidding? I don¡¯t really care. This is honestly pretty nice. I just¡­

 Chapter 33: Now What? (September 20)

    <Anja>


    Hey again. Feels like it¡¯s been a little while.


    Since last time, the drama has thickened. Zoe¡¯s ex-friends have doubled down on their attempts to harass her, now making up lies and Ashley and Zoe¡¯s relationship. Zoe¡¯s parents are considering Operation Unthinkable. Moloch and his mysterious crony may be planning a direct attack on us. And yet, amidst the chaos, life continues on, including the Homecoming Dance!


    I picked out a simple, sleeveless purple dress for the occasion. Nova doesn¡¯t look half bad, all things considered. He¡¯s wearing a white button-up with tan slacks. The clothes are in good condition, but they seem a little big on him. The sleeves of the shirt go a little past his wrist, and his pants are a little on the baggy side. Maybe he¡¯s borrowing an outfit from his dad?


    ¡°Hey, looking good,¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Thanks. You too,¡± he replies flatly. He looks bored already.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to be here for long,¡± I tell him, already feeling a little bad for dragging him out here. ¡°I know you¡¯re not much of a party animal.¡±


    ¡°Where are those other two?¡± he asks, looking around. ¡°Oh, here they come.¡±


    I look in the direction of his gaze, towards the front entrance. Zoe is dressed in a modest, periwinkle lace dress that exhibits a slightly regal quality. She looks super adorable in it. The shade contrasts perfectly with her blonde hair and rosy cheeks. Ashley, since she¡¯s going to detention, is just wearing her usual getup, her school backpack over her shoulder.


    Before coming to where Nova and I are, Ashley squeezes her hand, and then breaks off to walk down the hall leading away from the cafeteria.


    ¡°Nice dress,¡± a random girl says to Ashley in a mocking voice.


    With frightening speed, Ashley halfway lunges towards her, only to pull away and regain her composure in the blink of an eye. The girl flinches and cowers behind her arms, looking rather foolish. Ashley strides away, the ghost of a smile on her face. I giggle at this, which makes the other girl look up from her arms and glare at me.


    I turn back towards the others. Nova is also chuckling at it. ¡°I gotta admit, that was pretty funny,¡± he comments.


    Zoe looks confused. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s funny?¡± she asks, looking around vaguely in the same direction.


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s time to dance, boys and girls.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ do either of you actually know how to dance?¡± Nova asks me skeptically.


    ¡°Nope. Let¡¯s go,¡± I say, grabbing his arm and pulling him unwillingly into the abyss.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    The detention is taking place in a random math classroom. It¡¯s being monitored by some middle-aged Hispanic guy I don¡¯t recognize. There¡¯s only one other student, a black guy with a fairly eccentric outfit. He¡¯s got long, curly hair that is currently tied behind him in a ponytail and is wearing a rather effeminate-looking loose-fitting V-neck.


    Since I have nothing better to do, I decide to use this opportunity to finish up some work, starting with a geometry assignment. What a fucking waste of time this is. I could be practicing at home right now. Or, you know, actually doing something fun. Or training, except I guess the others would be here anyway. Grrr.


    I look up from my paper and sigh, feeling a little restless. Something on the other student¡¯s desk catches my eye, though. He¡¯s slowly and carefully coloring in a sketch with a huge package of colored pencils in every color you can imagine.


    I watch him for a while, intrigued. The drawing is actually really good. It¡¯s a picture of a young black girl, flying through the sky with her arms out like an airplane. The sky behind her looks cloudy and stormy, but towards the other side of the page it starts to clear out, showing more and more of the serene, blue sky behind it. It gives off an aura of optimism.


    I look up at our monitor. He¡¯s on his computer, looking very unlikely to give a rat¡¯s ass about what we¡¯re doing.


    ¡°Hey. Nice drawing,¡± I say to the other student in a low voice.


    He looks startled at being addressed, suddenly dropping his pencil. Since I¡¯m trying to be genuine here, I relax my stance to try and put him more at ease.


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ thanks,¡± he says meekly.


    ¡°I¡¯m a musician myself, so I know how to appreciate someone who¡¯s performing highly in their artistic endeavors.¡±


    He just smiles at me nervously, not saying anything to that.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask.


    He looks very closely into my eyes for a few moments, as if trying to judge if he could trust me. Finally, he says, ¡°Charlotte.¡±


    Charlotte.


    I¡¯m starting to put two and two together here.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Ashley,¡± I say. ¡°Charlotte, by any chance¡­ do you identify yourself as a girl?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yes,¡± she says, cowering slightly as if fearing my reaction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I assure her. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about people like you. I¡¯ll be respectful.¡±


    Her composition becomes a little more relaxed. ¡°So Ashley. What kind of music do you like?¡±


    I sigh and lean back in my chair. ¡°I¡¯m drawn to music of a more¡­ artistic nature, so most of the stuff I like is pretty weird.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°You mean like Nirvana?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ weirder than that.¡±


    She thinks hard about that for a moment, putting her hand to her chin. ¡°Pink Floyd?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting warmer. Anyways, what about you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I like pretty much everything under the sun. Here, you should tell me some of your favorite albums, and I¡¯ll look them up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ Charlotte, I¡¯m talking about things which are too weird for most people.¡±


    She smiles at me, holding a pencil and sheet of notebook paper at the ready. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got an open mind!¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure¡­¡± I preface. ¡°Here are a few of my favorites¡­¡±


    She writes down all my suggestions. I hope she knows what she¡¯s getting into. Even her handwriting looks like a work of art; she writes flawlessly in cursive.


    ¡°So Charlotte, what are you in for?¡± I ask, trying to keep the conversation going. She seems interesting enough to talk to.


    ¡°Missing too much school,¡± she replies, turning back towards her drawing and coloring while she talks. ¡°I have to be here to make up school hours. You?¡±


    ¡°I got into a fight in the hallway.¡±


    ¡°Ohh. Did you win?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I broke the bitch¡¯s nose.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s pretty intense.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ she was bullying someone I love, so serves her right. Mom wasn¡¯t happy with me, though.¡±


    She nods solemnly. Though her eyes are glued to the page, the glassy look in them makes me think that her mind is God-knows-where.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    After a while of¡­ whatever that was, Zoe leaves to go get something to drink, leaving Anja and I in a dark, mostly secluded corner. The only person nearby is this cute guy with short brown hair and glasses who¡¯s on his phone.


    Anja watches Zoe walk away with a grin on her face. ¡°Man. She¡¯s mega cute. It¡¯s too bad she¡¯s taken already.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± I say, not sure how else to respond.


    ¡°I kind of wonder where she got that dress, though. Isn¡¯t all of her stuff still at her parents¡¯ house? With tensions recently growing, I have a hard time imagining it was easy to get into her stuff.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they just got her a dress at Goodwill,¡± I suggest. ¡°She¡¯s probably just too embarrassed to admit it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about! In my opinion, resourcefulness in a virtue,¡± she says. ¡°Anyways¡­ Ashley¡¯s got a good taste in romantic partners, that¡¯s all I know.¡±


    At these words, that one dude nearby suddenly looks up from his phone and to us.


    ¡°Hey, what are you looking at us for?¡± I ask him.


    He looks side to side, and then meanders up to us. ¡°Hey. You said something about an ¡®Ashley.¡¯ Are you talking about Ashley Davis?¡±


    ¡°The one and only,¡± Anja replies. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not true. According to howmanyofme.com, there are over a thousand Ashley Davises in the US.¡± She smiles widely. ¡°But there¡¯s only one Anja Buelen!¡±


    The guy laughs nervously. ¡°Funny story¡­ she¡¯s actually one of the people I tried asking out to this dance. She got really mad at me¡­


    ¡°Oh really, she did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ she said like, ¡®Do you think this is some sort of joke?¡¯ Or something like that.¡±


    Anja rolls her eyes. ¡°She probably thought you were pranking her. You see¡­ she¡¯s not into guys. She¡¯s gay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really. I didn¡¯t know that. Now I feel like an asshole¡­¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t. It¡¯s not your fault. Ashley¡¯s just¡­ a really prickly person.¡±


    ¡°Why would you ask her out, anyway?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Well, you know. She¡¯s in my English class, and I¡¯ve wanted to get to know her for a while. Yeah, it¡¯s partially because she¡¯s pretty, but it¡¯s also more than that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s that pretty,¡± I interject.


    Anja gives me some sort of look, and then motions at him to continue.


    ¡°I mean¡­ I really like girls that are, like¡­ free spirited. She always has this confident demeanor like, ¡®I¡¯m going to do my thing, I don¡¯t care what anyone else thinks.¡¯ You just don¡¯t see many girls like that around here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ there¡¯s a reason for that,¡± Anja adds grimly. ¡°Still, I get it. She¡¯s not the type of person I would personally want to date, but she¡¯s definitely¡­ a type I could see some people being interested in.¡±


    The guy gives Anja a quizzical look. ¡°So, uh¡­ are you gay too, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bi.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So¡­ you¡¯re attracted to both guys, and girls.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you something? If it¡¯s not too personal of a question.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Are your tastes for what you like the same across gender, or do you have specific things that you like in each?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it varies wildly depending on the person. For me personally, I like the same things mostly across gender lines.¡± She grins again. ¡°I¡¯m really into nerds.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it would be nice to have someone who could do your homework for you.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t even mean that type of nerd, necessarily. It¡¯s more of a demeanor thing.¡±


    She turns towards me. ¡°What about you, Nova?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess I¡¯d want to be with someone who¡¯s pretty chill? I wouldn¡¯t want to be nagged all the time¡­¡±


    Anja gives me this weird look. Like she knows something I don¡¯t.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s that look for?¡±


    She looks away. ¡°Oh, nothing¡­¡±


    Kevin chuckles nervously again. ¡°Anyways¡­ It¡¯s kind of funny that we got into this. I usually don¡¯t get to talk about this stuff with people. ¡°


    A scowl crosses his face. ¡°You know, other guys are always like, ¡®Oh, I like girl with big tiddies.¡¯ And I mean¡­ I¡¯m not disagreeing with that¡­ but also, there¡¯s more to it? You know?


    ¡°Yeah, trust me, I totally agree with you,¡± Anja assures him.


    The boy smiles. ¡°Well, good talk. It was nice meeting y¡¯all. My name¡¯s Kevin, by the way. And¡­ next time you see Ashley, let her know that¡­ you know, I didn¡¯t know. So hopefully there¡¯s no hard feelings or anything.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll relay the message. See you around,¡± Anja closes out.


    Shortly after Kevin walks away, Anja breathes out dramatically. ¡°Well, that happened.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    For a few moments, we just kinda stand there awkwardly. Then¡­


    ¡°I have to use the bathroom,¡± she says. She shuffles off to do that, leaving me by myself.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Ugh¡­ it takes so long to get through crowds. I try to be careful and not to bump into anyone or draw attention to myself, but it¡¯s so hard not to when everyone¡¯s packed together like this.


    Eventually, I return to where we were, punch now in hand, to find Anja gone, and Nova standing there by himself. He looks kind of twitchy, and definitely irritated about something.


    ¡°Are you doing okay?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just so damn loud in here,¡± he says. ¡°I hope we get to leave soon. Anja¡¯s taking so long in the bathroom. Girl problems, I bet.¡±


    ¡°If you have a problem with the noise, maybe we can step outside for a bit?¡± I suggest.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he says. ¡°But we might get locked out. I think the doors are supposed to be locked except in the front.¡±


    So we simply stand somewhat awkwardly for a while. Nova and I haven¡¯t had much one-to-one bonding time yet, so I have a bit of trouble thinking of a conversation topic.


    ¡°This sucks,¡± he says after a while. ¡°This reminds me of when my mom took me to that work party as a kid. Everyone talks so loud and you just want them all to shut up¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it hard?¡± I ask. ¡°Thinking back to when you were still with your mom? Now that¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, it is. Well, I guess it¡¯s also hard not to think about it, too.¡±


    This conversation topic is a bit on the sad side. I¡¯m trying to think of something a little more cheerful, when Nova unexpectedly starts talking again, faster than usual.


    ¡°You know¡­ like¡­ there¡¯s always going to be people in your life who don¡¯t care what you want. They only want what they want. And that means you gotta be what they want you to be. And you always hope that someday, they¡¯ll be out of your life, and you¡¯ll be free. But then, when you are free, you¡¯re just like, ¡®Now what?¡¯ ¡®Cause they actually made you believe it, that your whole life revolves around them. You know?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ that sounds like a rough situation,¡± I say, taken aback by the sudden rant.


    He looks disappointed in me. ¡°Man, I thought that out of everyone I know, you¡¯d understand.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I do understand. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say, realizing how inadequate my initial reply was.


    This seems to satisfy him. ¡°I used to dream about never having to worry about my mom¡­ and now that dream¡¯s pretty much come true. Except the problem is¡­ I don¡¯t have any dreams left.¡±


    This statement¡­ makes me feel an unexpected wave of sorrow and compassion for him.


    I don¡¯t know how to put it into words, so I walk over and give him a hug. He¡¯s awkward about it at first, but after a while he accepts and returns it.

 Chapter 34: Voyage (September 21)

    <Ashley>


    I¡¯m surprised to see that the Methodist Church isn¡¯t completely deserted by the time we arrive there. It seems as though the final few Chatty Cathys are still finding their way out, as there are a couple of middle-aged ladies hovering around the church entrance still.


    I lead Zoe past the church and to the picnic tables, where she takes a seat. I go over to the trees and say, in a clear but not too loud voice, ¡°Hey Ted. It¡¯s us.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t appear immediately, so I just make my way back over to where Zoe is sitting. She looks a little apprehensive. While I¡¯ve already explained the basics of the Metaverse and introduced her to Ted, this¡¯ll be her first time really travelling through it with us.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think something¡¯s happened to him?¡± Zoe asks.


    ¡°Nah, he¡¯s probably just finishing off a beetle or something.¡±


    Zoe is back to her lip-chewing and twitching, and she only seems to be getting more nervous as we go. I sit down next to her and put an arm around her, which seems to help.


    Sure enough, Ted emerges from the greenery about a minute later. I grab him and set him on the table, as usual.


    ¡°While we¡¯re waiting for those other two to get here, I¡¯ll fill you in,¡± I say to him. ¡°Recent events have necessitated that we take actions against this one¡¯s parents before they do anything foolish. The problem is, we weren¡¯t able to find any Palace or anything that¡¯s likely to indicate they have a presence there. I think it¡¯d be smart to stop by the house and look around more closely, however. Do you know anything about how to affect targets without the use of a Palace? I swear Lucy mentioned once that was possible.¡±


    Ted growls a little. ¡°That¡¯s a question you¡¯ll have to ask her, then. I sure as hell haven¡¯t ever done such a thing.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your honesty, Ted. The other matter of business is, based on our experience with the last Palace, I think it¡¯s best if we get Zoe to awaken her Persona before we make the final move. I believe you said before that it required feeling a powerful emotion; can we intentionally evoke that?¡±


    Zoe gives me an odd grin. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s all it takes, that¡¯ll be easy. Just start asking me questions about my upbringing, and I¡¯ll probably start crying again.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure whether to laugh or not, so I just sort of clear my throat awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just that,¡± Ted explains. ¡°Not only does it require a strong emotion, but it also usually involves a clear and present danger to the one who¡¯s being awakened. In addition, the awakening is an experience which comes from deep in the soul of a person. It should ideally represent some sort of turning point in that person¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Damn, nothing can ever be easy, can it?¡± I curse in response.


    There is an awkward pause. Zoe continues to look nervous for a while, and then I hear her take a large breath and asks, ¡°Ashley¡­ you¡¯re sure this isn¡¯t witchcraft, right?¡± Her eyes briefly flit to Ted, and then back to me.


    ¡°I assure you it ain¡¯t, lassie,¡± Ted responds for me, causing Zoe to jump slightly. ¡°I was sent here by the archangel, St. Michael.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± Zoe asks, her eyes glowing. ¡°And what did He send you to do?¡±


    ¡°To find the one that He marked as His embassy,¡± Ted explains, nodding to me.


    ¡°Wow! That makes me feel a lot better about this.¡± Zoe says, smiling at him. Although I¡¯m personally kind of amazed at how easily she believed him. It¡¯s a rather strange story, all things considered. Like, now that he¡¯s found me, what is he doing? Just following me wherever I go? He never really explained that part.


    Before I can ask, however, I hear a car nearby and turn my head to see that Anja and Nova have, at last, arrived. As they exit Anja¡¯s car, they¡¯re loudly talking and laughing about something. The Chatty Cathys end up walking past them while finally leaving, and based on the contemptuous glares being tossed their way, what Anja and Nova are talking about must be either obscene, or involving the use of a lot of swear words. Or both. Probably both.


    As they are approaching, I hear Nova say, ¡°And then first the chick is like, ¡®Hey, it¡¯s been a whole thirty seconds since we last looked at our lemon tree!¡¯¡± This must have been hilarious in context because both of them burst into laughter at this. Zoe giggles too, even though I¡¯m certain she doesn¡¯t get it any more than I do.


    ¡°Thank you two for finally joining us,¡± I chide them as they get near us.


    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest shit I¡¯ve ever heard!¡± Anja manages to reply through giggles. ¡°Send me the link after this. I won¡¯t believe this until I see it.¡±


    The two take their seats, and I simply stare at them as they get the last of their laughs out of their system.


    ¡°Alright¡­ what¡¯s up, Ashley?¡± Anja asks after a moment.


    Without further ado, I whisk us into the red and purple hell.


    <hr>


    Zoe held it together pretty well, considering that this is her first time in here for a significant period of time. For now, she¡¯s just hanging back any time we run into an enemy, and today we managed to battle our way over to her house without too much trouble. This had the unfortunate side effect of not allowing any chance for her Persona to awaken, though.


    We arrive at her house, and as expected, nothing appears to be out of the ordinary here. That said, we decide that it is worth a quick look around.


    ¡°Nice place you got here,¡± Anja says to Zoe as we step through the doorway.


    It¡¯s true, though it¡¯s a bit harder to tell in the current conditions. The house looks clean, comfortable, and inviting. Normally, everything in the house, from the rugs to the curtains to the paint on the walls, would be matched in color in a way that is just so satisfying. Whatever other faults they have, Zoe¡¯s family are great interior decorators.


    Anja and Nova immediately start wandering around looking for anything out of the ordinary, but Zoe pensively looks around her own living room for a moment.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I ask her.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s just kind of weird seeing my own house like¡­¡± she trails off.


    ¡°I know what you mean. How do you think I felt when I first got dragged into this world?¡±


    She blinks in a surprised way. I get the impression that I misjudged what she was getting at.


    ¡°Hey! I found something weeeird in here!¡± Anja¡¯s voice calls from the other room. Zoe and I turn and go the direction of her voice, which leads into the master bedroom.


    It¡¯s immediately evident what Anja is talking about. Under the wall across from the bed, there¡¯s a strange purple sludge that seems to be oozing in from under the walls.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s gross,¡± I comment. ¡°Ted, you ever see anything like this?¡±


    No response. I look around, and only just then notice that he¡¯s not in the room with us. ¡°Uhh¡­ Where is he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Anja replies. ¡°I meant what I said earlier. He¡¯s so small, I honestly usually forget he¡¯s even here!¡±


    ¡°What, you like having someone in the group who¡¯s actually shorter than you so you can pick on them?¡± I tease her.


    For this, I get a warning look from her, but before she can defend herself, Nova and Ted stumble into the room after us. When Nova sees the sludge, he just stops in the place and stares at it with wide eyes. It¡¯s almost a little bit comical.


    ¡°Ashley wanted to know if you¡¯ve seen anything like this before,¡± Zoe says to Ted.


    ¡°Yep. Reminds me of the summer of ¡¯65 when my sink got backed up. Got cruddy water all over the kitchen.¡±


    Huh. I think that¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard him tell a joke. I guess maybe he¡¯s coming out of his shell a little. Oh my god, that was awful. His shell. That¡¯s something that Anja would say on purpose.


    ¡°Uh¡­ how old are you, anyway?¡± Anja asks him. Then, suddenly her voice gets quieter. ¡°Ted, are you¡­ a boomer?¡±


    Before Ted can answer, Nova suddenly puts an arm out, indicating that she should shut it, and then walks up to the sludge puddle, intently staring at it still. Then, he extends a single index finger. ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out,¡± he says. ¡°This looks exactly like one of those pools in Shadow the Hedgehog.¡±


    I don¡¯t think anything could¡¯ve prepared me for hearing that sentence.


    ¡°Wait¡­ what are you saying?¡± Anja asks him. Then, she snaps her fingers, seemingly having a realization. ¡°Oh¡­ I get it. Ted- can you roll yourself into a ball, by any chance?¡±


    Nova, however, shakes his head. ¡°No, that won¡¯t work. Shadow could only do that because he had Black Arms DNA.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how about both of you shut the fuck up,¡± I tell them, having enough of the pointless conversation.


    Nova glares at me, firing up. ¡°Bitch, I¡¯m trying to make a point here! I¡¯m saying¡­ I bet that this comes from somewhere. And that means that it also leads to somewhere.¡±


    ¡­Okay, I suppose that¡¯s worth considering.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and see, then,¡± I say.


    We do so, exiting the house and going around the side. While doing so, I start thinking about how strange this all is. The church becoming some weird organ, which not even Lucy could explain¡­ and now this? Somehow, the two seem connected. We arrive, and sure enough, one of the veins that are scattered through this world goes right into the bottom of the wall where the puddle was.


    ¡°Look! I was right!¡± Nova declares. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s follow it and see where it goes!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ that may not be necessary,¡± I interrupt. ¡°I have¡­ a hypothesis.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it!¡± Anja says.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that these weird¡­ things in this world looked like blood vessels, or veins,¡± I explain. "And when we stopped by the Baptist church, it looked like an organ. And even the first time I went there, it seemed like there were a lot more veins there.¡±


    Anja¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Oh, I think I get what you¡¯re saying. It¡¯s like these are all¡­ leading to the church. Or at least, some of them are.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And so, if I¡¯m correct, there¡¯s an easier way of finding out where they lead than following this vein halfway across town,¡± I suggest. ¡°How about we check the houses of some others who are within the church, and see if there is anything in those that is similar?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± Anja agrees. ¡°I¡¯ll let you lead the way¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait a sec,¡± Nova interjects. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t one of these be in your house, if that¡¯s the case? Didn¡¯t your parents just get shit canned a couple weeks ago?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I say. ¡°Knowing how my parents are.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Anja asks curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult to explain, but I¡¯ll try,¡± I say. ¡°My parents¡­ aren¡¯t the type to put too much trust in institutions. They¡¯re always complaining about this organization or that one being run incompetently. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a corporation, or the government, or the political parties¡­ or, indeed, churches. I¡¯m betting that they already had some complaints about our church before ripping off the bandage, but were just choosing to take the good with the bad until the bad got to be too much to ignore.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. That explains a lot about you, honestly,¡± Anja says darkly. ¡°We are all a reflection of our parents, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± I reply.


    ¡°Anyways¡­ I¡¯ll let you lead the way to the nearest Baptist churchgoer¡¯s house, then,¡± Anja suggests, trying to steer the conversation back on topic, even though she¡¯s the one who got it off topic to begin with.


    I look at Zoe. ¡°I¡¯m going to need your help for this one. You know I¡¯ve never been much of a socialite.¡±


    Zoe stares at me for a second, seemingly not expecting to be addressed. But then, she says, ¡°Um¡­ yeah, I can help with that. Let¡¯s check Diana¡¯s house, it¡¯s only a couple of blocks away.¡±


    ¡°Diana, huh?¡± Anja comments. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the one who called me a slut?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there, but probably,¡± I reply. ¡°She usually doesn¡¯t get that vulgar, you should feel flattered.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°The data points we gathered support my hypothesis,¡± I tell Zoe. We¡¯re walking back towards our own street, Anja and Nova having already gone home. ¡°Diana¡¯s house had one. So did Terra¡¯s. Anja¡¯s didn¡¯t. Neither did Yonca¡¯s. Of course hers wouldn¡¯t have one, she¡¯s Muslim. Mine didn¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°So, if all of those are leading to our church, what does that mean?¡± Zoe asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not completely sure, but I think we¡¯re onto something big. I¡¯m going to run this all past Lucy tonight and see what she thinks. Until then, we¡­¡±


    I am interrupted mid-sentence by my phone ringing. It¡¯s Mom.


    ¡°Hey Mom. What¡¯s up?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Hey Ashley. Where are you and Zoe right now?¡±


    ¡°We were just walking around the neighborhood. Why?¡±


    ¡°Can you get back here as soon as you can? The Sheriff is here, and he wants to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re literally about to get back home, Mom. Two minutes. See you soon.¡± I hang up. ¡°C¡¯mon Zoe. We¡¯re needed.¡±


    ¡°Did she say that¡­ the Sheriff is there?¡± She asks, looking frightened.


    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t worry. He just wants to talk.¡± This doesn¡¯t really do anything to calm her, though.


    Anyways, we get back to my house a minute later. Sure enough, when we walk back in the front door, I can see a gruff, middleweight, middle-aged man in a police uniform in the living room.


    ¡°Let me guess. The blonde one¡¯s Zoe?¡± He says, his baritone voice dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°Um¡­ sir?¡± Zoe says in a squeaky voice. ¡°You¡¯re not here to take me away¡­ are you?¡±


    ¡°Well, that depends. Come into the other room with me. I need you to answer a few questions."


    He sidles past us and into the door frame leading to Zoe¡¯s room. I give Zoe a quick hug before she follows after him, pale as a ghost and biting her lip so hard that I¡¯m a little worried she¡¯s going to make it bloody.


    I look over at my parents, sitting in their usual chairs. Dad is looking at the newspaper as if it had insulted him, and Mom is leaning far back in her chair with her head down and her eyes closed. They don¡¯t seem worried, but they definitely look annoyed.


    ¡°So, still too cowardly to come get her themselves?¡± I ask them, taking a seat on the couch.


    ¡°For the time being, yes,¡± Dad answers. ¡°If you want to know my two cents, I say that wasting the time of police officers is not a very patriotic thing to do. As if those folks weren¡¯t hypocritical enough.¡±


    I nod in agreement. There¡¯s nothing to do for a while except sit there and twiddle my thumbs.


    After a thankfully short few minutes, the door to Zoe¡¯s room opens again, and Zoe quickly walks into the living room, appearing clearly rattled, and proceeding to sit on the couch right next to me, so close that our sides are touching.


    ¡°All right, good news folks!¡± The Sheriff says in a false cheery voice, swaggering into the room himself. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s no funny business going on here. You¡¯re off the hook. And you-¡± He makes direct eye contact with Zoe- ¡°Kindly tell your folks that the police force has better ways to spend their damn time than cleaning up their problems for them.¡±


    Zoe nods curtly, even though I know for a fact that she has no intention of telling them any such thing.


    ¡°Thank you, Officer,¡± Mom says, sitting back up in her chair. ¡°Do you need anything else from us today?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I hope I don¡¯t see you again,¡± he says bluntly. And with that, he exits out through the front door, stopping to smoke a cigarette on his way out.

 Chapter 35: Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral (September 22 Part 1)

    <Ashley>


    Nngrh¡­ why am I awake¡­ what is that light¡­ I turn in my bed away from it¡­ Even with my eyes closed, though, I can still see the pink through my eyelids¡­ the pink light¡­


    My eyes fly open. Oh shit. Oh fuck.


    Suddenly much more awake, I propel myself to a sitting position. As I feared, it¡¯s the gem on the front of the journal. And if Lucy is to be believed, that means that there is something happening in the Metaverse nearby¡­


    I get on my phone and start spamming the group chat. Anja and Nova better have done what I told them to do and left their ringers on¡­


    Thankfully, it looks like they did, as they¡¯re starting to give me incomprehensible strings of letters in reply.


    The very second the clock strikes 2:17, everyone enter the Metaverse, I direct them. Due to the time difference there, we must enter almost simultaneously or there will be a heavy delay. Actually, that makes me wonder if we¡¯re even going to be able to get there fast enough to find out anything¡­ But anyways, it¡¯s 2:17, so I hit the app. Let¡¯s hope that the others are awake enough to do their part.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    And that¡¯s how I ended up in the Metaverse at 2:17 in the god damn morning. Man, I wanna just go back to sleep.


    I look around my room, which I¡¯ve never actually seen in this form before. I don¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary in here, just all of my same furniture. Wait a minute¡­ how are we supposed to communicate with each other in the Metaverse?


    I get my phone out, which seems to have traveled with me this time, probably because I have the app now. It was conveniently put in a pocket in my kingly robes. Ashley is able to call that Lucy chick using her phone in this world¡­ maybe we can call each other?


    I go to the ¡°contacts¡± app, which seems to be one of the few that still works on here. All my usual contacts are gone, but I see Ashley and Anja listed there without any numbers. I call Anja.


    ¡°Uh¡­ hello?¡± Her voice says from the other end.


    ¡°Hey. Nova here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hi! Didn¡¯t know we could use these to call each other.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± I admit. ¡°See anything weird at your place?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve already looked through my house and around the outside, but I don¡¯t see anything unusual.¡±


    Hmm. I guess I should do that.


    ¡°Okay, let me look around mine,¡± I tell her. I open my door and go out into the living roomLKJDALK;JDF;LJSADF IT¡¯S THAT WEIRD MASKED DUDE


    ¡°What wrong?¡± Anja asks, presumably having heard my gasp.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ THAT DARK DUDE¡­ UH, I MEAN CHICK¡­ SHE¡¯S HERE! IN MY LIVING ROOM!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you caught me!¡± The chick says, in a vaguely Darth Vader-esque voice. ¡°How am I going to kidnap your father and little sister now?¡±


    ¡°Anja! Get over here!¡± I yell through the phone. ¡°She¡¯s trying to kidnap my family!¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll tell Ashley. Be there soon.¡± She hangs up.


    I brandish Mj?lnir at her threateningly. ¡°Bitch you better get the fuck out of my home!¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ don¡¯t think I will,¡± she says.


    I charge forward and swing at her. She blocks it with a sort of electric shield. I¡¯m worried that she¡¯s going to go for the punish¡­ but instead, she uses the brief moment I¡¯m off my balance to dash across the room, her green cape gliding across the floor.


    ¡°Hey! Get back here!¡± I call after her.


    ¡°I thought you said you wanted me to leave!¡± She calls back.


    This is pissing me off. I fire one of my lightning attacks at her¡­ only for her to just redirect it around her and fire it back at me; which I then redirect again. Seeing that this isn¡¯t going anywhere, I just slam it into the wall to my left.


    Damn. If she¡¯s faster than me, and my electric attacks don¡¯t work, this is going to be a long fight. I hope the others get here soon¡­


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    It¡¯s a bright sunny day, and I¡¯m in my grandfather¡¯s backyard, picking oranges off his orange tree. Whenever I pick one off, I hear a very loud and satisfying crack rend the air. I have eight in the basket so far- I need one more. But the last one is just barely too high for me to reach- I can only rub against it slightly with my fingertips.


    Then, I hear someone coming up from behind me, and Ashley¡¯s arm reaches over my head and grabs the last one. She sets it into my basket gently.


    ¡°You seemed like you needed a hand,¡± Ashley says. I turn to her, and she¡¯s giving me a sweet smile- the kind I rarely see from her in real life. I jump up into her arms and start kissing her on the lips. The basket falls onto the ground, but I¡¯ll worry about that later. I just enjoy the bliss for a while¡­


    Then, something weird starts happening. I feel like I¡¯m¡­ sinking, somehow.


    I turn my head down to my feet. There¡¯s a puddle of black tar on the ground, and I¡¯m slowly being consumed by it¡­


    ¡°Ashley! HELP ME!¡± I scream, feeling utter panic.


    Ashley, however, looks at me thoughtfully. ¡°I can¡¯t help you out of this one. It looks like your dream is about to become a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want another nightmare! This dream was so happy!¡±


    Ashley shakes her head at me. By this time, I¡¯m down to my waist, so she sits down crisscross applesauce on the floor to be level with me.


    ¡°Zoe, make sure you remember what you and Nova talked about. Back at the Homecoming Dance.¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­ what? But how do you know about that? You weren¡¯t there!¡±


    ¡°The real Ashley wasn¡¯t there, but I¡¯m Dream Ashley, so I know all about it.¡± She smiles at me again. ¡°I believe in you, Zoe. I think you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°What? No! I¡¯m not ready! Please, ju-¡± But it¡¯s no good. My mouth is under the tar, it¡¯s filling my lungs, and all I feel is a horrible suffocating sensation. The last thing I see before my eyes sink underneath is Ashley picking up the basket and walking away.


    Then, there¡¯s nothing but blackness for a while. I feel like I¡¯m being forced through a really tight tube, simultaneously not moving at all and moving way too fast.


    Then suddenly, I¡¯m back in my bed, gasping for breath as I desperately try to fill my lungs again.


    Ashley¡¯s standing over my bed, waiting patiently for me to wake up. However, something¡¯s odd- she¡¯s in her suit of armor. I glance around the bedroom and see that we¡¯re back in the Metaverse.


    ¡°Ashley, what¡¯s going on?¡± I ask her once I catch my breath. ¡°Why are we here again?¡±


    ¡°Zoe¡­ my love, we need to get away from here,¡± she tells me. ¡°My enemies are approaching, and I must get you to a safe location.¡±


    ¡°Y-your enemies?¡± I ask. ¡°You mean that¡­ shapeshifting demon guy you told me about?¡±


    She nods solemnly. ¡°Yes, it is Moloch, and his masked servant.¡± She reaches her hand out for me. ¡°Come on. Time is of the essence.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I take her hand, and she pulls me to my feet with surprising strength. I continue clinging to her hand for dear life as she walks out of my room at a brisk pace.


    She leads me out of the house, and then takes a left, walking straight through the yard.


    ¡°Where are we going, Ashley?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Lucy told me of a place we can go nearby for safety,¡± she explains.


    We continue in that direction, eventually crossing the street perpendicular to hers, and then walking towards the Methodist Church. Of course we¡¯re going there- that made sense as a hideout.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    By the time I arrive at Nova¡¯s place, it sounds like a brawl is already well under way. I quickly run up the stairs to his unit and fling open the door.


    The Dark Trooper stands on the far side of the living room closer to his TV, while Nova is in the middle. He¡¯s just standing there panting, clearly exhausted.


    Without hesitation, I lift up my gun and open fire on the Trooper. She rolls out of the way and takes shelter behind the couch. Nova seizes the opportunity to try and clobber her with Mj?lnir from above, but she shields it, and he simply bounces off of her. She leaps to her feet and dashes towards me. I try to blow her back with my wind magic attack but¡­ it doesn¡¯t do anything. Damn, wind seems to be kinda situational. She reaches me, grabs my gun, chucks it into the hallway leading to the bathroom, and then leaps into the kitchen area.


    I take the moment of respite to go help Nova to his feet.


    ¡°This bitch is¡­ really annoying,¡± he tells me with his teeth bared as he regains his balance.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s two against one now, and we got her pinned down in the kitchen. Let¡¯s get her!¡± I say to rouse him. He nods, and we both turn back towards our foe.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    We walk across the lawn and through the parking lot in silence. However, instead of going past the church like usual, she leads me towards the entrance.


    ¡°Are you going to be able to fight them off?¡± I ask her.


    She grins at me cockily. ¡°Yes, I will have no trouble smiting those fiends. Follow me into here¡­¡±


    ¡°What brings you two here?¡± A gruff voice asks in the night.


    I turn my head to see Ted, standing just outside the entrance walkway.


    ¡°Ted! Moloch is coming to attack us!¡± I explain to him. ¡°Can you help Ashley fight him off?¡±


    ¡°I certainly can. I¡­¡± However, he stops mid-sentence and starts glaring at Ashley suspiciously.


    ¡°What are you looking at me like that for?¡± She asks indignantly. ¡°I can¡¯t waste any more time. I¡¯m going to get Zoe to safety.¡±


    Without any sort of warning whatsoever, Ted pulls out his pistol and shoots Ashley right through the chest, tearing through her armor like tissue paper.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    As it turns out, having her pinned down in the kitchen doesn¡¯t give us as much of an advantage as I¡¯d hope. She just keeps using the counter for cover against all of our attacks, and then when we try to jump over or run around to get her, she switches to the other side. Even after I run off to retrieve my gun, it barely helps.


    And I begin to notice something odd about her fighting style, specifically that she¡¯s not really doing much fighting. She¡¯s almost entirely using evasion and defensive tactics. Almost as if¡­


    After jumping over the counter to evade us yet again, the Trooper runs back into the living room.


    ¡°She¡¯s getting away!¡± Nova shouts hoarsely. He makes to run after her, but I hold out my arm to stop him.


    ¡°Hold on, Nova. Things aren¡¯t quite what they seem.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asks.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s just... stalling us,¡± I say. ¡°Notice how she¡¯s not actually trying to do much damage?¡±


    ¡°Stalling us for what?¡± he asks, his eyes wide.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find out,¡± I say. We walk into the living room, this time more orderly, to find her sitting on the back of the couch, looking almost bored.


    I¡¯m about to open my mouth to ask her a question; but then, the door slams open.


    ¡°Finally made it here, huh?¡± Nova asks Ashley, slightly tauntingly, as the latter brandishes her sword at the Trooper.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    For a moment, I¡¯m totally dumbfounded at what just happened.


    Then, I watch in even more confusion as, right in front of my eyes, the hole in Ashley¡¯s chest stitches itself together, and the armor connects again, as if nothing had ever happened.


    Ashley looks utterly furious. ¡°You stupid little rodent,¡± she spits. Then, forms a sort of ball with her hands in midair, and Ted begins floating. All of his limbs and his head shoot back into his shell. Ashley tosses one of her hands up, causing Ted to fly really far into the air and behind us.


    ¡°A-Ashley, why did you do that to Ted?¡± I ask, absolutely horrified.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes? He shot me. Come on.¡± She grabs me by the arm and starts trying to pull me into the church. I resist, however.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Zoe? Come with me!¡± she growls at me.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ when I played Super Smash Bros. with my brothers, what character did I play as?¡±


    ¡°What? How should I know that?¡±


    ¡°I told you, Ashley. Remember?¡±


    She rolls her eyes at me. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m guessing you played as Pit and did nothing but spam side-B.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No, Ashley. That¡¯s not it¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, how am I supposed to remember such a stupid detail about your life?¡± she barks at me.


    ¡°Okay, f-fine. Ashley¡­ what Disney movie were you watching when you realized you were a lesbian?¡±


    She thinks about it for a moment. ¡°Um¡­ Mulan.¡±


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    ¡°Hold up a minute, Ash,¡± I tell Ashley before she can do anything. ¡°We think that she¡¯s just trying to stall us.¡±


    The Trooper laughs, the voice modulator making the noise sound strange and eerie. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve finally puzzled it out. Well done. You know, I really wish that you wouldn¡¯t poke your nose around in these dangerous matters. But recklessness is a family trait, I suppose¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I shout back at her, raising my weapon. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about my family!¡±


    ¡°Anja, she¡¯s just trying to wind you up,¡± Ashley points out. ¡°So, you¡¯re stalling us, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course I am!¡± she replies gleefully. ¡°Why on earth do you think we¡¯d want to mess with some fast-food worker and his smart mouthed daughter? You should¡¯ve been more worried about your sweet little girlfriend¡­¡±


    Ashley¡¯s face contorts into a slightly alarming, stone cold expression. ¡°What did you say.¡±


    The Trooper snickers. ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve stalled you long enough. She¡¯ll be long gone by now. And by th¡­¡±


    Before she can finish, Ashley swings her sword through the air with tremendous speed and slices one of the Trooper¡¯s legs clean off. A pale, feminine leg falls down, getting some blood onto the couch and floor.


    The Trooper screams a horrible scream, points her gun straight at Ashley, and shoots her with some sort of strange dart. It hits Ashley square in the neck and causes her to start squirming uncontrollably on the floor, an electric current running through her body. Then, the Trooper sets her hand on top of the gun, and simply teleports away.


    I lean down to Ashley, who is still overcome with painful spasms, and I yank the dart out of her neck. She goes still, and then shortly afterwards starts getting to her feet, the blood from the floor now dripping down her armor.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she says firmly, even though she¡¯s still trembling a little bit. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go,¡± she commands.


    It doesn¡¯t occur to me for a second to disobey.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    I start desperately trying to free myself from her grip, tears pouring down my face. That¡¯s not her¡­ that¡¯s not the real Ashley¡­


    ¡°Stop with this bullshit, Zoe!¡± She yells at me, her eyes full of malice. She starts pulling me by my arm, using so much force that I can¡¯t resist it. I¡¯m dragged through the church entrance, and then into the sanctuary.


    She seems to be dragging me towards the front, where a strange, oily and glassy substance is along the wall at the very front of the room. I kick out with my feet against the pews, trying to get more leverage.


    ¡°Quit being a stupid little girl,¡± she growls at me. ¡°I guess I should¡¯ve just left you to die, hmm?¡±


    ¡°Th-the real Ashley would¡­ sniff¡­ never talk to me like that!¡± I shout back at her, tears pouring down my face all the same.


    ¡°Figured it out, have you?¡± She says. ¡°Not like it matters. It¡¯s too late. I¡¯m going to take your useless life with me as payback against that bitch for trying to meddle in my plans. And without you, they¡¯ll be useless to go against my glorious creation¡­¡±


    Abandoning pretense, she flings me over her shoulder and into the bench at the front with tremendous speed. The impact makes me feel bruises all along my back, and it hurts enough to make my eyes wet.


    ¡°Of course, they¡¯d be useless against it even with you, I reckon,¡± she says, walking up to me with an uncanny smirk. She¡¯s breathing deeply for some reason¡­ like she¡¯s enjoying the smell of the air. Each breath makes her smile seem more twisted¡­


    ¡°Y¡­ you¡¯re not¡­ treating me¡­ like¡­ this,¡± I manage to weakly cough out. I feel something strange inside of me¡­


    Suddenly, Fake Ashley looks at me with alarm. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ what are you doing?¡± She asks frantically.


    <hr>


    And suddenly, I¡¯m back in the backyard, sitting on the ground by the orange tree. As peaceful as if none of it had ever happened.


    However, someone new is here. A few feet away from me is a gorgeous woman. She has flowing blonde hair and an ornate, patterned green dress that sways freely in the wind, occasionally revealing more of her smooth legs and bare feet. But her most conspicuous feature was a pair of wings that came from her back, clear like a dragonfly¡¯s. She was holding the basket of oranges I had picked earlier.


    ¡°Um¡­ hello?¡± I say uncertainly. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am thou, thou art I¡­¡± she giggles a little bit. ¡°Zoe, it¡¯s time for me to lend you my power.¡±


    She gestures at the basket. ¡°You¡¯ve done good work. But why live your whole life for the sake of others? Maybe you should do something for yourself for once.¡±


    ¡°B-but, working for the good of others is a virtue!¡± I argue. ¡°It¡¯s how we should live as Christians.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but which others, Zoe?¡± she replies. ¡°What if you¡¯re ordered to do nothing when something needs you? Or to do the wrong thing? In that case¡­ you have sinned. In what you¡¯ve done, and in what you¡¯ve left undone.¡±


    I sit there for a moment, understanding of what she¡¯s saying dawning upon me.


    I rise to my feet. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    She smiles proudly at me. ¡°Good. Lovely as it is, it¡¯s time to leave this place behind¡­ forever this time.¡±


    <hr>


    My body begins to convulse. A mask appears on her face, and as if following orders, I reach up and tear it off. The pain is unbearable for a moment, and I scream in a shrill voice, blood pouring out of where the mask was removed. Then, my body is engulfed in blue fire, and I can feel myself being reborn from the flames... I emerge wearing a golden headband over my hair, a fancy dress with a sparkly gold torso and short sleeves, a flowing white skirt, and a gorgerine with a complex green and red pattern hanging over my shoulders. I¡¯m now carrying a gold-plated semi-auto shotgun with a thin barrel.


    Fake Ashley looks at me with mild annoyance. ¡°Well, I guess I should¡¯ve just killed you back in the house, then. I thought I¡¯d drag you into the Shadow Realm and have a nice feast at your expense¡­ but whatever. Have it your way.¡± Then, in the blink of an eye, she lunges for me.

 Chapter 36: All Alone (September 22 Part 2)

    <Zoe>


    She grabs me by my throat and lifts me into the air and I¡¯m suffocating, but I quickly reach my hands around my new shotgun and fire it into her stomach, finding it to use the same process as firing a shotgun in the real world. This stuns Fake Ashley well enough to get her to release me. I already know from prior experience that this won¡¯t stop her for long, but this is all I need; I take the moment she is healing the wound to run away and take cover behind some of the pews.


    ¡°Wow, now this is a first!¡± I hear her call jeeringly after a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone awaken their Persona and then immediately run away before!¡±


    I stay crouched behind the pew, silently. She can¡¯t see me, right¡­?


    The air rushes out of my lunges as I start flying straight up and through the air towards Fake Ashley.


    I have no chance of winning or even getting away like this¡­ but unlocking your Persona is supposed to give you some sort of magic, right? There has to be something I can do¡­


    In a rush, I outstretch a hand and try something. Fake Ashley seems to be shrouded in some type of aura.


    ¡°You g-¡­ huh¡­ what are you¡­¡± she says incoherently.


    It must have worked, because I feel myself suddenly fall to the floor, as if gravity had been turned back on. In front of me, Fake Ashley¡¯s eyes shut, and she suddenly falls over onto the floor, motionless.


    Wow¡­ did I do that? She¡¯s still breathing¡­ she must just be asleep.


    If that¡¯s the case, I better use this opportunity to go hide somewhere. I waste no time in turning around and dashing out of the church sanctuary.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    We finally arrive back at my house. I don¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary, but this is where Zoe would¡¯ve been when I left, so she can¡¯t be far.


    I put up my right arm to signal the others to stop. I listen for sounds of a scuffle happening inside.


    I do hear something¡­ but it¡¯s not coming from the house. It¡¯s coming from our right. I hear a sort of low grunting sound.


    ¡°You hear that?¡± I ask the others.


    ¡°Yeah. Sounds like someone who¡¯s in pain,¡± Anja observes.


    ¡°Come on.¡± I take off in the direction of the noise.


    The noise turns out to be coming from Ted, who is lying in the middle of the road. He looks really bad. His shell has several large dents and bruises, and the impact of whatever happened left him barely conscious.


    Anja lets out a loud gasp upon seeing him and kneels next to him. ¡°Oh my goodness¡­ what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Moloch¡­ disguised¡­ Zoe with him¡­¡± Ted groans.


    I feel a charge in my blood at these words. ¡°Where are they?¡± I demand.


    ¡°In the church¡­ here¡­¡±


    He must mean the Methodist Church¡­ Without further ado, I run towards it.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    After hearing this, Ashley immediately runs off in the direction of the church, leaving Anja and I behind with Ted.


    ¡°Ted, we need to get you healed up!¡± Anja croons over him. ¡°Here, let me¡­¡±


    Ted, however, shakes his head. ¡°Too much¡­ take me back¡­¡±


    ¡°T¡­ Take you back?¡± Anja asks, confused.


    ¡°I think he needs you to take him back to the regular world,¡± I tell her. ¡°I think he¡¯s saying¡­ his HP is zero. We can¡¯t heal him, and he¡¯s just gonna lose consciousness and die.¡±


    Ted nods.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take him back. You go help Ashley rescue Zoe,¡± Anja tells me.


    ¡°Got it,¡± I agree.


    She uses her Metaverse app to take herself and Ted back. I take off in the same direction that Ashley went.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I arrive at the church to once again see that things are eerily quiet. Ted¡¯s limited wording suggested that they went inside the church, so I fling open the door so hard that it fills the hall with a loud bang.


    My eyes scan the entry hall quickly, but there is still nobody around. Where could they have gone?


    Then, somebody runs into the hallway, and I immediately turn towards them, startled¡­ Then, I am flooded with relief when I see that it¡¯s Zoe. Thank God, she¡¯s okay¡­


    I run over to her and immediately wrap my arms around her, just feeling her pressed up against me for a while.


    But then, I have to release her, knowing that we¡¯re probably still in danger. ¡°Zoe, is Moloch still here? Where has he gone?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still around here somewhere,¡± she tells me seriously.


    It¡¯s then that I notice something¡­ Zoe¡¯s outfit has changed, meaning that she must¡¯ve had to awaken her Persona. Her outfit is a very regal, but it also has a distinctly foreign air to it. In contrast, her weapon of choice is a shotgun, one that looks pretty close to a good old-fashioned Remington. Even if it¡¯s plated gold, it helps retain a piece of her rural southern heritage.


    ¡°Hey, nice outfit,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she says. Suddenly, her eyes pop open. ¡°Ashley, look! Behind you!¡±


    I whirl around to find¡­ nothing. I¡¯m about to ask what she was referring to, but then, I feel a pair hands clench my throat from my behind, and I quickly begin suffocating.


    God damn it¡­ I¡¯m an idiot.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ you thought it was your precious girlfriend, but it was me, Moloch,¡± she says. Though she says it in Zoe¡¯s voice, it¡¯s in a twisted, evil tone that just sounds totally wrong for her.


    I thrash desperately to try to escape, but her grip only grows stronger. Hell, at this point she might snap my neck before I can finish suffocating.


    Thankfully, at that point, some others run through the front door; Nova charges in first, and following him closely is¡­ Zoe again, presumably the real one this time.


    Nova, quickly discerning what is happening, shoots a lightning bolt at Moloch, knocking her against the wall and causing her to lose grip on my neck. I take the opportunity to desperately gulp air back into my lungs.


    ¡°Thanks, Nova,¡± I tell him, as he and Zoe approach me.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the real one, right?¡± Zoe asks, looking at me cautiously.


    ¡°I might ask you the same thing,¡± I reply.


    Unfortunately, our reunion is cut short by Moloch re-emerging from the shadows, giving us all a spiteful look which, once again, doesn¡¯t suit being on Zoe¡¯s face at all.


    ¡°Alrighty then. I see you¡¯re too smart for garden variety trickery. We¡¯ll have to do things the old-fashioned way,¡± she announces.


    ¡°Bring it! It¡¯s three against one now!¡± Nova shouts. ¡°You don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    Moloch snickers. Then, she clasps both fists in midair, which causes the church¡¯s roof to collapse in. Reacting quickly, I jump out of the way of the falling debris but am still knocked to the ground by a chunk of rock striking my shoulder. From there, a bunch of smaller debris pelts me, burying me under a pile of rock. I begin trying to push it off of me, but it¡¯s heavy and my arms hurt from the fall, meaning that I¡¯m stuck for now.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    I can do nothing but pathetically lie on the floor for a while, having several bruises on my body and legs from the falling rocks. I only managed to avoid being totally covered by the rubble because I was the one nearest to the archway. All of the debris and dust everywhere makes me feel claustrophobic... I start pushing the rubble off of my legs so I can be free.


    And then I see¡­ myself. The form that the demon took to fool Ashley. Standing over me, with a twisted, hungry expression.


    ¡°Well, now it looks like all of your friends are incapacitated¡± she says, flashing a wicked grin. She takes a huge breath in, like someone smelling their favorite pie, and is so stimulated by it that she twitches a little bit. ¡°Ah yes, those falling ceiling chunks hurt, didn¡¯t they? I can taste it¡­ Such a wonderful, wonderful taste...¡±


    I don¡¯t like how close she¡¯s getting to me, so I grab my shotgun and fire it straight at her. With amazing reflexes, she uses telekinesis to bend the path of the bullets away from her without even flinching. She then kicks me hard in my right arm, creating yet another bruise and causing me to drop the gun.


    ¡°Nice try, but did you really think I wouldn¡¯t see that coming?¡± she taunts, still grinning. She squats behind me and grabs my arms. ¡°Well, it¡¯s back to the original plan now. Through the portal we go.¡±


    All of a sudden, Nova appears from the rubble, somehow completely unharmed. Quick as a flash, he slams into Fake Me with his hammer, knocking her all the way to the other side of the hall.


    Then, he reaches out his hand for me, which I take with my own. He hurriedly fumbles with his phone. I can feel myself leaving the Metaverse, and in the last few moments before I fade out of it entirely, I hear a terrible scream of fury rend the room¡­


    <hr>


    I appear again inside the church, back in the regular world, my body whole again, and dressed in the pajamas I went to bed in. All of my cuts and bruises are thankfully gone now, but I still find myself momentarily frozen from the shock.


    ¡°Wow¡­ I had no idea how I was gonna get out from under there,¡± Ashley comments, pulling herself to a sitting position. ¡°Great work, Nova.¡±


    She shuffles over to me and wraps me into her arms. ¡°Zoe¡­ are you okay? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± I reply reassuringly. ¡°I just¡­ need a minute.¡± Ashley seems to understand what I mean, and brushes through my hair a little bit.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ where are Anja and Ted?¡± Ashley asks suddenly. ¡°Are they still in there with that maniac?¡±


    ¡°No, they left already,¡± Nova reassures her.


    Regardless, Ashley quickly gets to her feet, and gives me her hand to do the same. ¡°Well, before we get too relaxed, we should go and make sure they got out okay,¡± she asserts.


    I take her hand and stand up. Even though there¡¯s nothing wrong with my legs, they still feel really weak, so I almost fall over before I gain my balance back.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re safe now,¡± Ashley croons to me. I nod in acknowledgement, and we briskly walk out of the church still holding hands.


    We exit the church, having to unlock the door to get out, and start back in the direction of Ashley¡¯s house.


    We see Anja and Ted both by the road, Anja sitting on the ground and Ted in her lap. They both thankfully look unharmed, though Anja looks very mad about something¡­


    ¡°Excellent. Glad to see that we all made it out,¡± Ashley says upon reaching them.


    ¡°Ashley, what the hell were you thinking?¡± Anja accosts her. ¡°Why did you leave Ted behind here? If we had been a few minutes later, he could¡¯ve died! Like, in the real world too!¡±


    Ashley¡¯s expression quickly shifts from relieved to indignant. ¡°Well Anja, I was thinking ¡®Wow, I better get to Nova¡¯s place as soon as possible to help out.¡¯ And to pick up Ted on the way would¡¯ve been a major detour.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, he could¡¯ve been useful to us during the fight!¡± Anja snaps back.


    ¡°Well¡­ Ted being here probably did save me from being kidnapped,¡± I say to the others. ¡°He was the one who alerted me of that other Ashley being a fake one.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sure. Take her side then,¡± Anja says to me coldly.


    I feel very sheepish all of a sudden. ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    ¡°Think about it the other way, too,¡± Nova cuts in. ¡°If Ashley had gone to go get Ted, then both of them would¡¯ve been there to intercept Moloch. Then Ashley could¡¯ve told us about the ruse, and we could¡¯ve gotten there a lot sooner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what is the point of all these ¡®what ifs¡¯?¡± Ashley says, looking haughty and starting to lose her temper. ¡°We all got out of there okay! That¡¯s all that matters!¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good sign that you seem to think of other team members as being expendable,¡± Anja accuses calmly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that at all! I had no reason to believe at the time that Ted was in any immediate danger!¡± Ashley says defensively. She sighs very loudly. ¡°Ted, what do you think? Should I have stopped by to get you on the way?¡±


    ¡°I think that you kids are all out past your bedtimes,¡± he says bluntly, ¡°and it¡¯s making you grouchy. We can talk about this in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wanna go home and go back to sleep!¡± Nova complains. ¡°Can someone drive me home? It¡¯ll take way too long to walk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d really rather not wake up my parents at 2 AM and try to explain why they need to drive two of my friends home,¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°Well, it would be much harder to walk to your place from here now, since we no longer have our extended endurance from being in the Metaverse,¡± Anja reasons. ¡°Plus, it¡¯d be dangerous. And suspicious looking if you ran into any cops. At least in the Metaverse we could sneak past most of the shadows wandering around. How about this- my place is much closer to here, so we can make our way there and then I¡¯ll drive you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that works,¡± Nova agrees. Anja sets Ted back on the ground and gets on her feet.


    ¡°Thank you very much for helping me get out of there,¡± I say to Ted politely. I look at Nova. ¡°And the same to you.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I wasn¡¯t gonna just leave you two there,¡± he replies. ¡°C¡¯mon, Anja, let¡¯s go. I feel like I¡¯m gonna be sick if I¡¯m awake for much longer.¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Zoe and I make our way back to my place. Thankfully, the back door is unlocked, as I wasn¡¯t looking forward to having to use the Metaverse to get back in and risking running into Moloch again.


    We quietly open and close the door, and then tip toe through the living room and back into our hallway.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get some sleep,¡± I tell Zoe in a low voice as we arrive at her room.


    ¡°Um¡­ can I sleep with you tonight?¡± She whispers back. ¡°Right before I ended up in that other world, I was having this horrible dream where I was drowning in oil¡­ I¡¯m worried it might happen again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure,¡± I say, leading her to my room instead. This does make me wonder¡­ how on earth did Zoe even get into the Metaverse to begin with? Furthermore, what was Moloch¡¯s operation supposed to be here? His actions honestly seem totally irrational in hindsight¡­ but my brain is too fuzzy to think about this right now, so I try and put it out of my mind.


    Anyways, Zoe and I snuggle up together in my bed, and I¡¯m back asleep in no time.


    <hr>


    I¡¯m in the middle of what looks like a football field, sitting down. I¡¯m wearing a loose white t-shirt, short shorts and tennis shoes, just like I would be during practice. I can¡¯t see the stands, but I can just¡­ feel that there are people there. I feel a strong sense of hostility coming from each and every one of them. It makes me feel very much alone.


    Then, I see someone walk up to me. It¡¯s my mom. Ominously, her eyes are glowing red, and dislike is etched into her features.


    ¡°LIKE MAGGOTS, THE SPAWN OF MY OLD ENEMIES CRAWL OUT OF THE GARBAGE TO IRRITATE ME AGAIN!¡± She says. Her voice is horrible and unnatural, echoing throughout the whole stadium. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE THINK THAT YOU¡¯VE WON. ALL YOU DID WAS RUN AWAY, BECAUSE YOU WISELY JUDGED THAT YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF BEATING ME. THIS IS MY COUNTRY, YOU HEAR ME? THE CHURCH IS MY BITCH! THE MEDIA IS MY BITCH! AND SOON, EVEN THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE MY BITCH! YOU CAN¡¯T CHANGE ANYTHING. EVEN IF YOU DO SOMEHOW MANAGE TO CHANGE YOUR PASTOR¡¯S HEART, IT¡¯LL BE INSIGNIFICANT IN THE GRANDER SCHEME OF THINGS!¡±


    Seeing my mother yell at me like this, combined with the generally oppressive atmosphere, is absolutely horrible. I feel like I may break down from it¡­


    ¡°ANYWAYS, TAKE THAT MESSAGE TO HEART, AND NEVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN, UNLESS YOU WANT TO END UP LIKE POOR SUZY¡­¡±


    At that point, my vision started to blur and become tinted red. My head is pounding, pulsing so hard that I can see my own heartbeat. The football field disappears, and instead I am in some sort of empty room. In front of me now are three little girls, sitting on the floor. They can¡¯t be older than 10. One of them is a Hispanic girl with bushy hair; one has straight, blonde hair; and one looks sort of androgynous, with medium length brown hair sort of like Anja¡¯s and glasses. All three of them look extremely scared and helpless¡­ The blonde one in particular is crying. I feel nausea in my stomach. There¡¯s something horribly wrong with what I¡¯m seeing. I fight it the best that I can. No, I don¡¯t want to see this. I want to wake up. WAKE UP¡­


    The room disappears, and I hear a malicious laugh in my ears, so loud it seems to fill my very soul. Now, all I can see is a strange, red and black spiral, which I seem to be falling down infinitely.


    ¡°YOU STILL GOT SOME SPUNK!¡± The voice says again. ¡°WELL, MAYBE I SHOULD GO BACK AND TORMENT MY EASIER TARGETS FOR A WHILE. BUT DON¡¯T WORRY¡­ I¡¯LL BE BACK LATER TO FINISH OFF YOUR LITTLE GANG. SO IN THE MEANTIME, DON¡¯T YOU DARE MISBEHAVE, ASHLEY. ASHLEY. ASHLEY¡­¡±


    <hr>


    The spiral fades from my vision, and I¡¯m back in my room. The lights are on, and Zoe is on top of me, trying to shake me awake. My heart is racing way too fast, and I have to pant to keep up with it.


    ¡°Ashley, are you awake?¡± Zoe simpers, looking extremely worried.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ what¡­?¡±


    ¡°While we were sleeping, you started thrashing around like you were having a seizure¡­ it was really scary,¡± Zoe explains.


    ¡°Are you okay? Do you need something to drink?¡± Mom asks me. I turn my head, just now noticing that she was at my bedside. For some reason, the sight of her makes me feel an inexplicable sense of dread.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ and maybe an exorcism, too,¡± I say weakly. ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°About 3:30 AM,¡± Mom replies. She¡¯s giving me a dark look. I hope that she doesn¡¯t think my ¡°exorcism¡± comment was serious.


    ¡°What was happening to you?¡± Zoe asks me.


    ¡°I was having a really bad dream¡­ I think,¡± I explain. I try to remember what it had been about. I remember feeling really alone¡­ someone was lecturing me with incoherent rambling¡­ something about three little girls¡­ It¡¯s all fuzzy in my head now.


    ¡°Okay. Well, try and calm yourself down. I¡¯ll go get some water,¡± Mom says to me. As she¡¯s getting up, however, I get a sudden, random urge.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I say to her. ¡°Do you still love me?¡±


    She turns back and looks at me with a sympathetic expression. ¡°Of course I do, sweetie.¡± She bends over and gives me a kiss on the forehead, before leaving the room.


    I don¡¯t know what possessed me to ask that. I feel kind of stupid about it now. Still, her simple assurance made me feel a lot calmer. It makes me feel a sense of contentment from deep inside of me that¡¯s hard to describe. Then, I suddenly realize this is the first time she¡¯s called me ¡°sweetie¡± in years¡­


    ¡°Ashley? You look really sad about something,¡± Zoe says to me. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay,¡± I respond, trying to get myself back together. ¡°Let¡¯s just try and not go on any more late-night Metaverse adventures if we can help it. I think that experience somehow addled my brain¡­¡±


    Zoe nods in agreement. ¡°Yeah, that whole thing was really scary¡­¡±


    With that, my mom brings me a glass of water and bids us good night, thankfully not making any comment about us being in the same bed. After drinking some, I say a quick prayer that Zoe and I will be able to sleep at least a few more hours without any more nightmares, and I go back to bed.

 Chapter 37: Hive Mind (September 22 Part 3)

    <Anja>


    ¡°It¡¯s time to wake up,¡± I hear my father say.


    Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t wanna¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve already let you sleep in fifteen minutes. You need to get breakfast.¡±


    I reluctantly tear my eyes open and start getting into a sitting position. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be out in a minute,¡± I tell him. He closes the door.


    Bleh. As if Mondays weren¡¯t already bad enough, having to go on a mini adventure in the middle of the night wasn¡¯t good for my sleep cycle. It wouldn¡¯t have been so bad, except I kept myself up later than I should¡¯ve by thinking about this Metaverse stuff. Not like I was really able to conclude much.


    Upon getting out of my bed, I find that my body is not happy with me for the events of the night¡­ maybe I should stay home sick today. Anyways, either way I better go out and get some waffles.


    As usual, Dad is sitting in the living room watching TV. As I¡¯m heating up the waffles, I like to catch a couple of news stories.


    Apparently there was a climate change demonstration in New York City yesterday. Cool.


    Sierra Leone is on lockdown to stop the spread of Ebola. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not there, that sounds horrible.


    Wildfires in California are getting worse. I hope that gets resolved soon.


    ¡°So Anja¡­ what were you doing in the middle of the night?¡± Dad asks me unexpectedly. ¡°I heard your car start.¡±


    Awh, shit! I¡¯ve been caught! Well, I guess I better tell the truth- or part of it, at least.


    ¡°I¡­ had to give one of my friends a ride home,¡± I answer, as I take my now finished waffles out.


    ¡°Really? At that hour?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He, uh, went on a walk, and got lost.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to be out walking around the town that late at night!¡±


    I give a fake laugh. ¡°Yeah, he, uh, makes pretty poor life decisions. But you know¡­ I don¡¯t have that many friends. So when one of them needs me¡­ I want to be there for them.¡±


    ¡°Well, I certainly understand that. Just make sure that he knows to not put you in that situation again.¡±


    ¡°Oh trust me, I will,¡± I say while smothering my waffles with syrup. ¡°I gave him an earful the whole way home¡­¡±


    Ha! I did it! The powers of emotional manipulation pulled me through. I guess some of Mom¡¯s politicking skills got passed down to me after all.


    <hr>


    I arrive at the library to see that the others didn¡¯t sleep any better than I did. Ashley looks visibly grouchy, but is still keeping herself awake enough to furiously fumble through a set of flash cards. Zoe is leaning on her shoulder, her eyes only half open. Nova is asleep on the floor, using his backpack as a pillow.


    I take my seat across from Ashley. ¡°So, we all made it here, somehow,¡± I say conversationally.


    Ashley puts her flashcards down. ¡°Yeah, somehow. Did you have any nightmares?¡±


    ¡°Uh, me? No,¡± I reply.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ why was it just me then?¡± She asks nobody in particular.


    ¡°Well, I did have this one weird dream a couple nights ago. I was standing at the front of a boat, like that one scene in Titanic. Then, in the distance I saw these flying fish, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me explain why I asked you that,¡± Ashley cuts me off sharply. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and I have a feeling that the nightmare I had last night was actually a sort of parting message from Moloch.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? What was it like?¡±


    ¡°I barely remember it. But I do remember that it started in that football stadium area. The one we stumbled across in Pavia¡¯s palace. My brain may have just been recycling the imagery¡­ but somehow, I don¡¯t think so. Someone was standing over me, rambling at me. They looked like my mom, but it wasn¡¯t really her¡­ this person was clearly someone evil. It was mostly just a bunch of nonsense, honestly. I can¡¯t really remember anything specific from it. But then, I saw these three little girls¡­ and the other person said something about how they were going to go ¡®terrorize easier targets¡¯ or something, and that they would ¡®be back for us later.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ that¡¯s interesting,¡± I say. ¡°If you¡¯re right, and this was some sort of weird message from Moloch¡­ that would imply that we¡¯re not the only ones. There may be another team out there also trying to work against him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Ashley says, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Lucy about that when I get a chance. I would do it now, but...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to end up back in Tentacle Rape Forest,¡± I finish for her.


    At these words, Zoe¡¯s eyes suddenly fly open. ¡°Wh- what¡­ did you say?¡± She asks, a look of utter horror on her face.


    ¡°We¡¯ve discovered that there¡¯s a palace right here at the school,¡± Ashley explains to her. ¡°So obviously, we can¡¯t enter the Metaverse here willy nilly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible¡­ who could it belong to?¡± Zoe wonders.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°We have no idea,¡± Ashley tells her. ¡°We really should go through it at some point, but I think it¡¯d be a good idea to learn about who it belongs to first.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We need to have an idea of how the cognition is distorted or whatever. Like Lucy said.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And on that note¡­ I have a theory.¡±


    ¡°Do tell!¡±


    ¡°I think that what happened to the Baptist church is a palace as well, just one of a different sort. It appears differently because it¡¯s not just the palace of one person; it¡¯s the palace of the whole community.¡±


    ¡°Wow, interesting theory. That would explain those weird pools we found.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And thankfully, Zoe¡¯s whole situation has given us some idea of how the church will act when it¡¯s under pressure. They all seem intent on keeping the status quo, even when doing so defies all logic. In addition, they all seem to look after their own, until ¡®their own¡¯ challenges said status quo. Based on the testimony of my parents, the others in the church are overwhelmingly siding with Zoe¡¯s parents on the issue, even though they¡¯re literally having to make shit up to look better.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. So, bearing that in mind, what do you think the palace will be like?¡± I ask her.


    She thinks about it for a moment. ¡°Maybe like¡­ zombies. You know, everyone just doing their thing mindlessly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe. I was thinking¡­ it¡¯s almost sort of like the military,¡± I suggest. ¡°It¡¯s all just about following orders¡­ don¡¯t ask any questions, just listen to your superiors. Any deviation from the norm will be harshly punished. After all¡­ isn¡¯t that just what religion is?¡±


    Ashley gives me a stern look for this. ¡°No, it is not! But it does unfortunately give power-hungry people an easy way of emotionally manipulating others, which is why it often turns out that way,¡± she admits begrudgingly.


    Ashley glances at Nova, who¡¯s still fast asleep on the floor. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll probably have to re-explain all of that to these two, unfortunately,¡± she laments.


    ¡°Wha¡­ No, I was paying attention,¡± Zoe says unconvincingly. But I know better¡­ I saw her fall back asleep while we were talking about palaces.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Time for a Human Geo quiz again. It couldn¡¯t have possibly been on a worse day, but whatever. I don¡¯t get to pick when I randomly get supernaturally assaulted.


    Diana is now pretending that I don¡¯t exist, which is perfectly fine with me. That said, my studying is still interrupted by someone who I wish didn¡¯t exist¡­


    ¡°Hey Aaashley. Can I borrow your cards?¡± Mason says to me tauntingly. ¡°I need your cards, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood today,¡± I tell him bluntly.


    ¡°You¡¯re never in the mood,¡± he says, sneering at me.


    I¡¯m in the middle of thinking of some horrifyingly violent threat I can tell him, but before I can, he starts speaking again.


    ¡°Hey¡­ like I told your friends, I didn¡¯t know about you and Zoe when I asked her to the dance,¡± he told me. ¡°Just wanted to make sure you knew that since you seem to be the possessive type.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I really don¡¯t care,¡± I tell him, trying to block him out so I can get back to reviewing.


    ¡°I just¡­ hope there¡¯s no bad blood between us,¡± he says. ¡°I mean, between Zoe and I. I know there¡¯s bad blood between us, because you¡¯re a total bitch. It¡¯s inevitable.¡±


    And the quizzes are being handed out, which means that asshole cost me my last minute of studying time. What was that about? Was that his idea of an apology or something?


    <hr>


    <Collin>


    Dad¡¯s out somewhere when we get home from school, so I take this perfect opportunity to get some TV watching in¡­ Hell yeah, Adventure Time is on.


    I¡¯ve only barely gotten settled when the phone starts ringing. I mute the TV and pick it up.


    ¡°Parker residence,¡± my Mom says, right as I¡¯m opening my mouth to say hello. She must have already picked up the other phone in the master bedroom.


    ¡°Hey, honey. You somewhere private?¡± I hear Dad¡¯s voice say.


    ¡°Yes I am,¡± Mom replies.


    Oh wow¡­ they didn¡¯t hear me get on. I feel like I should hang up¡­ but also, I¡¯m kinda curious what they¡¯re going to talk about¡­


    ¡°Well, just talked to Hurt again. Sounds like the police aren¡¯t gonna be any help to us tomorrow,¡± Dad explains.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad to hear,¡± Mom says.


    ¡°Yep. Nobody¡¯s buying our version of events, Marie. Hurt went down to their house just yesterday and talked with Zoe one on one. You know what she said? She said that she was there of her own accord, she wasn¡¯t being forced to do anything, and she didn¡¯t want to go home. Well, that makes our story look like a whole bunch of kablooey. And he totally bought it, too. Told us we were wastin¡¯ the time of the police! He even asked what he had done to make her leave. If this keeps up, we may have a child neglect case on our hands.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, Abram. That¡¯s most disappointing to hear. Caught between a rock and a hard place, are we?¡±


    ¡°Yep. You¡¯re quick on the uptake as usual. Now, our church believes the story, but the officials don¡¯t. And if we just let her go, well, the church is gonna wonder why we got ¡®em so riled up, aren¡¯t they? So there¡¯s only one thing to do. We gotta go get her back and get her treated at that hospital Jared told us about. The issue is, that comes with its own challenges. Those folks are stubborn as bulls, and they made it clear they¡¯re not gonna let us just walk in and take her. If we do try, it could be a huge incident. Possibly one that involves a lot of crying and screaming. That doesn¡¯t make us look good either.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s the best option we got. Sounds like the other options are riskier. Unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatcha thinking, hon?¡±


    ¡°If we got Jared to vouch for us, he¡¯d be able to smooth things over. People trust in him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, those Davis folks sure don¡¯t trust in him anymore. After those big, bleedin¡¯ heart speeches?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t talking about them, dear. I¡¯m talking about the others at the church. Let¡¯s face it. Those folks aren¡¯t really bad people. And no matter how hard we try, nobody¡¯s gonna believe that they¡¯re bad.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that we do just drop it, then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And Jared can help the others see that we had no choice.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that could work¡­ but would he, Marie? I don¡¯t think Jared would let us off the hook. Remember, he¡¯s the one who came up with that idea for the conversion whatnot.¡±


    ¡°Awh, dang it. Maybe not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Marie. We¡¯re gonna have to stick to our guns. It¡¯s the only way.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing, honey¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    There¡¯s a pause, as Mom takes a few deep breathes before going on.


    ¡°This whole ordeal¡¯s been real hard on Collin. You know that boy was always close with her. He took to her like he never took to either of his brothers. Always made me wonder if he¡¯s not¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh honey, don¡¯t say anything like that. I never want to have to go through this firestorm of events ever again.¡±


    ¡°I know, me neither. But that boy¡¯s already been misbehaving¡¯ worse than ever. What if we get Zoe off to that hospital and¡­ he does something reckless?¡±


    There¡¯s a moment of silence, in which all I hear are both sides breathing.


    ¡°One child suddenly running off¡­ we can spin that. Two children¡­ well, that becomes a harder sell.¡±


    ¡°Exactly right, Abram. And I just can¡¯t bring myself to tear apart my family even more.¡±


    ¡°Well, I certainly understand that. It would seem to go against the underlying idea of ¡®family values¡¯ if half of our kids are gone by the end of it. Hmm¡­ tell you what, let¡¯s talk about this when I get home. I need to run a couple of other errands, and I¡¯ll think it all over. We may just be able to win our way out of this one if we play our cards right. But you¡¯re right. There¡¯s a lot at stake here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, hon. Talk to you when you get home, then. Bye bye.¡±


    Both of them hang up. I just sit there for a while, suddenly feeling very cold. I really wish I hadn¡¯t chosen to eavesdrop¡­ that was a look into my parents¡¯ ways of thinking I really didn¡¯t need.


    I no longer have any desire to watch TV, so I turn it off and go into my room.

 Chapter 38: The Ultimate Evil (September 22 Part 4)

    <Ashley>


    After school, I finally sit down and have a talk with Lucy about everything that happened yesterday, as well as what we¡¯re planning to do next. I much prefer talking over the phone to writing, as the latter cramps my hand after a while, so I went on a short walk to the Methodist Church and entered from there. In the Metaverse, the church is still utterly demolished. I do this in part so that Ted can listen to our conversation, since the others I can just message about it later.


    I give Lucy a full account of the previous night¡¯s events, including the upsetting dream that I had afterward, and the conversation that Anja and I had in the library. She is silent for a moment after I finish.


    ¡°Wow.¡± She finally says. ¡°I¡¯m very impressed that you all made it out of there alive. I¡¯m so glad I thought to give you all the app.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful as well,¡± I reply. ¡°Although they still seemed to be one step ahead of us. I doubt they would have set up a decoy with the Trooper if they weren¡¯t expecting a coordinated reaction from us.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But Ms. Trooper went and blew the advantage they had with her slip of the tongue about Zoe. Based on your accounts of recent events, I¡¯m surprised at her incompetent behavior. It seems as if she has slipped over the years. Once upon a time, she was quite a clever opponent.¡±


    ¡°Maybe her statement about Zoe was on purpose?¡± I theorize. ¡°Maybe Moloch told her to say something like that after a certain period of time, so that we could gather where Zoe was and he could finish us off.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Ashley. I don¡¯t think you really comprehend what he was trying to do last night.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, honestly I really don¡¯t. Moloch¡¯s plan didn¡¯t make any sense to me.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense to me, but¡­ getting you to understand is going to require quite a bit of elaboration on Moloch¡¯s past behavior.¡±


    ¡°Well, go ahead then. I¡¯m in the Metaverse, so I got time. And I don¡¯t think Ted¡¯s got anything to do today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very amusing, lass,¡± Ted growls at me.


    ¡°Alrighty then. Let¡¯s get started,¡± Lucy begins. ¡°The first thing that you need to know about Moloch is that he is powered by human suffering.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You know, that actually lines up with some of what Zoe told me,¡± I observe. ¡°She told me that there were some moments that night where Moloch seemed ¡®hungry¡¯ and said something about ¡®having a meal¡¯ while she was in pain from something.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s typical of him,¡± Lucy affirms. ¡°I know many of us have a sadistic streak to our imaginations, but Moloch¡¯s a little bit different than that. He literally needs the power he gets from people¡¯s pain to keep on living, both on a personal and global level. This is the rationale behind his facilitation of the creation of palaces, as he is effectively getting people to generate new suffering for him by empowering those who hurt others.¡±


    ¡°Aye, it also explains his brutal attack style,¡± Ted comments. ¡°Bastard could have killed me in a second, but instead I was left to slowly bleed out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a really damn good thing that our Personas are restored when we leave the Metaverse,¡± I note. ¡°Otherwise Ted and I would basically be bloody piles of body parts right now.¡±


    ¡°I admire your resilience,¡± Lucy says. ¡°It takes someone with thicker skin than average to go against Moloch, and both of you match that quality admirably. Bearing this in mind, it should make sense to you now why Moloch doesn¡¯t go for the quick kill most of the time.¡±


    ¡°Except for at the very end, when he did,¡± I object. ¡°Damn dude nearly snapped my neck. It was uncomfortable, sure, but still not the most painful way to die.¡±


    ¡°Moloch probably thought that, with his plans for Zoe foiled, it would be in his best interests to wing it and try and take out as many of the rest of you as he could. And since he caught you alone, trying to kill you quickly was in his best interests. Think about it this way: if he got to torture one of you, that would¡¯ve been like eating a meal he liked: nourishing and enjoyable. But if he killed you, and that made the rest of the team give up and stop infiltrating palaces, that would be like improving the quality of air in the place you live in. In the long term, the latter is much better for your overall health. If you had to pick between eating a Big Mac and having your town gassed with methane, or going without lunch but letting the air remain clear, you should pick the latter. There¡¯s no comparison.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what he wanted to do with Zoe, huh?¡± I respond. ¡°Kidnap her and hope that causes the rest of us to back off? Well, it wouldn¡¯t have worked. Even for what he did to her and everyone else last night, I want to find that bastard and wipe him from the face of the earth.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be motivated only by revenge,¡± Ted gripes at me. ¡°That¡¯s not how you were called to live.¡±


    ¡°You sound like my mom,¡± I snap back at him. ¡°If you knew how it felt, you¡¯d think the same way.¡±


    ¡°I know much more about how it feels than you know, girl. Don¡¯t test me!¡± he growls. For the first time since I¡¯ve known him, he sounds legitimately angry with me. I guess I probably triggered a memory of something from his human life.


    ¡°Ted has a point, Ashley,¡± Lucy intervenes. ¡°Trust me, I get it. I hate Moloch with all my heart for what he did to my old teammates, and others I¡¯ve worked with along the way. But you need to remember the bigger picture, too. Getting rid of him will allow humanity as a whole to walk forward.¡±


    ¡°Right. I get it,¡± I agree begrudgingly.


    ¡°At any rate, part of the reason why I know what he was trying to do is because he¡¯s pulled this same stunt before,¡± Lucy explains. ¡°What you suspected from your dream is partially correct¡­ there was once another team of young people I was working with to try and bring down Moloch. Unfortunately, Moloch was able to capture one of the friends of the team members, who was named Suzy, and drag her into the Shadow Realm. They thought that she was dead¡­ the truth was actually worse than that. She re-emerged in the middle of a nearby forest two weeks later, naked and completely deranged. Her mind had been totally broken, to the point where she had lost the capacity for language. She¡¯s been in a psych ward ever since, with no sign of recovery so far. After this, the rest of the team got cold feet and called it quits.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    There¡¯s a stunned silence following this rather horrifying story. The name ¡®Suzy¡¯ sounds familiar to me from somewhere, but I can¡¯t quite place it. Whoever she was, she was extremely unfortunate¡­ I suddenly feel very afraid. If that had happened to Zoe¡­ I don¡¯t want to think about it. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have gotten her involved with any of this¡­


    But wait¡­ Zoe didn¡¯t even have her Persona or the app yet, but she still somehow ended up in the Metaverse. This brings me to a question I was going to ask¡­


    ¡°On that note¡­ how the hell did Zoe get into the Metaverse that night?¡± I question Lucy. ¡°I had brought her in there the day before, but there¡¯s no way she should¡¯ve been in there when I went back in to go help Nova.¡±


    ¡°Right. He only does this extremely rarely, but Moloch has the ability to drag people into the Metaverse with him if they haven¡¯t awakened a Persona yet.¡±


    I am very alarmed by this information. ¡°Wait, seriously? But that¡¯s horrible. He could literally do that at any time to any of our loved ones!¡±


    ¡°I guess he could. But he won¡¯t,¡± Lucy assures me. ¡°It takes a massive amount of energy from him to do so. I think after doing that, and then failing to extensively torture anyone, he¡¯s probably gonna be out for months now. It¡¯s not practical for him to do that on any sort of regular basis. The only real net benefit of his plan from last night would¡¯ve been breaking up your team. Any torture time only would¡¯ve partially recouped his losses.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that makes me feel a lot better,¡± I say, relieved. ¡°I was imagining this dude was going around kidnapping people at random right and left.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s possible there are a few unsolved disappearances which are his doing. But he¡¯d have to gain a lot from it for it to be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. I guess the next question is¡­ why go for Zoe specifically? How much does he know about our personal lives?¡± I remember what Zoe told me about his comments about us going against his ¡®creation.¡¯ ¡°Is it because of her connection to the church palace?¡±


    ¡°Of that, I have no clue,¡± Lucy admits. ¡°It is very strange, I agree. There¡¯s no way he should be able to know that much about all of you, but his actions indicate that he¡¯s gotten a head start in understanding your group and the lives you lead.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Pavia gave him the information,¡± I speculate. ¡°I know that the two did talk directly.¡± But that doesn¡¯t make any sense either, now that I think about it; Pavia wouldn¡¯t have known anything about Anja and I.


    ¡°Maybe. Only time will tell, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. So, the dream I had last night¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. The other main way Moloch can directly affect the real world is by giving people bad dreams. This seems to take significantly less effort than sucking people into the Metaverse, so he does it every now and then when he¡¯s in a bad mood. I¡¯ve been hit with those multiple times in the past. It¡¯s okay, though; the nightmares that come from my own brain are usually worse anyway.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. So, he¡¯s retreating to replenish his energy level, and just wanted to piss on my face real quick before he took off.¡±


    ¡°Yes, essentially. As you learned last time you saw him, he likes to mock you using whatever bits of information he knows about you. He¡¯s¡­ petty like that.¡±


    I try and remember if there was anything especially personal in the dream, but it¡¯s hard to remember. I remember feeling unusually¡­ soft when I woke up, so there must have been something. That reminds me, actually¡­


    ¡°Oh yeah. I vaguely remember an image from the dream of these three young girls¡­ but I didn¡¯t recognize them.¡± I describe them to the best of my memory.


    ¡°Fuck him!¡± Lucy swears angrily. ¡°That was Suzy and her teammates. How dare he bring them up. Those poor girls have been through so much¡­¡± Somehow, I get the feeling something happened even beyond the confrontation with Moloch she told us about earlier, but it¡¯s not my place to ask about it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get him back. Don¡¯t worry,¡± I say resolutely. ¡°On that note¡­ what do you think of my theory about the church?¡±


    ¡°Yes, our likely next target. I think that you have a good theory, given the information you¡¯ve been able to gather. I¡¯ve never seen a palace owned by more than one person before, but it makes sense in theory; if a group of people are like-minded enough, it seems logical that they would also share the same distorted desires. That will make your infiltration of the palace complicated, however, as there is no longer one central person you¡¯re targeting.¡±


    ¡°Well, there sort of is,¡± I reason. ¡°The pastor steers the ship, right? If we can get through to him, he should be able to sway the rest.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can try that. There¡¯s just not a lot of precedent for this happening that I know of. It¡¯s quite possible that it works the other way; your pastor is not acting out of his own will, but rather to appease the congregation at large.¡±


    ¡°Well, even if he¡¯s a glorified figurehead, he has more chance of affecting change than anyone else,¡± I reason. ¡°I¡¯ve known Palmer for a while, and he¡¯s a smart guy. I¡¯m sure that, if he wanted to, he could put all of these fires out, and frame it in just the right way to get the rest to move on.¡±


    ¡°You know them all better than I do, Ashley. Whatever happens, the best of luck to you and Zoe. At least this time, you can probably count on not having Moloch interfere. Apart from his energy level, I have also been causing a ruckus where I am in hopes that it would draw him away from you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lucy. That¡¯ll help a lot. And I have a feeling that the Dark Trooper won¡¯t want to mess with us for a while either. I gave her a pretty nice parting gift,¡± I explain, smiling a little despite myself as I remember it.


    ¡°Yeah. I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about her. She¡¯s much less threatening on her own anyway. Let me know when you clear the palace, or if you need help. Until then, I will talk to you later.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Bye,¡± I say. She hangs up.


    Now that we are finally finished with our discussion, I take Ted and I back into the real world.


    ¡°Man, all of this supernatural bullshit makes my head spin,¡± I complain to him. ¡°It¡¯s like a rabbit hole that never ends.¡±


    ¡°Aye, there are things in this world that most humans weren¡¯t meant to understand,¡± he comments sagely.


    ¡°Well, when you say it that way, that makes me feel kind of¡­ elite,¡± I say. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ve always been one of the few who¡¯s drawn to the more intellectual things in life. I get it from Dad. Well, both of my parents, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, what are you doing out here?¡± A man¡¯s voice asks from behind me.


    I turn to see that it¡¯s some middle-aged balding dude, presumably someone working at the church who isn¡¯t used to seeing people around at this time.


    ¡°Just hanging out,¡± I tell him. ¡°I find this is a relaxing place to sit after school.¡±


    ¡°And just who are you talking to?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Nobody. I find that it helps me think to bounce ideas off of myself,¡± I say.


    He gives me a slightly creeped-out look, like he¡¯s under the impression I¡¯ve lost my marbles. Actually, that¡¯s kind of strange. Couldn¡¯t he hear Ted talking? Ted wasn''t speaking particularly quietly, so if he heard me, he should¡¯ve heard him too. Ah well, it¡¯s probably for the better if he didn¡¯t hear Ted¡¯s side of the conversation anyway.


    ¡°What is that on the table?¡± He asks me sternly. ¡°Young miss, that¡¯s a wild animal! You should not be playing with it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m great with animals,¡± I assure him. That said, I picked Ted up from the table and set him on the ground. ¡°Better skedaddle, little buddy,¡± I tell him. He wisely heeds my advice and makes his way back to the forest.


    I turn back towards the old man, who seemingly just had his worst fears that I¡¯m a lunatic who talks to animals confirmed. ¡°You better get on home,¡± he tells me.


    ¡°Yeah, fine, I will,¡± I say. I hurry and do so, since I feel like if I don¡¯t he may call the police on me.

 Chapter 39: Duty Calls (September 23 Part 1)

    <Zoe>


    After school, I¡¯m changing out of my sweaty band practice clothes when I hear a knock on the door. Since my room is right next to the front, I can also hear some low voices. After I get fully changed, I peek to see that there are a few cars in front of the house, and- my anxiety spikes- one of them is my dad¡¯s.


    I quickly get out my phone and open Collin¡¯s messages.


    Collin?


    What¡¯s up sis?


    I see our father¡¯s car in front of the house.


    Oh shit


    You mean Ashley¡¯s house


    Yes.


    Well I guess that explains why neither of our parents are here right now.


    Did you hear them say anything about what they were doing?


    Well, this doesn¡¯t seem good.


    I did happen to overhear something yesterday.


    They were talking about how to get out of this situation


    They said they don¡¯t want to give up but the police weren¡¯t helping them


    Oh shit, you know what


    I just realized, Dad did say something about doing something tomorrow


    And that was yesterday


    So


    Uh oh


    Collin, do you think they¡¯ve come to try and get me?


    Yeah


    They¡¯re going to try.


    Dad was gonna come up with some plan of how to get you without causing a fuss


    I gulp heavily. That would explain why there are more cars out there. They must¡¯ve brought along some others in the church, thinking they¡¯d have strength in numbers.


    I run out of my room, breathing shallowly as panic overtakes my senses.


    Ashley¡¯s dad happens to be walking past at the same time. He looks at me curiously. ¡°Hmm, is something wrong?¡± he asks.


    ¡°They¡¯re at¡­ it¡¯s my¡­ the door¡­¡± I have to stop and take a breath.


    ¡°Yes, I heard the knock,¡± he says calmly. ¡°How about you spend some time in Ashley¡¯s room while I meet with the visitors?¡±


    I nod, and head for her room without needing to be told twice.


    I barge into her room¡­ and it looks like she was in the middle of changing clothes¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I stammer, starting to back out. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Zoe, it¡¯s okay. Just get in here,¡± she tells me. ¡°Close the door behind you, though.¡±


    I step back in and shut the door, my face turning red. ¡°Ashley¡­ it¡¯s them. They¡¯re at the door. It¡¯s just like I was afraid of,¡± I tell her, all the while trying not to look at her.


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s not good,¡± she says. ¡°Well, looks like we have a palace to go clear out.¡±


    I gasp. ¡°W-wait¡­ right now?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I trust my parents to handle this, but I still think it¡¯s time. By the way, you can look now.¡±


    I turn to her, and she¡¯s dressed back in regular leisure clothes.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ I¡¯m scared,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°I know. Come sit next to me,¡± she says.


    I do as I¡¯m told, sitting down pressed up against her. She gets out her phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get the team together,¡± she explains. ¡°I think it¡¯d be easiest to have them wait at the church so we can grab Ted, and we¡¯ll just sneak out of the house using the Metaverse app. We just need to make sure we¡¯re back before anyone checks my room, which should be easy given how slowly time moves on the other side. I hope that there¡¯s nobody hanging around there this time¡­ we might want to think of a new base of operations at some point.¡±


    I nod, not really absorbing anything that she¡¯s saying, and instead trying to steel myself for the task ahead.


    <hr>


    In order to save time, we walk to the Baptist church through the Metaverse as a group. On the way, we run into a few shadows, and the others recommended that I use the opportunity to get used to using my Persona. Apart from the sleeping move I used on Moloch, I also have some type of move that hits enemies with a blast of radioactive energy.


    Nova says that my skills seem to be well-rounded compared to the others in the group, because I have the shotgun to hit people up-close, the nuclear attack to hit people who are far away, and the sleep move for support. In contrast, Ted and Anja¡¯s abilities are better at hitting enemies at a distance and supporting the rest of the team, but if they¡¯re cornered, it¡¯ll be difficult for either of them to fight their way out of it. On the other hand, Ashley and Nova have abilities that are extremely potent up close, but this means that they usually have to go directly into the fray to do damage.


    All of the enemies we fight are distorted variations of wildlife you¡¯d usually see around here, which makes me feel a little bit bad about killing them. Especially the coyotes, given how they¡¯re a bit too similar to dogs. The others keep telling me that the animals aren¡¯t real, so I¡¯m not really harming anything, but it still makes me feel a little uneasy.


    Eventually, we reach our church, which looks just as strange as Ashley told me it would. Even by the standards of everything else we do in this bizarre world, I feel pretty weird about walking into this fleshy, slimy building. Nova and Anja clearly share in my reluctance, as they both look slightly sick just looking at it. But Ashley is convinced that the entrance to the palace is in the sanctuary, so inside we go.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    We have to carefully step through to avoid slipping. We walk into the sanctuary, where a huge, black void is instead of the stained-glass window.


    ¡°You think that we have to go through there?¡± Nova asks Ashley. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it looks like we¡¯re just walking into a black hole or something.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can test that theory by throwing something into it,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°If it seems to just get frozen there infinitely, we¡¯ll know it¡¯s a black hole.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I ask. ¡°Why would that be what happens?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see Zoe, black holes have these things called ¡®event horizons,¡¯ in which¡­¡±


    ¡°Ashley¡­ I get enough of this shit during chemistry class,¡± Anja interjects tiredly. ¡°Can we just focus on the mission?¡±


    ¡°Hmmph. I always have to shush you two when you¡¯re making pop cultural references and talking about hentai for no reason. And yet here I am trying to teach you something meaningful, and you don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Hey! The hentai thing only happened once!¡± Anja jabs at her. ¡°Don¡¯t go bringing that up again!¡±


    I don¡¯t know what ¡°hentai¡± is, but I feel like now is the wrong time to ask.


    So we continue walking towards the not-actually-a-black-hole, Nova laughing as we walk, as he was apparently very amused by the previous conversation. I, in contrast, feel successively more anxious with every step I take, and the uneasy feeling in my stomach grows more unpleasant. I just wish none of this had ever happened¡­


    When we step up onto the stage, Ashley turns to face the rest of us.


    ¡°Okay, this is it. Any questions or comments before we begin?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Yes, I have a question for you and Zoe specifically,¡± Anja says. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel¡­ a little weird to you two that we¡¯re basically launching a full-out assault on your church?¡±


    ¡°Why would that feel weird?¡± Ashley questions her.


    ¡°I mean¡­ you say that you still believe in your religion even after all of this, but we¡¯re also about to attack a religious institution, which will probably have the effect of lessening its influence. Doesn¡¯t that give you a little bit of cognitive dissonance?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ashley says simply. ¡°You¡¯re not really lessening your own food supply when you throw spoiled food into the trash, now are you?¡±


    Anja shrugs. ¡°Damn, all right. Just curious.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Well, if nobody else has any comments, let¡¯s get this started,¡± Ashley says.


    And so the five of us pass by the choir pews and walk into the void¡­


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I open my eyes, and everything looks normal. The sun is up, and the world looks as it should.


    I look around. I appear to be in the commercial district of town, right across the street from the Buc-ees. I don¡¯t see anyone around, but everything looks so¡­ normal. Was I somehow sent back to the regular world?


    ¡­No, something is still strange here. I¡¯m holding a weapon, but it¡¯s not my usual sword; it¡¯s a submachine gun. I glance down and identify it as an MP7. I also see that my clothes have changed- I¡¯m now wearing what looks like an US military uniform.


    What the hell? What happened to my Persona? Where are the others? I start to look around the area, keeping both hands on my new weapon as I do so.


    Then, I hear gunshots, and something whizzing past me. I turn quickly towards the sound and see someone running towards me, gun pointed directly at my head. Acting on instinct, I take aim and fire. It¡¯s a hit, and I see the other soldier fall down. I knew that going to the range with Mom and Dad was gonna pay off someday.


    I walk over to the other soldier to investigate. He¡¯s also wearing camouflage, but it¡¯s a lighter, yellower shade than mine in. In addition, he has a mask around his head, covering everything but his eyes. He doesn¡¯t appear to be actually dead, but he¡¯s definitely incapacitated for now.


    This churns in my mind as I walk past the Subway. It seems as if I was dropped into the middle of a war zone of some sort¡­ but if that¡¯s the case, why did I only run into one rogue soldier? Soldiers usually travel in packs during war¡­ speaking of which, my priority for now should probably be to find the others. Presumably they also got dropped somewhere random in the middle of this mess.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Man, this is freaking me out. Where the hell is everyone else? Why am I by the tax office, of all places? Why am I dressed like some military dude? I have some really heavy gun in my hands with a really long muzzle. I gotta say, having the powers of Thor was much cooler. I mean, I guess this is kind of cool too, but it¡¯s just not the same.


    I walk across the street, where there¡¯s some sort of other building. God damn it, I really wasn¡¯t expecting this. No¡­ come on, we¡¯re in a war. I need to hold myself together¡­ Hey, wait a minute. Isn¡¯t that other building a police station or something? Oh man, I wonder if I¡¯m going to get arrested for carrying this gun around, this looks seriously military grade. Actually, wait, never mind, I¡¯m in Texas. I should be fine. Actually, wait, even if the gun is legal, I don¡¯t have an open carry license. Shit!


    As I¡¯m halfway across the street, I hear footsteps. Uh oh¡­ I don¡¯t have anywhere to take cover! I swing around wildly to try and see who it is, but I¡¯m too late. Before I can see my attacker, I get several lacerations right through the chest. Welp.


    ¡°Heehee¡­ this is like shooting fish in a barrel!¡± I hear some lady say from behind me as I fall over on my face. Man, fuck that bitch!


    Well, I suppose I¡¯m dead now. I know my life kind of sucked, but I¡¯m sad that I wasn¡¯t able to live long enough to play the next Smash game¡­


    ¡­Except, wait. I¡¯m actually fine. I¡¯m suddenly standing on my feet again. I now appear to be near the Jack in the Box by the highway that runs through town.


    Oh, okay. So if I get shot, I¡¯ll just respawn. That helps take some of the pressure off. Still, that was humiliating. I need to be more careful about how I move around from now on.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    It¡¯s a good thing I had practice using a gun from wielding my Persona, because otherwise I would¡¯ve been totally clueless right now. While the weapon I have now is a bit bulkier than the one I usually have, most of the mechanics carry over. By managing to hide behind buildings and some railroad signs, I¡¯ve managed to pick off two other soldiers who tried to attack- not like I really understand what the actual objective is here. Anyways, I slowly walk around the side of the city hall, and then lock sights with two others. I raise my weapon to fire, and¡­


    ¡°At ease, soldier!¡± A man¡¯s voice says. ¡°We¡¯re on your side!¡±


    I pause, and then notice that the uniforms they¡¯re wearing are different; they match my darker-green camo. The soldiers are two men; the one who yelled at me is thin and has short blonde hair, while the other one is a tall, hulking man with a bushy mustache. Neither of them look familiar to me.


    ¡°Oh¡­ hehe, sorry,¡± I say, embarrassed. ¡°Just getting a little paranoid out here.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Anja? Is that you?¡± The bigger man asks. In a rumbly voice that sounds really familiar to me¡­


    ¡°¡­Ted?¡± I ask, perplexed. ¡°What the hell, man? You look completely different!¡±


    ¡°This is what I looked like as a human,¡± Ted explains. ¡°Somehow, being here has allowed me to temporarily regain this form.¡±


    ¡°Well, does it feel good to not be stuck as an armadillo?¡± I ask him.


    The blonde man gives me a funny look. ¡°An¡­ armadillo? What on earth are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry about it. My name¡¯s Anja, by the way.¡±


    The man nods his head politely. ¡°Nice to meet you. You can call me Cedric.¡±


    ¡°Ted and I need to round up the rest of our friends,¡± I explain to him. ¡°If you wanna help, that¡¯s cool with me.¡±


    ¡°Sounds agreeable to me. I¡¯m trying to find out where my son ran off to.¡±


    ¡°Alright, strength in numbers!¡± I say.


    ¡°Be careful not to get hit, though,¡± Ted advises us. ¡°You will be moved somewhere else in the town, and it will make it harder for us to meet up again. I learned that the hard way before I paired up with Cedric here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, noted,¡± I say. ¡°Let¡¯s go see if we can find everyone else.¡±


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    I¡¯m next to some building that I don¡¯t recognize, hiding in between the building and the dumpster, hoping that nobody will see me. All I can do is sit here in my hiding place.


    I¡¯ve seen a few people walking around in what look like terrorist uniforms. I really hope that nobody sees me¡­ I had a hard enough time fighting the shadows. I don¡¯t know if I could ever bring myself to kill another person.


    I just don¡¯t know what to do. This isn¡¯t at all what the last palace was like, based on the accounts of the others. While I still have my shotgun, my magic powers are gone. I just wish someone else were here with me. I hope that Ashley finds me soon. She¡¯ll know what to do¡­


    My heart starts to race all over again as I hear someone close to me. And they¡¯re running¡­


    I scramble over to see what it is, to see someone in the terrorist clothing running towards me with a machete. This one is really short and skinny- not at all like someone who should be fighting in a war.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you now!¡± The terrorist says, in a girl¡¯s voice. And then, completely on instinct, I fire on her with my shotgun, hitting her in the stomach while she was only a few yards away.


    The terrorist screams and falls to the floor, clutching her stomach which is now pouring out blood.


    Because of me¡­ because I shot her.


    I feel guilt cascade over me. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say, even though I know it won¡¯t do any good.


    The terrorist doesn¡¯t respond. She just writhes on the floor in pain.


    This person I keep thinking of a terrorist¡­ I don¡¯t even know what she looks like. I slowly crawl over to her. I remove the mask covering her face, and then gasp when I find out that the person I just shot is none other than Yonca.

 Chapter 40: Jihad (September 23 Part 2)

    <Zoe>


    ¡°Zoe? Is that you?¡± She asks me weakly.


    ¡°Yonca, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I plead to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was you!¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°No, Zoe¡­ I should be apologizing to you,¡± she says in between labored breaths. ¡°Everything that Ashley said about me is true¡­ I¡¯m an utter coward. I abandoned you when you needed me¡­¡±


    I shake my head back at her, tears forming in my eyes. ¡°No¡­ I just killed you¡­ you didn¡¯t deserve that!¡± I say. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to fight anymore! I just want to leave this place!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad, Zoe,¡± she says, managing to smile at me. ¡°I¡¯ve been killed plenty of times already, and I always come back. You did put a dent in my KD ratio, though¡­¡±


    HUH?


    Right in front of me, Yonca¡¯s eyes close for the last time¡­ and then, her body slowly dissolves into a misty, white substance, which then disperses into the air and becomes transparent.


    I sit there for a moment, dumbstruck by what she just said to me. Does that mean¡­ I didn¡¯t kill her, then?


    And then, something else unexpected happens. I¡¯m surrounded with a sudden beam of light. When I re-emerge, I¡¯m back in my regular Persona outfit.


    My brain is swimming with confused thoughts. I suppose if the animals we met on the way here aren¡¯t real, it stands to reason that the people in here may not be real either. I suddenly feel very silly for getting so upset¡­ But then, why did my clothes just change? That doesn¡¯t make any sense at all. And why did Yonca appear here, then? If this version of her isn¡¯t real, did she mean what she said?


    Even if it wasn¡¯t real, I still feel rather upset from the trauma of believing I had killed one of my friends. I climb back behind my dumpster for a few more minutes to sort out my feelings.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I manage to reach the freeway that cuts through town after carefully moving between places of cover. I slowly make my way past the wall of the overpass, using the shadow to veil myself from any enemies who may wander past. Then, I peak around the corner, and see a figure in the distance. Hey, wait a minute, I know who that is¡­


    I put my hands up to signify peace and step out into the open.


    Nova, predictably, jumps a foot in the air upon seeing me, and aims straight at my head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! It¡¯s me!¡± I say quickly.


    ¡°Oh¡­ hey, Ashley,¡± he says, dropping his weapon with relief. ¡°Hey¡­ what the fuck is going on here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure either,¡± I admit. ¡°This is certainly not what I was expecting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no shit!¡± he says. ¡°This is nothing like Pavia¡¯s palace!¡±


    ¡°My best guess is that it¡¯s some sort of weird entrance exam,¡± I tell him. ¡°Remember how in Pavia¡¯s palace, there was that first room which made us go crazy? This may be something like that.¡±


    ¡°This is way more elaborate than that, though,¡± he observes. ¡°It¡¯s more like when you¡¯re playing a game, you walk into a level, and then suddenly you¡¯re playing this unexpected mini game which is a completely different genre than the rest of the game.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to think about it, whatever,¡± I say. ¡°Anyways, have you noticed any patterns in this place?¡±


    ¡°Well, not yet. I do know what if we die here, we just kinda¡­ respawn.¡±


    ¡°¡¯Respawn,¡¯ huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I got snuck up on by some bitch, and then I reappeared somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Interesting,¡± I say. I¡¯ve been acting extremely carefully up to this point, but this knowledge sort of lowers the tension a bit. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s try and round up the rest of the group and figure this out,¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Aight. Let¡¯s go,¡± he agrees.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Travelling in a group of three is much easier. With Ted and Cedric covering my flanks, we¡¯re able to get rid of the next few enemies we run into without any fear of being snuck up on. Still, travelling through this mostly wide-open town makes me a little paranoid. All it¡¯d take to break up our group is one very skilled sniper. I wish that we had more cover.


    We¡¯re eventually able to fight our way to the area where the soccer fields are. There, under the pavilion, I see another group of three, who seem to be talking to one other. There are two who are in the regular enemy uniforms, but there¡¯s one who must be some sort of leader. He¡¯s wearing an all-black uniform with a cap and a heavy-looking robe down to the knees. There¡¯s also something about his form and body language that¡¯s familiar to me¡­


    ¡°I see what you¡¯re seeing, Anja,¡± Ted says behind me. ¡°Seems like a great opportunity to get the jump on ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ hold on,¡± I say. ¡°I think the one in black is my dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Your dad?¡± Cedric asks quizzically. ¡°How can that be?¡±


    ¡°Idk¡­ just don¡¯t fire immediately,¡± I say.


    I slowly step towards the pavilion, trying not to appear threatening. ¡°Dad? Is that you?¡± I call out to him.


    All three of the soldiers turn their guns towards me¡­ but then, Dad holds out his arms. ¡°Hold your fire!¡± He orders the other two.


    I gesture for the other two to follow me, and then jog the rest of the way to the pavilion.


    ¡°Anja¡­ how on earth did we end up on opposite sides of this war?¡± Dad asks me as I reach the pavilion myself.


    ¡°I have no clue, man¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re fighting about at all,¡± I say, shrugging.


    ¡°Are you sure these are our allies?¡± Cedric asks me, him and Ted having just caught up, the former still holding up his weapon uncertainly. ¡°They¡¯re dressed in the clothes in the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m not fighting my own dad!¡± I say decisively.


    Ted nods. ¡°Okay. Then I won¡¯t fight either,¡± he says.


    Then, something strange happens¡­ I shed my military clothes and end up back in my typical Persona outfit. I turn back to Ted to see that he, too, has transformed back to his normal armadillo form, which earns a confounded look from Cedric.


    ¡°Wow¡­ so he really was an armadillo,¡± he says.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made some pretty interesting friends there, Anja,¡± Dad tells me, which puts a smile on my face.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°As have you,¡± I say, looking towards the two others in his squad, a rather large Latino man and a very scared-looking African-American boy about my age. The second one catches my eye, because he has bright, green eyes that are unusual for a person of color.


    ¡°Anyways¡­ it looks like you have your own mission to attend to,¡± Dad tells me. ¡°Stay safe out there. And make sure you¡¯re home for dinner!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry Dad, this won¡¯t take any time at all,¡± I assure him, giving him one last hug before our two squads depart in different directions.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Nova and I wander around for a little while, not talking much and focusing on not being ambushed. Eventually, we come across an odd part of town that I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been to before.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe we should turn around,¡± I tell him. ¡°I think we may be reaching the city limits.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­ Hey Ashley! Look!¡±


    I whirl my head around in the direction he¡¯s pointing, and my heart is flooded with relief upon seeing that it¡¯s Zoe, who¡¯s running towards us from some generic building nearby.


    She runs straight up to me and wraps her arms around me. I gladly return the hug.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ I¡¯m so glad to see you!¡± she tells me, her voice breaking. ¡°This place is so weird¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you too,¡± I tell her.


    We break apart, and I notice something odd¡­ she¡¯s in her Persona clothes, instead of a military uniform like everyone else.


    ¡°How are you back in your regular clothes?¡± I ask her.


    She frowns. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Suddenly, her eyes light up. ¡°Ashley, you won¡¯t believe it- I saw Yonca!


    ¡°What? You saw Yonca?¡± I ask. ¡°Why the hell is she here? Her house wasn¡¯t one of the ones linked to the church.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ashley. I¡­ I shot her¡­ I felt horrible about it, but I think she¡¯s okay? I¡¯m really confused, though¡­¡±


    ¡°HIT THE DECK!¡± Nova suddenly yells.


    I turn my head and see a couple of people in the opposing colors coming towards us from a nearby field. The three of us quickly scramble behind a wooden fence nearby for cover.


    Unfortunately, we¡¯re not quite quick enough to evade being seen, and the enemies start trying to shoot us through the fence. I try to send some bullets back at them, but it¡¯s really hard to aim and dodge incoming fire at the same time.


    ¡°Crap! This is not good!¡± Nova stresses, trying to make himself as small as possible. ¡°Zoe¡­ since you still have your Persona, is there anything you can do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing we do here is really going to cause anyone to die, right?¡± Zoe asks, frightened.


    ¡°No! Nobody¡¯s going to die!¡± Nova assures her frantically. ¡°I literally died earlier and I just popped up again somewhere else! Death has no consequence! But it¡¯d still be pretty inconvenient if it happened to us, so¡­¡±


    Zoe grimaces, stands over the fence, and fires her nuclear magic attack towards the two enemies. It¡¯s a direct hit, and the two get utterly evaporated, leaving us alone once again.


    Nova hears the noise, and then peaks around the fence to see what had happened. ¡°Wow¡­ I guess that¡¯s what happens when you bring a gun to an atom bomb fight,¡± he comments, his body uncurling with relief.


    ¡°Well, magic attacks seem to be pretty effective against these soldiers,¡± I say. ¡°Nova and I need to figure out if we can regain access to those¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I want my hammer back!¡± Nova gripes.


    Zoe, however, still looks a little bit uncomfortable. ¡°Even if it¡¯s all an illusion¡­ it feels weird to be attacking other humans,¡± she admits.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have to get over that pretty quickly,¡± I tell her bluntly. ¡°Just remind yourself that this is all cognitive. We¡¯re not attacking other people; we¡¯re only attacking ideas.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll try to remember that,¡± Zoe says, though she¡¯s still grimacing a little bit.


    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s go and find our final two members,¡± I order, getting to my feet. The other two nod, and we start heading back into town.


    <hr>


    Thankfully, we find Anja and Ted before too long. Like Zoe, they¡¯re somehow still in their Persona outfits. They¡¯re also joined by some blonde man. I don¡¯t recognize him, but something about him makes me feel a little annoyed for some reason¡­


    ¡°Hey everyone!¡± Anja greets us. ¡°Excellent. We¡¯ve got the whole band back together!¡±


    ¡°And who is this supposed to be?¡± I inquire, looking at the blonde man.


    ¡°Um¡­ my name¡¯s Cedric,¡± he tells me uncertainly.


    ¡°He¡¯s a stray we picked up on the way,¡± Anja tells me.


    ¡°Alright then. Next question: How do you guys still have access to your Personas?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It just sorta happened,¡± Anja explains, shrugging. ¡°I ran into my old man, and refused to fight him, and then I got my magic back. Same thing with Ted.¡±


    Zoe gasps, seemingly having a realization. ¡°Ashley¡­ that reminds me of something! I got mine back after I told Yonca I didn¡¯t want to fight anymore!¡± she explains.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s interesting,¡± I say. ¡°So all of you got them back after saying that you didn¡¯t want to fight?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like it,¡± Anja says.


    The apparent pattern here makes me want to try something. ¡°I, Ashley Davis, no longer wish to fight in the war,¡± I declare.


    It works. Within seconds, I¡¯m back in my suit of armor, my gun being swapped for the usual sword.


    ¡°Uh¡­ ditto,¡± Nova says, and the same thing happens to him.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯m so ready for us to begin our new lives as draft-dodgers!¡± Anja jokes excitedly.


    ¡°Okay¡­ with that over with, we need to figure out what the deal with this palace is,¡± Nova says seriously.


    ¡°Yeah, I really don¡¯t get what¡¯s going on here,¡± Anja agrees. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why the hell my dad is here, of all people.¡±


    I think about this for a moment. This palace represents the group cognition of our church¡­ but people from outside the church are showing up too. And they¡¯re showing up as enemies, from what I can gather¡­ This gives me an idea.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ your dad works as a shrink, right?¡± I ask Anja.


    ¡°If you mean a psychiatrist, yes.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s not really the religious type?¡±


    ¡°Nope. He was ¡®raised Catholic,¡¯ as they say.¡±


    I gesture at Zoe. ¡°Well, she also ran into someone she knows here¡­ Yonca Marangoz, from our school.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the Turkish girl? That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is. And I think I have a theory as to what¡¯s going on here.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d probably know better than me.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡­ the people who we¡¯re seeing here in the yellow uniforms are people who the church views as their enemies, or people who don¡¯t fit into their world. For example, Yonca appears on the opposing side because she¡¯s a Muslim.¡±


    I let this idea settle for a few seconds. Nova looks particularly alarmed by this, for whatever reason.


    ¡°But then, why is my dad here?¡± Anja asks, shaking her head. ¡°He may not be personally religious, but he also doesn¡¯t exactly go around burning churches and punching every Christian he sees on the street.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ our church doesn¡¯t really seem to be too fond of the mental healthcare profession,¡± I explain to her. ¡°A little something I picked up during my few years of going.¡±


    Anja face palms with both hands. ¡°Oh my god, you have to be kidding me. Just when I thought this place couldn¡¯t get any stupider!¡± She looks back at me with fury on her face. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m mad now. Let¡¯s go plow some asses!¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± Nova interjects. ¡°If the enemies are the people on the ¡®other team,¡¯ then why are all of us not counted as enemies?¡± He starts pacing a few steps back and forth. ¡°Anja and I don¡¯t go to your church. Your parents got kicked out. Zoe is¡­ well, you know. And Ted¡­ exists¡­ uh¡­¡±


    He stops pacing. ¡°I lost my train of thought.¡±


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help you out,¡± Anja says. ¡°I think I know what you¡¯re saying. The five of us must be exceptions since we entered this place through the portal in the church. Like, the palace assumes that we¡¯re people who go there because that¡¯s where we entered or something.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that would explain why we got our forms back after refusing to fight,¡± Zoe says in agreement.


    Ted clears his throat. ¡°This place we¡¯re in¡­ it¡¯s a replica of your town, correct?¡± he asks the group at large.


    ¡°Yep. Down to the last detail,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s honestly kind of eerie.¡±


    ¡°If I had to make my own guess¡­ we should make our way back to where the church is in the town,¡± he says. ¡°There, I expect that we¡¯ll find the real palace.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense to me,¡± Anja agrees. ¡°It¡¯s at least worth a shot. Hehe, get it. Shot. Because we all have guns.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have guns anymore, though!¡± Nova reprimands her. ¡°You should¡¯ve made that pun a few minutes ago when we did.¡±


    ¡°Well, Zoe, Ted, and I still have guns, but I get your point,¡± Anja concedes. Then, her face suddenly breaks into a mischievous grin. ¡°Oh, I just remembered something I need to tell you! Before Ted got his Persona back, I saw his human form!¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± Nova asks. ¡°What did he look like?¡±


    ¡°He was this huge man, over six feet tall, who had big muscles and a burly moustache,¡± Anja explains.


    ¡°Yeah, it was nice not to be treated like a little animal for a few minutes,¡± Ted comments with a touch of bitterness in his voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed,¡± I assure him. ¡°At least you have your badass fire magic back now.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that Ted had a human form,¡± Zoe says, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Well, he did say when we first met that he used to be human,¡± I explain. ¡°Speaking of Personas¡­ Zoe, I never really got to tell you this, but I think your Persona¡¯s outfit looks really good on you.¡±


    She grins at me and blushes. ¡°Oh, um¡­ thank you! Yours is really¡­ imposing as well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, kind of looks like Cleopatra to me,¡± Anja comments. ¡°Hey, wait a minute¡­ if Zoe is wearing Cleopatra¡¯s outfit, wouldn¡¯t that technically be cultural appropriation? You know, since she was Egyptian, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Who cares?¡± I cut her off, rolling my eyes that she¡¯d bring up something pedantic like that. ¡°Look, chatting has been fun, but I think we should quit wasting time and head to the church.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I guess I might as well go with you guys,¡± the man named Cedric says. All the rest of our heads turn towards him- personally, I had totally forgotten he was there. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before everyone finds out that I¡¯m secretly in love with another man¡­ and if what you say about this place is true, that means I¡¯ll be considered one of the enemies once the cat¡¯s out of the bag.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re glad to have you along!¡± Anja says, grinning at him. ¡°All manner of gays and weirdos are welcome in our group.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I guess you can come too,¡± I say. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving already.¡±

 Chapter 41: Enhanced Interrogation (September 23 Part 3)

    <Ashley>


    Travelling through town with our Personas is actually really easy. The downside of shedding our military clothes is that we¡¯re now being targeted by random townspeople on both sides. That said, the massive advantage having Persona powers gives us more than makes up for it. My lack of a ranged attack would normally be an issue, but my armor seems to actually protect me pretty well against gunfire. I¡¯m pretty sure this wouldn¡¯t be the case in real life, but I¡¯ve long since learned to not even bother trying to apply regular logic to anything that happens in the Metaverse.


    After breezing through the town, we arrive at our destination. What we see in the area where our church would normally be is quite a sight to behold. Instead of the church, we see what appears to be a huge military complex. It¡¯s as tall as a skyscraper, and made of a slick, black stone that looks impossible to scale.


    ¡°Well, I think that Ted¡¯s theory is most likely correct,¡± I comment, as we observe the building from the cover of some nearby trees.


    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± Anja remarks. ¡°Looks tougher than Fort Knox.¡±


    ¡°I expected it to be something like this,¡± Nova says. ¡°It totally fits with the whole ¡®war¡¯ theme.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, speaking of which¡­ I totally called it earlier!¡± Anja says, grinning at me. ¡°Remember what I said in the library?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I remember,¡± I say, rolling my eyes at her. ¡°Don¡¯t get too proud of yourself. Now we need to figure out how to get in.¡±


    We¡¯re all silent for a while, and we privately survey the area. There are a ton of soldiers swarming the area. Some of them are simply patrolling, while others are escorting prisoners into the building, their heads covered with bags. It being broad daylight, I figure that there¡¯s probably no way that we are going to sneak into the building.


    Ted breaks the silence. ¡°Well, perhaps if we can¡¯t get in as thieves, we can get in as prisoners,¡± he suggests.


    ¡°You mean we should¡­ turn ourselves in?¡± Anja questions.


    ¡°We got someone with us still in his military uniform, don¡¯t we?¡± Ted points out.


    We all turn towards Cedric, who¡¯s just sort of awkwardly leaning against a tree.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any better ideas,¡± I say. ¡°¡®Take us prisoner¡¯, then.¡±


    The others nod and start getting themselves into position¡­ except for Zoe. The whole conversation, she¡¯s been silent, and her gaze has been fixated on the fortress in the distance. Her face is pale, and she has a faint expression of revulsion. I think it¡¯s fair to say this whole experience has been a rude awakening for her.


    <hr>


    The ruse is working so far; we¡¯re able to get inside the base with no issue. Bringing Cedric with us ended up being a master stroke. Since he¡¯s actually a denizen of this palace, the others in the base recognize him and refer to him as ¡°Private.¡± In hindsight, I suppose it is rather odd that a cognition puppet version of someone would straight up defect to help us. Perhaps it goes to show that the community¡¯s hold over everyone¡¯s hearts isn¡¯t as secure as they¡¯d maybe hope for.


    Inside, the sanctuary has been converted into a war room. The pews are gone. There are now soldiers buzzing from place to place, or else standing around near the walls and chatting. The five of us ¡°prisoners¡± are presented to Mr. Stephenson, a bearded man who teaches one of the Sunday school classes (and also just so happens to be one of the people currently at my doorstep.)


    ¡°Excellent work, Private,¡± he says to Cedric. ¡°Looks you found two of our runaways!¡± he continues, glancing across Zoe and I. ¡°Take them to the re-education chamber. Zoe¡¯s family is on duty there at the moment, and they will be happy to see that she¡¯s returned.¡±


    ¡°Re-education chamber?¡± Nova mutters disdainfully.


    Stephenson ignores him and continues. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­ looks like you also got a couple of unclean children and¡­ what on earth is that thing?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Ted,¡± Ted introduces himself. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Stephenson frowns at him. ¡°Ted? That sounds like something you¡¯d name a bear. Not an armadillo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s short for Theodore,¡± Ted explains. ¡°I was named after the first President Roosevelt.¡±


    Stephenson waves him off dismissively. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Just take all of them to the re-education chamber, then.¡±


    ¡°Roger, Sir!¡± Cedric replies enthusiastically. ¡°Come with me, you unclean lot!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having way too much fun with this, man,¡± Anja mumbles.


    He leads us out of the sanctuary and into the hallway. As soon as we exit the room, Cedric asks, ¡°Umm¡­ so, where¡¯s the re-education chamber?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe Sunday School?¡± I suggest. ¡°Go up the stairs, and I¡¯ll direct us from there.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they let us through with our weapons!¡± Zoe marvels. ¡°They really must not be very smart.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably because they can¡¯t actually see them,¡± Anja points out. ¡°Our weapons only appear for us when we need them for battle. Haven¡¯t you noticed?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ oh!¡± Zoe exclaims, apparently having just noticed that her shotgun isn¡¯t in her hands. ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s something which the rest of us probably should¡¯ve established already,¡± I say. ¡°It makes sense, considering our Personas only appear behind us during battle.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we get to keep our sick outfits!¡± Anja comments, smoothing out the front of her dress.


    We walk up the staircase, and past the choir room. Inside, they are singing a very Celtic-sounding song:


    ¡°My heart shall sing of the day you bring.


    Let the fires of your justice burn.


    Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near


    And the world is about to turn.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about to turn alright,¡± I comment lowly. ¡°Just not in the way they think¡­¡±


    ¡°Quiet down!¡± Cedric whispers. ¡°I hear someone coming.¡±


    From around the corner, I can hear a couple of male voices talking.


    ¡°This is sooo boring,¡± says one of them, who sounds like a boy in middle school. ¡°I just wanna go home.¡±


    ¡°Just stick it out for a little while longer, bro,¡± the other one says, sounding slightly older than the first one.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that for¡­ wait, how long have we been here?¡± the first voice replies. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s been an eternity¡­¡±


    Zoe gasps. ¡°Those are my brothers!¡± She tells us softly.


    She dashes to the edge of the hallway and peaks her head around the corner. I follow her, just to be on the safe side.


    Sure enough, Derrick and Collin were the voices we had been hearing. Derrick walks through a glass door part way down the next hallway, but before Collin can follow him, Zoe is able to catch his attention by waving.


    ¡°Wh¡­ Zoe?¡± Collin asks, sticking his foot in the door to keep it open. ¡°What are you doing here?


    ¡°We came back to change everyone¡¯s hearts!¡± Zoe explains. ¡°Collin, do you know where the pastor is?¡±


    Collin briefly glances left and right, and then starts to say, ¡°Uh, yeah. I know where he is. He¡¯s¡­¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Before he can finish, the glass door reopens, and Derrick¡¯s voices says ¡°C¡¯mon, Collin! Quit lollygagging!¡± Collin gets dragged inside.


    ¡°Well, shit. He was about to tell us something very helpful,¡± I say.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ we probably won¡¯t meet too many other friendly people with that information,¡± Anja reasons. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can follow him.¡±


    We walk up to the door. Though the door is made of glass, we can¡¯t see anything from the other side but a dark hallway. The sign overhead says ¡°Re-education,¡± but this isn¡¯t the Sunday school like where I thought this would be; it¡¯s some room that is usually used for storage. It also won¡¯t open; there¡¯s little red light on a widget to the side, suggesting that it¡¯s unlocked by some sort of key card.


    ¡°Do you have clearance to get us through here?¡± I ask Cedric.


    ¡°Uh, no,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m just a private.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re supposed to be in there anyway, aren¡¯t we?¡± Anja reasons. ¡°We¡¯re ¡®prisoners,¡¯ remember? Let¡¯s just get some other random guard to let us in.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ hold on,¡± Nova says. ¡°I don¡¯t think we all need to go in there. That beard guy said that Zoe¡¯s parents are in there, and if they see either Ashley or Zoe, it¡¯ll end up being a big drama.¡±


    ¡°Ooohhh, I see what you¡¯re saying,¡± Anja says, comprehension dawning on her. ¡°It¡¯d be easier if just one of us went in there. I¡¯ll just ¡®get caught,¡¯ get thrown inside, ask Collin for the info, and then sneak out.¡±


    ¡°That should work,¡± I agree. ¡°However, the rest of us should get somewhere where we can survey the situation, just in case.¡± I gesture towards the room to our right, which is labelled ¡°Observation Room¡±.


    Nova grabs the doorknob and yanks the door open. Inside is a desk with a row of chairs next to what is most likely a one-way mirror. However, there is currently only one person inside; our current youth pastor, Garrett, who is draped across his chair lazily as if he had just been nodding off.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ what are you guys doing?¡± He asks, looking at us with surprise.


    Before he can do anything else, I punch my sword right through his chest. For a moment, he simply sits there, utterly stunned, and then his body dissolves into a shadowy substance.


    ¡°Ooh¡­ you didn¡¯t tell me you were about to do that,¡± Zoe says, cringing at the unexpected violence.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I always found him annoying,¡± I admit. ¡°I wanted to savor the moment.¡±


    Zoe gives me a look which I have seldom seen on her face before; disgust. I feel rather ashamed of myself all of a sudden.


    ¡°Well¡­ if the room is secure, I¡¯ll go do my part,¡± Anja says awkwardly. She backs out of the room and into the hallway.


    To distract myself from the uncomfortable moment, I look and see what¡¯s happening on the other side of the one-way mirror. I immediately wish that I hadn¡¯t.


    The scene that meets my eyes is a middle-eastern man who is tied to a steel table, suspended over a tank of water. The man is currently gasping for air and has water all over his face, suggesting to me that he¡¯s already taken at least one plunge. The tank is in the middle of a dark room with no decorations. Zoe¡¯s parents are standing by a few feet away, both very well-dressed and seemingly discussing something. Collin and Derrick are now skulking against the wall, looking as if they¡¯d rather not be there.


    ¡°Wow, I know you guys are ¡®Baptists¡¯,¡± Nova comments, ¡°But this is pretty hardcore!¡±


    ¡°This is less like baptism, and more like waterboarding,¡± Cedric comments, frowning.


    I turn away from the window, and notice that Zoe has taken a seat and has started crying. I quickly sit next to her and put an arm around her.


    ¡°Look, Zoe. I¡¯m sorry that I stabbed Garrett,¡± I tell her soothingly.


    She shakes her head. ¡°N-no¡­ that¡¯s not it¡­¡±


    Oh. Right, it¡¯s probably pretty shocking for her to see her own family violating the eighth amendment. Not knowing what to say, I sit there and hold her for a while.


    Then, we hear Anja¡¯s voice shouting from the hallway, most likely trying to catch the attention of a nearby guard. It¡¯s immediately clear to me why she volunteered herself for this.


    ¡°Hey you!¡± she yells. ¡°You won¡¯t believe this! I just got a vision from God!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± says a soft male voice that I think might be someone in the choir. ¡°What are you doing here?


    ¡°I told you, I just met God!¡± she shouts. ¡°And guess what? She¡¯s black! And God also showed me a vision that revealed that Jesus was gay! I saw him sneak into the bushes with John and have anal sex with him!¡±


    I really hope that the one-way mirror is soundproof, because Nova falls onto the floor and starts laughing like a hyena. I¡¯m personally unable to suppress a snicker. Even Zoe seems to be cheered up; she¡¯s wiping away her tears, and now has an expression that¡¯s a mix between amusement and horror.


    ¡°How could you say such blasphemous things?¡± The male voice said. ¡°Are you unclean? Where are you supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°I bet she escaped from re-education,¡± a bossy female voice says. ¡°Grab her other arm! We need to make sure she doesn¡¯t get away.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be ¡®re-educated¡¯!¡± Anja screams. ¡°Come on, just admit it. Your stupid religion is nothing more than a glorified book club that you¡¯ve been carrying on for millenia so you have an excuse to oppress women! Eve¡¯s only sin was thinking for herself!¡±


    ¡°Okay, she¡¯s gone to too far now,¡± I say, making a mental note to smack her next time that I get the chance. Nova, on the other hand, laughs even harder to the point of literally rolling on the floor. Cedric just sort of leans against the wall, clearly wanting to laugh too but trying really hard not to.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    I continue to spout every religion-based insult that jumps into my head as the two boring adults drag me through the doorway.


    ¡°God is dead! Jesus was the descendant of a prostitute! Moses was a murderer! David was a rapist! Paul was a heretic! Joseph Smith was a pedophile!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even believe in Joseph Smith!¡± the man accosts me sternly.


    ¡°What? Oh, right, that¡¯s Mormonism,¡± I concede. ¡°Uh¡­ okay I give up. Damn hell fuck slut shit ass bitch cunt piss bastard motherfucker shitface whore¡­¡±


    The woman has clearly had enough of my shit, and punches me squarely in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me.


    ¡°You foulmouthed cretin!¡± The woman shouts at me. ¡°You are not even fit to step foot into this sacred place!¡±


    ¡°Ooh¡­ that¡¯s so kinky, mommy,¡± I moan. ¡°Please hit me again¡­¡±


    I am roughly thrown on my face onto the floor. I flop onto my back and look at my captors. I¡¯m amused to see that the lady is blushing furiously, while the man just looks utterly shocked.


    ¡°Boys¡­ tie this one up so she doesn¡¯t get loose again,¡± the man says to two boys nearby who I assume are Zoe¡¯s brothers.


    ¡°But I want yoooou to tie me up, mommy,¡± I say in a sultry voice. ¡°I¡¯m soooo lesbo for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± the woman says frantically. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to take a shower after touching that thing.¡± They both speedily walk back out through the door.


    The shorter of the two boys, who must be Collin, kneels next to me with a coil of rope hanging on his right arm.


    He cautiously looks left and right. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie¡­ that whole bit was lowkey kind of hilarious,¡± he tells me. ¡°I gotta give you some respect for that.¡± Suddenly, he gives me an inquisitive look. ¡°Hey¡­ do you really think that Jesus was gay?¡±


    ¡°Dude, I don¡¯t fucking know,¡± I say. ¡°Look, I¡¯m friends with Zoe. I just came in here because you were about to tell us where that Palmer guy is.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, you must be Anja!¡± he says, recognition dawning on his face. ¡°Wow, you really are short.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck off!¡± I jab at him. He laughs at me.


    ¡°Collin? What on earth are you doing over here?¡± a different voice says. I look up to see that it¡¯s a blonde woman who must be Zoe¡¯s mother, who has her hands on her hips and is glaring at Collin rather like a saber tooth tiger.


    ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯m tying up the prisoner,¡± he says, hastily starting to unravel the rope.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll handle her,¡± she says. She puts her arms under and picks me up in a fireman¡¯s carry with surprising strength.


    I¡¯m thinking about continuing the ¡°lesbian BDSM¡± skit from earlier, but then I glance in the direction that she came from and such thoughts are wiped from my mind by the horrifying sight of a man being drowned by Zoe¡¯s dad.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± I say. ¡°That¡¯s inhumane.¡±


    ¡°Well, behave yourself, and maybe we¡¯ll consider letting you off easy,¡± Zoe¡¯s mom says. ¡°I admit that I don¡¯t really like the idea of interrogating someone as young as you.¡±


    Zoe¡¯s dad uses a handle to lift the man out of the water, and he quickly gasps air into his lungs for dear life, shivering from the cold.


    ¡°Now¡­ pledge your allegiance to our God, and we¡¯ll let you go!¡± Zoe¡¯s dad commands.


    ¡°I do¡­ I have always been pledged to God¡­ I pray to Him every day!¡±


    ¡°LIES!¡± Zoe¡¯s dad shouts. ¡°You don¡¯t pray to the real God. You pray to Allah, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡¯Allah¡¯ is just the Arabic word for ¡®God¡¯, dipshit!¡± I shout, not able to contain myself.


    Zoe¡¯s mom hisses in annoyance. ¡°That was your one chance, little girl, and you just blew it,¡± she chides me. ¡°In this family, we have no tolerance for children who sass their elders.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know that already!¡± I say back. ¡°I know what you did to your own daughter. You two are nothing but a couple of homophobic pieces of shit in my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Good news, Mr. Marangoz,¡± Zoe¡¯s dad says while untying the other man. ¡°We¡¯re going to give you some time to¡­ reflect by yourself.¡±


    The man named "Marangoz" quickly gets to his feet and, still shivering, runs out of the room.


    ¡°Uh¡­ wait a sec,¡± I say, realizing what¡¯s going on too late. ¡°I¡¯m not into real torture¡­ oh fuck.¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve thought about that sooner,¡± Zoe¡¯s mom says sadistically.


    I glance at my reflection in the mirror on the other wall. ¡°Uh¡­ okay guys¡­ a little help?¡±


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Ashley hisses with annoyance. ¡°Ah, leave it to Anja to take things a step too far and get in trouble,¡± she says, getting to her feet. ¡°Alright, looks like it¡¯s time for plan B.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s plan B?¡± Nova asks.


    Ashley wildly swings her sword over her head and at the glass, causing it to shatter into pieces. Without further ado, she steps over the frame and into the re-education room. Nova and Cedric shrug and follow after her.


    ¡°Can you give me a lift, Jolene?¡± Ted asks at my feet.


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s Zoe. But yes, I will.¡±


    I grab him by the scruff of the neck and follow after the others, internally bracing myself to face my parents again.


    I step over the windowsill to see Ashley brandishing her sword at my parents, Mom holding Anja in her arms.


    ¡°¡­So just put her down, and we¡¯ll be on our merry way,¡± Ashley is saying as I set Ted back down on the floor.


    ¡°You were very foolish to come back here, Ashley,¡± Mom says, unceremoniously dropping Anja onto the floor. Something weird is changing in her eyes¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents relay the message to you?¡± Dad says, a shadow falling over his face. ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ what the fuck is happening?¡± Nova asks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    Then, both of my parents are engulfed in shadows. They each emerge in completely different forms. Dad reappears as a tall man made of gold with a huge, angelic wingspan behind him. And Mom re-emerged as a strange, pale woman with straggly black hair and an enormous snake draped over her shoulders.


    ¡°Huh. Well, I wasn¡¯t exactly expecting a warm reception, but I wasn¡¯t expecting this either,¡± Ashley comments.


    ¡°What happened to them?¡± I ask her, in total awe of the transformation I just witnesses.


    ¡°We must have somehow awakened their shadow forms,¡± she explains. ¡°Get prepared for a fight.¡±

 Chapter 42: Ignorance Is Your New Best Friend (September 23 Part 4)

    <Gregg (Ashley''s dad)>


    On my way to the door, I briefly pass by Zoe, who has just ran from her room and looks unusually afraid and short of breath.


    ¡°Hmm, is something wrong?¡± I inquire of her.


    She replies, ¡°They¡¯re at¡­ it¡¯s my¡­ the door¡­¡± she quits talking to catch her breath. Although this string of words is incomprehensible, I believe I can deduce what she means by them.


    ¡°Yes, I heard the knock,¡± I tell her calmly. ¡°How about you spend some time in Ashley¡¯s room while I meet with the visitors?¡±


    She gives me a brief nod, and then hastily makes her way to the room of my daughter. Without further ado, I go to the front door. Through the glass I can make out several figures standing on our porch. Opening the door reveals a crowd consisting of the following: Mr. Parker and Mrs. Parker, whom I am wholly unsurprised to see; Mr. Harold Parker, the brother of Zoe¡¯s father who also has a daughter about Ashley¡¯s age; Mr. Stephenson who teaches Sunday school; and Mrs. White, who has no particular duty within the church but is a friend of their family.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± I tell them in greeting. ¡°I see we have now adopted the tactics of the Jehovah¡¯s Witnesses.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for your jokes,¡± Mr. Abram Parker greets harshly. ¡°You know why we are here. Just let Zoe walk free, and we can get this over with quickly and quietly.¡±


    ¡°But this is not a jail that she has been sentenced to serve in, is it?¡± I respond. ¡°And just as well, given that I lack any authority to execute or retract sentences.¡±


    ¡°You know what he means!¡± Mrs. Parker replies in an agitated manner. ¡°We¡¯re really not in the mood for this.¡±


    ¡°Well, as it just so happens, Zoe does not appear to be in the mood for exiting the premises either,¡± I counter. ¡°And so, the power to end things quickly and quietly is in your hands alone¡­¡±


    ¡°How can we trust what you say?¡± Mr. Stephenson inquires. ¡°Bring her up here with you. Let her tell us herself.¡±


    ¡°She does not seem to be in the mood for that, either,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Well, just go get her anyway!¡± Mrs. Parker demands. ¡°She¡¯s a child still. She doesn¡¯t know what she wants.¡±


    ¡°I do believe that it is reasonable to assume that, by the age of fourteen years old, a child has the capabilities of having a clear idea of what they want when it comes to such important topics as where to live, as is enshrined into the legal code of most states in the United States of America¡­¡±


    Mrs. White grabs a chunk of her platinum hair, as if she would like to rip it out. I¡¯d say that this conversation is going quite well thus far.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    How curious¡­ I was under the impression that we¡¯d only be able to fight the shadow forms of Palace rulers. I suppose this further corroborates my theory that the palace we¡¯re in now represents the cognitions of the church membership at large, and not just one person. It logically follows that we can theoretically meet the shadow forms of any given member of the church under the right circumstances.


    And yet, not every person we meet here fits into this category. The other soldiers outside, including Cedric, Anja¡¯s dad, and the version of Yonca that Zoe met, don¡¯t seem to be shadows, but instead are cognitive reflections of a sort. If the owner of this palace is ¡°members of the church at large,¡± that¡¯s the only reason I can think of to explain why non-members would appear. Cedric¡¯s appearance as a soldier on the ¡°good¡± side must stem from him having membership in a different church that we¡¯re friendly with or something. The only other explanation would be that this place serves as a palace for the entire town, which seems unlikely given that the church is the only part of it that looks distorted.


    This makes me curious about something else; if the desires of these people aren¡¯t being directly represented here, are their actions genuine? It seems to be so, judging by how these cognitive forms have revealed inner thoughts and feelings that you wouldn¡¯t expect from a mere reflection. Given the palace¡¯s depiction of a literal war to represent the real-world culture war, you would expect the non-members to be caricatures of themselves, along the lines of the villains in B-list Christian movies. However, from what I can tell they all act remarkably like their real-world counterparts. This is true of church members, too. They are not cartoonishly evil zealots in this world like I expected, but also reflect the general natures of their real-world counterparts. For example, Collin is technically a ¡°palace ruler¡± under this theory but still seemed interested in trying to help us. Zoe¡¯s parents¡¯ actions depict them in a rather unflattering light, but they still had enough restraint to not try and attack Anja until she ran her own mouth and pissed them off. How could it be that a palace of distorted desires reflects all the same nuances and intricacies of the real world?


    My best guess is that the palace also reflects a shared knowledge of everyone in the town. In a palace only owned by one person, I would expect that person¡¯s distorted desires to paint everyone else as being one-dimensional (although to be fair, there were no other real-world people in Pavia¡¯s palace, so I don¡¯t have data to back this up yet. Moloch clearly doesn¡¯t factor into this.) However, in a palace owned by a group, many different perspectives from each person are introduced into the mix. The confessions we received from Cedric and Yonca may very well be secrets that they have told to someone at the church, and so they are represented as a part of that person¡¯s cognitive version.


    Anyways, Zoe¡¯s parents just transformed into strange monsters, so I¡¯ll have to think about this more later.


    The odd snake woman who was just Zoe¡¯s mom gets the jump on us by showering our entire party with shards of ice. I¡¯m forced to block them with my arms, and I can feel the biting cold even through my armor. Anja, however, doesn¡¯t seem particularly bothered by them, and hits both foes with a blinding flash of light, which dazes them.


    Zoe, who was previously skulking around in the back, runs and takes advantage of the distraction to hit both with a nuclear strike. Zoe¡¯s dad is hit straight on, but Zoe¡¯s mom was seemingly not affected by Anja¡¯s move very much and is able to dodge. The pain of being turned against her own flesh and blood is visible on Zoe¡¯s face.


    Ted uses that spell that weakens an enemy¡¯s attacks on Zoe¡¯s mom, and then turns to me. ¡°This 6 on 2 match could get confusing. I reckon we should split our group and isolate each opponent.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± I agree. ¡°How about the two of us focus on Miss Slithers over there?¡±


    He nods, and the two of us move in closer to Zoe¡¯s mom.


    In the interest of keeping the battle as short as possible, I unleash my angelic light attack on Zoe¡¯s mom. I can tell by the furious hissing of the snake on her shoulder that it was effective.


    ¡°We got the winged one, then!¡± Nova affirms before making a huge lunge for Zoe¡¯s dad and socking him with his hammer.


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± I say. ¡°Hey Cedric, how about you come help Ted and I?¡±


    I turn towards him to find that Cedric got frozen in place by the initial assault. Actually, considering that he doesn¡¯t have a Persona, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to be that useful to us at this point. Oh well, at least he got us inside.


    ¡°¡­Never mind, it¡¯s just you and me then,¡± I say to Ted.


    ¡°Well, uh, it looks like you guys got everything under control!¡± Collin calls, shimmying along the wall towards the exit of the room. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna¡­ peace out¡­¡±


    Derrick confusedly looks back and forth between Zoe¡¯s parents and us, and then wisely decides to follow his brother out the door.


    Zoe¡¯s mom isn¡¯t taking my attack lying down. She begins clutching at the air in Ted¡¯s direction, which causes him to tense up like he¡¯s been paralyzed. After a second, his body relaxes, and a sort of ghostly vapor comes out of him that then flies into Zoe¡¯s mom.


    ¡°What the hell did she just do to you?¡± I ask Ted.


    ¡°Drained my energy¡­ but fear not, I have enough left for this!¡±


    He jumps into the air and hits Zoe¡¯s mom with one of his signature fire attacks. She seems particularly badly hurt by it. Between that and my preemptive strike, I¡¯m willing to bet that she¡¯s about to meet a quick end.


    Before she can fully recover, I run up to her and strike her down with my sword. However, it was not enough to finish her off, and I hear her utter ¡°Get her!¡± in a harsh whisper. The snake on her shoulder lunges for me, and it wraps around my body like an anaconda. Also, Zoe¡¯s mom wasn¡¯t wearing anything under the snake¡­ Didn¡¯t expect to see this in a palace which is based on a church, but here we are.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You¡­ are unforgivable!¡± She hisses, her face contorted with fury. Her voice sounds strange now that she¡¯s in her shadow form; the tones are distorted, like I¡¯m listening to several voices at once. ¡°You turned her against me!¡±


    ¡°Yep. Sure did. I did it right before I told her the Easter Bunny isn¡¯t rea-¡± an extra-hard squeeze cuts me off mid-sentence as I gasp to catch my breath.


    ¡°So you admit to it! You turned her over to your sinful way of life, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Actually, she confessed to me first,¡± I retort. ¡°Trust me, I care about her too much to drag her into a shitshow like this against her will.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable! You must be lying!¡± she snarls. ¡°Hurt her,¡± she says in the hissing voice.


    The snake¡¯s mouth bites into the bare flesh on my hand. Very quickly, I feel its toxins enter my veins. It hurts like hell.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Now that Dad has regained his bearings, he is proving to be quite a difficult opponent. His attacks are quite potent, and he seems to take little damage from direct hits with our weapons. I learned this after a blast from my shotgun barely seemed to leave a dent in his metallic body. Realizing this, we have begun to try and wear him down using magic attacks.


    After Anja smacks him with a strong gust of wind, Dad knocks her back with a huge sword and then turns towards me.


    ¡°Zoe, stop this insanity and come home to us!¡± he pleads with me. ¡°Your mother and I, we know what is best for you.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about how she feels for once?¡± Nova responds. ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯re doing the best thing?¡±


    ¡°Like you would know anything about parenting!¡± Dad growls back. ¡°You and the foul-mouthed girl are interfering in private family affairs! You have no stake in this discussion!¡±


    ¡°Sure I do.¡± Anja cuts in. ¡°Zoe is our friend. Unlike you, I care about what happens to her.¡±


    Dad is infuriated by this remark. ¡°You stupid child. How dare you level such accusations against me!¡±


    Dad lifts his hand into the air, and three piercing beams of light envelop us. I surprisingly find that I¡¯m not hurt by them, and neither is Anja. Nova, however, kicks the bucket right then and there, falling face first onto the floor.


    ¡°Anja, should we really be angering him further?¡± I ask, feeling very afraid.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± Anja replies sheepishly. ¡°Anyways, look alive!¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    As if being injected with venom that lights up my nerves wasn¡¯t enough, Zoe¡¯s mom unleashes a fire attack on me while I¡¯m still being constricted. I thought Ted was supposed to be helping me. Where did that little fucker go?


    ¡°Zoe was always my good little girl,¡± Zoe¡¯s mom rants. ¡°She did everything she was told to do. She¡¯d never do something like that! Not unless you turned her heart!¡°


    ¡°Your ¡®good little girl¡¯ is fourteen years old. You can¡¯t have expected¡­¡± but I have to stop and desperately pant air into my lungs. I can¡¯t take much more of this. I feel like I¡¯m slipping away¡­


    Thankfully, at long last I hear a spray of gunfire from beside me, and the snake that had been squeezing and biting me suddenly lets go.


    I turn to see that Cedric has finally thawed out, and now has his gun turned towards Zoe¡¯s mom. He pulls the trigger again¡­ to find that he¡¯s already used up his clip. Zoe¡¯s mom kicks him into the back wall, where he crumbles to the floor and disintegrates.


    I take this opportunity to jump to my feet and put the tip of my sword at Zoe¡¯s mom¡¯s neck. Checkmate.


    ¡°How dare you treat me this way!¡± she scolds me. ¡°You ruined our family, do you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Right. Because you did absolutely nothing to cause that,¡± I snark at her disdainfully. ¡°Just give up already. You lost.¡±


    ¡°You will be punished, you hear me!¡± she rants continuously, rapidly losing her composure and breaking down. ¡°You horrible, filthy girl! You and your arrogant parents will be nothing but fuel in the furnace! You¡¯ll be thrown from the party and into the night!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Because God hates people who try and care for the oppressed and downtrodden,¡± I reply sarcastically, rolling my eyes.


    She loses it completely at this point and starts crying on the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. Still, she is shrouded in light once again, and appears as her usual, blonde, thankfully clothed self.


    Ted finally re-emerges, scuttling up on all fours and coming to a stop next to me. ¡°It looks like the other half of the fight is still ongoing,¡± he observes. Indeed, Anja and Zoe are still wailing on Zoe¡¯s dad with their respective magic attacks. Nova is lying face down on the floor, so he was probably knocked out a little while back.


    ¡°Where did you run off to, anyway?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°I was defrosting Cedric,¡± Ted explains. ¡°I thought that he may be of use.¡±


    ¡°Well, he definitely was, so thank you,¡± I say. ¡°Unfortunately, it seems as if he¡¯s been done in now.¡±


    ¡°Alas, poor Cedric,¡± Ted laments.


    I look back at Zoe¡¯s mom, who is done crying and seems to have finally accepted defeat. I wonder¡­ if Zoe¡¯s mom is one of the owners of the palace, does defeating her shadow mean that I can talk some sense into her now?


    ¡°Are you here to rub it in my face more?¡± she asks me resentfully.


    ¡°As much joy as that would bring me, I¡¯ll settle for a review of what we¡¯ve learned from this experience,¡± I reply. ¡°Unless you¡¯re going to tell me that you still stand by what you did to her?¡±


    She sighs very heavily, but seems mollified all the same. ¡°We panicked, alright? Why, any parent in our position would¡¯ve done the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Um, no. That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± I rebuke. ¡°My parents didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because your parents are idealistic fools. Only a pair of idiots like that try to seriously make a living being musicians.¡±


    Uh¡­ what? ¡°What the fuck does that have to do with anything?¡± I question, confused by this turn of rhetoric.


    It¡¯s her turn to roll her eyes this time. She takes a deep breath. ¡°You must know how Zoe is by now. She¡¯s so pure-hearted; she wants nothing in the world more than to help those who are in need. And she¡¯s also so, so na?ve. The cruel world we live in will eat her alive! Our powerful position in the town gives us many, many connections. We can help her find success in whatever it is she chooses to do. But if everyone believes that we¡¯re promoting sin, that reputation we have will be sunk. How would that be helping her?¡±


    ¡°And you decided that making her homeless would be an improvement?¡±


    ¡°No, you idiot girl!¡± she bites back, flaring up again. ¡°You just got to lay down the law with children when it comes to nonsense like that. We knew that she was going to come back after she was done having a little pity party. Or rather, she would¡¯ve, if your mother hadn¡¯t scooped her up from us!¡±


    This strikes a nerve with me. ¡°Okay, I get it now. You don¡¯t give a fuck about how she feels. You just care that she¡¯s not your perfect little trophy daughter anymore.¡±


    ¡°What I care about is giving her a good life!¡± she insists, sounding almost pleading now. ¡°You can¡¯t get a good job as a homosexual! You¡¯ll get the phone slammed on you all your life!¡±


    ¡°How much longer do you think it¡¯s going to stay that way?¡± I question her. ¡°The world¡¯s changing, you know. By the time Zoe and I are adults, well-qualified and skilled people won¡¯t be turned away based on such shallow factors anymore.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t say anything to that. She bites her lip in a strikingly Zoe-esque way. I turn back towards the other half of the fight, where Zoe¡¯s dad is showering what appear to be blindingly bright comets upon Anja and Zoe. They¡¯re starting to look worn down.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Can you get your husband to calm the fuck down?¡± I ask her. ¡°It seems like we¡¯re not really gonna get anything more out of bashing each other¡¯s heads in.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ perhaps that would be best,¡± she agrees.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Ashley and Ted seem to have won their half of the battle, as they have come to join us along with Mom, who is no longer in her shadow form. Ashley looks miserable; it¡¯s as if she could drop dead at any moment.


    Dad looks down at Mom with confusion. ¡°What is happening? Have you given up?¡± he asks.


    Anja stops, and also turns towards the others. ¡°Damn, Ashley,¡± she states simply. She performs some type of healing magic which affects the whole group, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I immediately feel its effects.


    ¡°Thank you, Anja,¡± Ashley says genuinely. Nova is now getting back to his feet, looking confused and disoriented.


    ¡°We¡¯re not getting anywhere by fighting right now,¡± Zoe¡¯s mom states sternly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we may have somewhat of a misunderstanding on our hands.¡±


    I frown at this. A misunderstanding? After everything that has happened?


    ¡°Very well then,¡± Dad agrees. He exits his shadow form as well.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ what¡¯s she talking about?¡± Nova questions.


    Anja and I look at Ashley, who gives a slight shrug. So not even she knows?


    ¡°Zoe¡­ honey¡­¡± Mom says, wearing a rare look of humility. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that all of this ever happened. You need to know that¡­ you were always welcome to come back at any time. We¡¯ll welcome you home with open arms.¡±


    I blink, surprised. And then I feel something which I honestly don¡¯t expect¡­


    ¡°No,¡± I say.


    My parents freeze, looking slightly stunned.


    I take a deep breath. ¡°I lived my whole life for you. I followed all your rules. I worked as hard as I could push myself to. And for you to make me feel worthless after all of that¡­¡±


    ¡°Dear, we know now that we made a mistake,¡± Dad interjects. ¡°But what we¡¯re saying is¡­¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a mistake!¡± I interrupt, feeling my frustration flare up. ¡°You were going to send me to some hospital which could have¡­ scarred me for life! You were torturing that man just for believing something different than us! You were going to torture one of my friends! How you acted, when I told you about Ashley and I, that was the real you. That¡¯s how you truly feel about me. And¡­¡± I gasp, suddenly having an epiphany. ¡°You¡¯re only backing down now because¡­ you¡¯re afraid of the consequences. Just like I was¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you telling us that¡­ you don¡¯t want to come home?¡± Dad asks, looking a little crestfallen.


    ¡°No she doesn¡¯t want to come home!¡± Nova chimes in, seemingly unable to take it any longer. ¡°Are you people stupid? What made you ever think that!¡±


    My emotions become too overwhelming, and I find that I¡¯m not able to speak anymore. My anger from earlier is mixing with grief and shame. I cover my face with my hands.


    I feel a hand on my shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re proud of you, Zoe,¡± Anja¡¯s voice tells me in a low voice. ¡°Need a hug?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I say. I accept her hug, but I don¡¯t allow myself to start crying.


    ¡°That was unlike you, Zoe,¡± Ashley says, smiling at me from over Anja¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And I mean that in a good way.¡±


    I nod. I suppose that was very unlike me. But I think I know what I have to do now.


    I break the hug with Anja and say, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk with them anymore. We need to finish this.¡±


    ¡°We do indeed,¡± Ashley agrees. She turns back towards my parents.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to confront Palmer now and bring an end to this conflict,¡± she states. ¡°Feel free to tell us where he is. If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll find him anyway.¡±


    ¡°You can find him¡­ on the bottom floor,¡± my mom says. She¡¯s looking down at the floor and looks rather sad, which makes me feel guilty again. ¡°You should¡­ get down there quickly. He¡¯s about to unleash our secret weapon.¡±


    ¡°Um, secret weapon?¡± Anja asks, looking fearful. ¡°Why is this the first we¡¯ve heard of it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an unstoppable weapon that can obliterate the hearts of the sinful,¡± my father explains further. ¡°And once it has been activated, he will lead us into battle to¡­¡± he pauses, sighing.


    ¡°To do what?¡± Ashley questions.


    ¡°To take our country back,¡± my mom finishes.

 Chapter 43: The Eye Of The Storm (September 23 Part 5)

    <Zoe>


    After listening to this startling proclamation, the rest of us went straight to take the elevator to the bottom floor. In the real church, the elevator is the only way to get into the basement, and Ashley and I assumed that the ¡°bottom floor¡± of the meta-church would be referring to there.


    While on the elevator, I feel the anger I previously had towards my parents sapping away, and I find myself feeling guilty now about how I talked to them. That said, I also still feel that new feeling; that resolve within me to see this through to the end. The two feelings mix together and give me a sort of somber focus on the task at hand.


    I have never been to the basement of the real church before, but I can safely guess that it does not look like this. It is a massive room, probably double the size of the school gym. It is also ominously empty, except for one thing in the center of the room; a massive tank, several times the size of a regular one, with triangular treads that shoot upwards at a 45-degree angle, a single protruding cannon on the right side, a distinct cockpit at the top similar to a science fiction spacecraft, and a raised ramp, with Matthew 22:36-40 engraved onto the bottom. The size of the weapon, as well as its strangely angled treads and exposed cannon, give it a distinctly threatening appearance. Just in front of the entry ramp stood Pastor Palmer, facing away from us with his hands behind his back, simply pondering the tank. His clothes are surprisingly casual compared to everyone else¡¯s, consisting of a Sunday polo shirt and a pair of slacks, though he does have a heavy combat belt with various things I can¡¯t quite make out from here. Finally, on the opposite side of the room is a massive ramp that leads to a set of closed metal doors; presumably how the weapon will reach the surface.


    Ashley, Ted, Anja, Nova and I tentatively walk into the room. Nova¡¯s eyes are darting around the room, seemingly trying to find any hidden threats, while the others remain focused on Palmer.


    After a few steps, Palmer, without turning around or moving at all, says in a tired sounding voice, ¡°Ah. Good afternoon to all of you.¡±


    We sort of look at each other awkwardly and come to a stop.


    ¡°You seem like you were expecting us,¡± Ashley states simply.


    ¡°I know about everything that goes on here. It¡¯s my curse¡­¡± Palmer replies.


    Still no motion from him. Nova, looking tense and uncomfortable, says, ¡°So. I¡¯m gonna guess that¡¯s your secret weapon or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he states calmly. ¡°Here it is, ready to mobilize¡­ and yet, not a single member of this church has been able to pilot it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Anja interjects. ¡°You mean you don¡¯t have a single military vet in the church who has experience with this stuff?¡±


    ¡°You miss the point,¡± Palmer replies. ¡°The weapon is a quite special and temperamental one. It seems as if the door will only open for a select few. The clue is in the engraving.¡±


    ¡°Love the lord God with all your heart and all your strength and all your mind,¡± I recite automatically. ¡°And love your neighbor as yourself. All the other laws are built upon these two,¡±


    ¡°Precisely. The two most basic commandments, and yet all of them fail to live up to them.¡±


    ¡°Wake up call, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ashley snarks.


    ¡°Yes. As it turns out, I now believe that your father was right about the state of us. The congregation has grown too complacent. They no longer seek inspiration, but only my comfort. And thus they have failed to love their neighbors. Paradoxically, the invasion plan that gives them this comfort is now rendered impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, duh,¡± Nova comments. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly ¡®loving your neighbor¡¯ or whatever if you¡¯re going out to kill them all.¡±


    Palmer moves for the first time, ducking his head and sighing in a frustrated manner. ¡°Your view of ¡®love¡¯ is far too narrow,¡± he preaches. ¡°True love is not about being nice. It is about doing what is in your neighbor¡¯s best interest, even if he is kicking and screaming all the while. As Johnathan Edwards wrote, we are but sinners in the hands of an angry God. In order to repent, the people must learn to fear. They must be taught of the punishment they will receive on the other side if they refuse to change their wicked ways.¡±


    There is a pause. Nobody else speaks. Ashley turns her gaze to me, and we lock eyes. I remember what happened just now with my parents. His talk about fear is bringing back the sudden epiphany I had¡­ I start forming a response in my head.


    ¡°It will not open even for me¡­¡± Palmer laments. ¡°What clouds my heart, oh God? I pray that¡­ I will see the sign and will realize my sin.¡±


    Struck my inspiration, I say, ¡°The scripture says to love God with all your heart and strength and mind; not fear.¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They are the same.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly¡­¡± I reply. ¡°When your actions are driven only by fear of consequences, you only do the bare minimum it takes to get by. You never really understand why you¡¯re doing it, or what value it has. You¡¯re just blindly following orders¡­ and then you¡­ have no ability to make your own decisions.¡±


    ¡°Exactly right,¡± Ashley interjects, looking pleased. ¡°Which makes you an easy picking for false idols of the world. Something you should think about.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, girl?¡± Palmer responds, agitated. ¡°My vision is clear from false idols. My commitment is absolute.¡±


    ¡°Then the door to that tank should open for you, right?¡± Ashley retorts. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°You have no place to judge me for such. You live a heretical lifestyle. And you come in here pushing the nonsense hippie doctrine of people like the Universalists, who are trying to destroy the faith from the inside. I will not stand for it! If you think I am ¡®going too far¡¯ in my pursuit of God, you will not pass through the narrow gate!¡±


    It¡¯s my turn to shake my head. It¡¯s like he ignored everything I said earlier¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re going too far,¡± I say. ¡°And I never said any of that stuff you said. Rather, I think that you¡¯re not going far enough. After everything I¡¯ve seen here, I now understand¡­¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Not far enough?¡± he interrupts angrily, starting to lose his temper. ¡°I am the pastor of this church. I have gone further along the path than anyone else in this community!¡±


    ¡°Nice one Zoe,¡± Anja comments. ¡°That seems to have hit the right nerve. Maybe we can finally just fight already?¡±


    ¡°It will not be a fight, so much as¡­¡± Palmer suddenly stops mid-sentence and grabs a walkie-talkie that was in his belt. He holds it up to his ear, and after a few seconds, says, ¡°Garrett, where have you been?¡± Another pause. ¡°Yes, I am well aware of the intruders. Execute the tribunal plan.¡± He hangs up the walkie talkie.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ the tribunal plan?¡± Nova questions. ¡°No dude, we¡¯re just gonna have a fight. Come on, bring out your shadow form already.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ shadow form?¡± Palmer asks. For the first time, he sounds afraid.


    ¡°Come on, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Anja questions, rolling her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re done with the religious lecture portion. Boss fight time! Get it over with already!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± he starts breathing deeply and shaking. ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ashley, what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± I question. ¡°Why is he acting so much differently than my parents did?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say,¡± Ashley answers. ¡°Perhaps a lack of introspection on his part?¡±


    ¡°A lack of¡­ huh?¡± I respond stupidly, not sure what she means by this.


    We don¡¯t have any more time to discuss this, as Palmer screams ¡°NO!¡± and then begins transforming before our eyes. The shadows that envelop him steadily grow in size, threatening to reveal something of similar size to the tank. It takes a while for him to emerge, and when he does, he is totally unrecognizable. He now looks like an enormous lion, except with massive reptilian wings and a tail with a stinger on it which resembles that of a scorpion.


    As if a regular lion wouldn¡¯t have been frightening enough¡­ I begin to shake with fear and anticipation at the thought of fighting the creature, but the others seem rather unperturbed. A smirk on her face, Anja comments, ¡°Well, this one is positively adorable compared to the last monster we fought.¡±


    ¡°Whoah, he turned into a manticore!¡± Nova says excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s pretty badass. Not gonna lie.¡±


    The ¡°manticore¡± that used to be Pastor Palmer seems disoriented. Instead of pouncing on us, he sort of shakes his head, and seems to be trying to gain his balance.


    ¡°Well, this seems like a good opportunity to get the first strike,¡± Ashley observes.


    ¡°Yes, but it would feel dishonorable,¡± Ted argues. ¡°The man doesn¡¯t even seem to know what¡¯s happening yet.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck about honor!¡± Anja shouts, bringing her Thompson to ready position. ¡°Let¡¯s get him already!¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Ashley agrees, nodding curtly. And so, Ashley, Anja, Nova and Ted tear off towards the manticore. I hesitate because I can¡¯t help but to find myself agreeing a bit with Ted; Palmer was not even acting as if he particularly wanted to fight us. But after a few seconds, I take a deep breath and follow them.


    Anja arrives at the manticore first and wastes no time in firing on his flank. The manticore seems to notice this, and with shocking speed turns towards Anja and breathes fire towards her like a dragon would. Anja, however, nimbly jumps out of the way, tauntingly shouting ¡°Ha! Not falling for that again!¡± Her jump goes far further and higher than it would in real life, so I suspect that she is using her wind powers to give herself a slight boost.


    Ted arrives next, but instead of attacking him, he casts some spell on the manticore. It¡¯s not clear to me what it did. Ashley, not being able to reach the head, goes for the legs with her sword; however, his skin is tough enough to where this has little effect. One of the paws bats her away, causing her to land several yards away; thankfully, she does not seem to be particularly hurt by this. Nova shoots a lightning bolt at him, which also seems to not do much; the manticore does not even seem to notice it.


    ¡°Damn, he¡¯s tough,¡± Nova observes. ¡°We just gotta try every type of attack we have. He has to be weak to something!¡±


    He turns towards me as I arrive behind him. ¡°Zoe! Try your nuclear thing against him!¡±


    ¡°Um, okay,¡± I agree. I aim a nuclear blast at his shoulder, which once again doesn¡¯t even cause him to flinch.


    ¡°What are you children doing?¡± the manticore asks, sounding no more than mildly annoyed. ¡°I have no time to play games with you. With my new power, I have a great duty to attend to¡­¡± And without a second glance towards us, he simply leaps across the room away from us.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what the fuck?¡± Anja yells in frustration. ¡°Where is he going?¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re not good enough for him,¡± Ashley comments, rejoining everyone else after getting to her feet.


    The manticore runs to the metal doors and tears them open with his claws. He jumps through the resulting hole, and even from all the way over here we can hear the sound of enormous, flapping wings outside.


    ¡°GOD DAMN IT MAN!¡± Nova shouts, looking as though he¡¯s about to tear his hair out. ¡°WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO? THE BOSS JUST FREAKING RAN AWAY!¡±


    ¡°I guess we find out where he is going,¡± Ashley states calmly. ¡°He¡¯s gotta be up to something.¡±


    ¡°This is stupid!¡± Nova continues to complain, kicking the ground.


    ¡°Our attacks weren¡¯t doing a lot to him anyway,¡± Ted comments. ¡°We should take this time to form a clear strategy now that we know what to¡­¡±


    Ted is interrupted by the sound of Palmer¡¯s voice. It sounds magnified enough to where we can easily hear him even from the basement, but other than that his voice sounds remarkably calm and normal, lacking the distortions of my parents¡¯ voices.


    ¡°Do not be alarmed, everyone. It is your pastor speaking. I have finally managed to awaken the secret weapon. This means that it is time to make our move. This is our mandate to start the invasion.¡±


    ¡°Man, they¡¯d have to be dumbasses to fall for that shit,¡± Nova snarks. ¡°Him turning into a fucking cat is clearly not the secret weapon.¡±


    ¡°Well, those others are pretty gullible,¡± Anja reasons. ¡°Where do you guys think he went?¡±


    ¡°It sounded like he flew on top of the military base,¡± Ashley observes. ¡°Makes sense given that he was trying to address a large number of people, and there are not exactly any other tall buildings in the area.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go up there and set his ass on fire,¡± Anja rallies. ¡°You think that elevator will go all the way to the top?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Ashley responds. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee he won¡¯t just fly away again, but we may as well try it.¡±


    ¡°Aight. Let¡¯s go,¡± Nova agrees.


    The others dash for the exit. I once again find myself hanging behind; leaving the supposed ultimate weapon just sitting there untouched during the final fight feels very unsatisfying. Still, nobody from the church was able to use it, so it¡¯s not like any of us would be able to get it to open anyway.


    I reach the elevator to find that Ashley was holding the door open for me. ¡°You¡¯ve had a lot on your mind, haven¡¯t you?¡± she asks me as I walk in.


    ¡°Um, yes,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m being slow.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame you for that,¡± Anja says in a comforting way. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot today. Well, not just today, but especially today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon,¡± Ashley assures. ¡°We just have to see this through to the end.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I acknowledge. ¡°I¡¯m committed to this. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Ashley gives me a slight nod, and then presses the button that takes us to the top floor.


    The elevator has no windows. There is nothing to do but stand in silence and feel the slight rumbling as we go up. Ashley, as always, looks quite calm and collected, not giving away anything with her expression. Nova seems antsy and frustrated, his hands wiggling randomly as if he were dying to do something with them. Anja has her eyes closed and she seems to be breathing deeply; I would¡¯ve thought she¡¯s praying if she was a more religious person. And closer to the floor, Ted is slowly rotating the cylinder of his revolver, checking to make sure it is fully loaded. I must admit that I have yet to really get used to the absurdity of working together with a talking armadillo.


    ¡°How do you feel about all of this, Mr. Ted?¡± I ask him. ¡°You¡¯re so quiet all of the time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling fine, lassie,¡± he replies gruffly. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about me. I¡¯m a man of duty. I don¡¯t have patience for idle chat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, so you say,¡± Anja comments snarkily. ¡°I think the idle chit-chat is what makes it fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for fun!¡± Ted growls.


    I giggle slightly despite myself. Still, I can¡¯t help but to wonder what his actual mission is¡­ he says he was sent by an angel, but all he¡¯s really done as far as I¡¯ve seen is go along with whatever we¡¯re doing. Was he asked to help us specifically?


    I feel the elevator slow to a stop. My last moment of casual conversation is now over. I grip my shotgun tightly and prepare myself once again.

 Chapter 44: Enemies Of God (September 23 Part 6)

    <Ashley>


    The elevator door opens, and the sight that immediately greets us is Palmer¡¯s rear end, his scorpion tail twitching happily like a cat¡¯s would. He is not currently doing anything other than sitting on the edge of the roof and looking down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare fly away again!¡± Nova blurts out right off the bat. ¡°We¡¯re here to finish this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, foulmouthed child,¡± Palmer replies. ¡°I knew you would follow me up here. And I do plan on dealing with you promptly. I just had more important matters to attend to first.¡±


    ¡°Uh yeah, sure you did,¡± Anja says, leering at him. ¡°Like telling everyone you awakened the secret weapon, when you totally just, didn¡¯t?¡±


    Palmer slowly gets to his feet and turns around to face us, his feline face showing a smug expression. ¡°I have been granted the power I need to carry this out,¡± he contradicts. ¡°It just came in a form I did not expect. At any rate, it is our time to teach the people how to fear again. There is no use in pushing your watered-down doctrine onto me now. My mind is set.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if you want to talk about watered down, let¡¯s talk about this,¡± I say, seeing an opportunity. ¡°You know how the Bible portrays a view of the afterlife which is a little more nuanced than just ¡®eternal happiness or eternal torture¡¯ as the only two options, and it got dumbed down hundreds of years ago to attract more pagans to join the faith?¡±


    ¡°Did you ever even read the Bible?¡± Palmer replies disdainfully. ¡°It¡¯s very clear on the subject.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I respond. ¡°The servant who doesn¡¯t know their master¡¯s will and does not prepare will receive a light beating; the servant who does know their master¡¯s will and does not prepare will receive a severe beating, and- you should pay attention this one- the servant who was made master of the house and used their power to beat their underlings will be cut to pieces.¡± (1)


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± he asks.


    ¡°My point is, right there are three different punishments that can happen to people. And considering that a pastor who abuses children will be punished worse than the average non-believer, do the ends truly justify the means?¡±


    ¡°Quit acting like you know more about the Bible than me,¡± Palmer orders bluntly. ¡°I¡¯ve studied theology at a university level, and you¡¯re a high schooler going through a rebellious phase.¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that you¡¯re not as much of a Biblical originalist as you claim to be,¡± I continue. ¡°But I know how it is with your type. The road to hell is paved with¡­¡±


    While I¡¯m saying the word ¡°with,¡± several things happen at once.


    Ted screams ¡°GET DOWN!¡± and I hear Zoe yelp. Palmer suddenly springs forward, the side of one of his front legs knocking into my torso and knocking the breath out of me just as the word ¡°good¡± was forming on my lips. And finally, I go flying backwards off the building, plummeting to the parking lot below.


    Before I have time to take this in, something grabs my wrist and I slow to a stop in midair. I look up to see that Nova got me, using that spinning hammer trick.


    ¡°We gotta stop- huff- falling for shit like that!¡± Nova asserts, winded by the hit. ¡°In hindsight, that was a pretty obvious trap!¡±


    He slowly lowers me to the ground, and I have to admit he has a point. It was quite ingenious, honestly; lure us all to the roof, provoke either Zoe or I into a religious diatribe, and then pounce when we aren¡¯t expecting it. I feel immensely stupid that I didn¡¯t see that coming.


    Palmer flies straight over our heads as we fall, and he lands a short distance away. Anja lands below us on her feet unharmed, making good use of her wind powers. I look all around the ground and don¡¯t see Zoe or Ted. I look back to the top of the building to see Zoe¡¯s head poking over the side of the roof. Ted must¡¯ve also managed to avoid being blown off.


    Nova and I land on the ground next and sort of collapse to the pavement, still shaken by the initial blow.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that you¡¯re not as much of a Biblical originalist as you claim to be,¡± Ashley continues. ¡°But I know how it is with your type. The road to hell is paved with¡­¡±


    Suddenly, I hear Ted shout ¡°GET DOWN!¡± and he grabs my hand and yanks me to the floor with surprising strength. I fall face first onto the floor, but I can feel something very large quickly move over me and the sounds of the others grunting, as well as a distinct metallic thud. Finally, a huge gust of wind travelling the other direction blows over me, shaking the building underneath me slightly.


    I roll over onto my front to see the manticore flying away from the building. Panicked, I quickly crawl over to the side of the building to see what happened to my friends. Thankfully, it looks like they all somehow landed safely. However, the manticore is landing close to them, and a small contingent of soldiers are surrounding them¡­


    ¡°Up and at ¡®em!¡± Ted barks at me. ¡°Let¡¯s get down there and rejoin the group!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I agree, nodding. I jump to my feet and turn towards the elevator we stepped out of, only to find that it got smashed by Palmer¡¯s jump forward.


    ¡°That looks like it¡¯s too dangerous to try using now,¡± I say to Ted. ¡°Let¡¯s head down using the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Ted agrees.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Come on. Get up. Get up¡­ My body resists my demands. I feel like I¡¯m stuck laying on the floor. I can sense that we are being surrounded, and I feel a sense of hostility¡­


    ¡°You okay, Ashley?¡± I hear Anja¡¯s voice say. ¡°C¡¯mon. Get up.¡±


    I finally push myself up to my knees. I take Anja¡¯s outstretched hand and get to my feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks,¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ thanks. You too?¡± Anja replies, confused.


    Finally having snapped out of whatever funk I was in, I survey our surroundings. As I suspected, a small circle of soldiers are around us, rifles up and pointed at me. There¡¯s something surreal about how I recognize every one of them; after all, they¡¯re the mothers, fathers, aunts, and uncles of the people I knew growing up. Palmer is nimbly walking up to us from the distance, the smirk from earlier gone; it¡¯s been replaced by a serious expression. That said, the vast majority of the army is being directed elsewhere, moving out to the different parts of town in small groups.


    ¡°Bet you regret stabbing me now,¡± Garrett says, forming part of the circle in front me. Unlike Palmer he looks pretty pleased with the current events.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I respond. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking do it again.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you? Years ago?¡± he replies. ¡°Well, looks like I¡¯ve been vindicated, hmm? I was exactly right about you¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s he talking about?¡± Nova asks from behind me. ¡°What¡¯s this guy¡¯s beef with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not important,¡± I dismiss. ¡°Let¡¯s just get rid of this posse and get Palmer already.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s big talk. You think you three can take on all of us? Two of you don¡¯t even have guns!¡± Garrett taunts.


    ¡°They can take you on,¡± Palmer contradicts, having just reached the front of the lot. ¡°And they will win. Like me, these three have awakened a great power within them. Take your squad to go do your assigned job, and I will handle them.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t just abandon you, sir!¡± Garrett protests. ¡°It¡¯ll be three against one!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My power far exceeds theirs,¡± Palmer assures him. ¡°For my power was awakened by the good spirit inside me, while theirs are born from their selfish and wicked thoughts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of the reverse, actually,¡± Anja contradicts. ¡°See, I got my powers when I was¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m tired of your contradictions!¡± Palmer hisses. ¡°Garrett. Lead your squadron now!¡±


    ¡°Roger that, sir!¡± he complies, saluting. The other soldiers quickly disperse along with him.


    Without saying another word, Palmer¡¯s eyes begin glowing, and the three of us are engulfed by blindingly bright beams of light. It doesn¡¯t do much to me except make me wince at the brightness, but the other two get blown backwards with surprised grunts.


    ¡°Pastor Palmer, you¡¯ve got something in your eye,¡± I taunt. ¡°It looks like a log¡­ or a plank, or something.¡±


    ¡°I am not amused, Ashley,¡± Palmer growls. He makes to smack me with his paw, but something odd happens; for the briefest of moments, time seems to move in slow motion, and I angle my sword just right to where it catches the center of his paw, causing him to quickly retract it and stumble backwards.


    ¡°Damn, you can do that now too?¡± Nova questions from somewhere behind me. Out of the corner of my eye I see Anja leap forward and blast Palmer with a huge gust of wind, sending him tumbling back further.


    ¡°Ha! That finally worked against something!¡± Anja celebrates.


    ¡°I hope Zoe and Ted get down here soon,¡± Nova comments, stepping up to the other side of me. ¡°In all the chaos I didn¡¯t think to fly back up there and get them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get it started without them,¡± I state. ¡°Focus on the battle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pumped now!¡± Anja shouts excitedly. ¡°The real battle has finally begun!¡±


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    The base is now ominously empty. It seems like everyone has already left. Ted and I are back on the ground floor, and there is not another soul in sight. We sprint for the exit. I find that my determination has given me seemingly endless energy. Even after running down the many stairs, I do not feel even a little bit fatigued.


    I lead Ted down a shortcut through the kitchen, and that¡¯s when we run into the first other person since the confrontation on the roof. Diana, of all people, is in there, halfway through shoving a slice of cake into her face. For some weird reason, she¡¯s not wearing a military outfit like everyone else, and is instead dressed in church clothing.


    ¡°Stand aside, lass!¡± Ted growls at her.


    It¡¯s tough to say whether she is more shocked about seeing me, or Ted. Either way, her eyes quickly dart between the two of us, and she hastily swallows the bit of cake she had been chewing on and puts the rest down.


    ¡°Zoe?¡± she asks, seemingly not minding Ted¡¯s order. She smiles widely. ¡°You came back!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ what?¡± I ask, not expecting this reaction.


    Diana quickly darts across the room and gives me a huge hug. ¡°Zoe! I missed you so much! I-¡°


    I push her off me. ¡°Diana, I don¡¯t have time for this. I have something I need to do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Zoe?¡± she asks, still irrationally cheery. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve come back, we can finally be friends again!¡±


    ¡°No we can¡¯t, Diana,¡± I tell her plainly, wiping the grin from her face. ¡°I came back to snap you all out of this¡­ crazy warlike mindset!¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­ you¡¯re not staying?¡± Diana asks, now looking gloomy.


    ¡°You¡¯re being just like my parents,¡± I chide her, annoyed. ¡°How can you ever expect things to go back to the way they were after everything you did to me?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡­ I did?¡± she asks blankly.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who took the video of me with Ashley, which showed everyone we were together!¡± I rant at her. ¡°You can¡¯t be my friend again after that, Diana. And you clearly never were to begin with anyway.¡±


    Diana looks at the floor, distraught. For a moment, I wonder if she¡¯s about to awaken her own shadow form. However, this time turns out differently as she begins crying.


    This goes on for a while, and Diana doesn¡¯t seem to even be able to come up with any excuses for herself. She just stands there and cries.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave her and get along,¡± Ted tells me. ¡°The others are out there fighting already."


    ¡°I know¡­ I just want to have a quick word,¡± I tell him. ¡°Diana, look. I know that was really harsh. I¡¯ve been through so much today that I never dreamed of before. You have to know that¡­¡±


    I am interrupted, however, a fourth person enters the room; Terra, wearing her soldier¡¯s uniform like everyone else, with a handgun in the holster on her belt. The rest of my sentence stops in my throat, and for a few seconds there is only awkward silence, as Diana, Terra and I glance back and forth between each other.


    Terra gives me a steely gaze. ¡°Well. Fancy meeting you all here,¡± she says in a casual tone of voice.


    ¡°Fancy nothing,¡± Ted snarls at her. ¡°We have no more time to waste. Move aside!¡±


    Terra smiles slyly and draws her handgun, pointing it straight at me. ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you anymore, Terra,¡± I tell her sternly. From the corner of my eye, I see Ted draw his own gun, ready to retaliate if Terra attacks. ¡°I am much more powerful than before. Even a gun will not stop me now. Move out of our way.¡±


    ¡°Wait! No!¡± Diana screams, hysterically running between us. ¡°Please don¡¯t fight! We were all friends once, remember?¡±


    Diana turns towards Terra and asks, ¡°Terra¡­ sniff¡­ what are you doing here? I thought you were with the battalion?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were.¡± Terra says accusingly. ¡°What¡¯s your excuse?¡±


    Ted scoffs at the continued impediment. While a very large part of me wants to see this confrontation through, Ted is right; Ashley and the others need us.


    I turn to leave the kitchen at last, but Diana grabs my hand and tugs on my arm. ¡°No, Zoe! Please don¡¯t leave!¡± she pleads. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? I never should have done any of that! Let¡¯s just talk about this!¡±


    ¡°Quit trying to appease her, you worm,¡± Terra tells her harshly, the venom in her voice back again. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d touch its hands.¡±


    Its hands, she said. Being referred to in this way causes something within me to snap¡­ I am overwhelmed by a blind rage which goes beyond anything I¡¯ve felt before. I raise my shotgun up and aim it at her. ¡°Shut your god damn mouth, Terra.¡±


    Diana clasps her hands over her mouth in shock that I just said a swear word. Terra, however, does not look afraid in the slightest; in fact, she laughs at me.


    ¡°You can¡¯t touch me, you little freak,¡± Terra gloats. ¡°To answer your question from earlier, Diana; I have a special mission to do.¡±


    ¡°Huh? From who?¡± Diana questions, puzzled. ¡°Palmer?¡±


    ¡°No, not from him,¡± Terra continues, smirking at the barrel of my shotgun. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the basement and pilot the ultimate weapon. I¡¯m no fool; I know that Palmer failed to get into it and chose to take a shortcut instead.¡±


    ¡°If he couldn¡¯t get in, you don¡¯t even have a chance,¡± I scold her. ¡°You¡¯re an awful, hateful person, Terra!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to hate what is evil, freak,¡± Terra counters me.


    ¡°Please! Stop this, both of you!¡± Diana shouts hysterically, jumping between us. ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight! Just give it up, both of you!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a conflict we¡¯re just going to be able to hug and walk away from,¡± Terra tells her. ¡°It¡¯s a clash of ideology. You¡¯ve got to pick a side.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ you¡¯re both my friends!¡± she agonizes, tears streaming down her face. This gives me an idea¡­


    ¡°And Yonca is your friend too, right?¡± I ask Diana.


    ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± she pleads. ¡°All three of you are!¡±


    ¡°I saw Yonca earlier today,¡± I explain. ¡°And she was running at me with knives and wearing terrorist clothes. The people of this church view her as the enemy.¡±


    ¡°What? That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Diana says, shaking her head.


    ¡°Of course she¡¯s an enemy,¡± Terra responds. ¡°She believes a false doctrine. That makes her an enemy of God. So she¡¯s an enemy of ours too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how that works,¡± I contradict her. ¡°It¡¯s not our job to judge.¡±


    ¡°Which is lucky for you, freak,¡± Terra comments dryly. ¡°I¡¯d smite a disgusting creature like you where you stand.¡±


    Diana winces slightly at this. But she seems to be figuring something out internally¡­


    ¡°But Terra¡­ don¡¯t you think she¡¯s right?¡± Diana questions tentatively. ¡°Yonca being a different faith doesn¡¯t make her our enemy. It¡¯s just something we¡­ disagree on,¡± she reasons.


    ¡°Alright. So you¡¯ve made your choice then,¡± Terra states. ¡°Well, I see no reason for you to stick around here, then. Whenever you wind up after this, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find your way back to where you¡¯re actually supposed to be¡­¡± And then without a single warning or change of expression, she brings her gun up and shoots Diana straight through the head.


    I quickly raise my own shotgun and fire on her in retaliation, but it¡¯s too late; Terra is being engulfed in shadows, and the bullets just get absorbed into the smoke. Diana¡¯s face shows intense anguish and hurt for a few seconds before she collapses and fades away like Garrett did.


    In this middle of her transformation, Terra tells in a now scary and distorted voice, ¡°And now¡­ I have something special for you!¡± The shadows engulf her entirely, and then she emerges transformed; she now has a large pair of batlike wings, a horned devilish tail, a pure white leotard in place of her military uniform, and, most unnervingly, a wicked, maniacal smile.


    <hr>


    <BBD>


    <ol>


    <li>This is an abbreviation of Luke 12:44-48.</li>


    </ol>

 Chapter 45: The Armor Of God (September 23 Part 7)

    <Nova>


    Dipshit ain¡¯t getting away from us this time. Anja¡¯s wind attack blew him to the back of the parking lot, close to where some houses are.


    So, what we know so far: Cat Palmer is resilient to most attacks and we have yet to really figure out a weakness. He didn¡¯t seem all that hurt by my lightning, but I¡¯m also not really interested in going for his feet. Hey, in the last boss I got up on his back and that seemed to help a lot. I¡¯ll try that.


    I do the helicopter thing with my hammer, and I try to get onto the back, but then I get beaten back by one of his paws. His reflexes are too good for me to get up there from the front, I guess. Maybe if I get behind him?


    Anyways, I got knocked back to the ground just as Ashley and Anja run up to meet Kitty Priest, and he spins around quickly and wallops all three of us with that scorpion tail. I¡¯m expecting it to sting, but it actually barely hurts me. Anja manages to duck under it, but Ashley gets hit dead on. It clearly affects her a lot more, as she winces and hunches over from the pain. So like how Ashley didn¡¯t get hurt by that eye attack, but in reverse this time.


    Anja hits back with another gust of wind. This time, he gets thrown into some trees in between the lot and a house, and the trees get knocked over and crash into the backyard. I don¡¯t know if this is intentional, but moving the fight to the houses will help us because we¡¯ll have more cover and a high ground to attack him from.


    Suddenly, I feel a sort of powerful, macho feeling; must be the adrenaline kicking in. While he¡¯s still disoriented from Anja¡¯s attack, I run and get behind one of the trees that didn¡¯t get knocked over. Then, when he tries to start another attack against Ashley and Anja, I use the spinny hammer trick again; only this time, I use it to just barrel straight into his flank. The impact stings me a bit too, but man, it was worth it. I plop to the ground and watch as the force of my collision sends him tumbling into some more trees, but he still doesn¡¯t really seem that hurt by it, since he gets right back up afterwards.


    Still, my attack couldn¡¯t stop him from swatting Anja halfway across the parking lot with one of his paws. Anja recovers quickly and retaliates with more wind, which sends him all the way into the house. His back legs get stuck through the walls, giving Ashley an opening to run up and smack him right across the face with her sword. As a nice cherry on top, I propel into him with my hammer spinny again, which knocks him free from the wall but also sends him sliding across into the next yard.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but to admire your valiant effort,¡± Cat Palmer admits as he gets back on his feet. Despite the beating he took, he still has that same calm, focused tone of voice. ¡°You have found strength through unity; a quality my church has long missed. How did you do it?¡± He looks directly at Ashley, as if the question was mostly for her.


    ¡°We have common goals and beliefs, so we help each other,¡± Ashley states simply. ¡°It¡¯s not complicated.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. So it was a natural alliance,¡± the kitty muses. ¡°And yet you are also so different in many ways.¡±


    Anja jumps over the smashed trees and joins the rest of us in the yard. ¡°Well, you gotta have some diversity or things will get too boring,¡± she tells Mr. Whiskers. ¡°Anyways, we¡¯ve already flapped our jaws enough already, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we have,¡± Palmer says (I ran out of cat nicknames.) He moves very quickly up into the air, and I instinctively dive through the hole he left in the wall to dodge whatever attack he¡¯s about to do. And that was a pretty good idea, as a second later I hear the sound of huge wings flapping and see Ashley fly backwards and out of sight. I hear more wind sounds and trees getting knocked over, so I¡¯m guessing he and Anja are having a Wind Duel now.


    I look at the ceiling of the house for a spot to easily break through and get a good vantage point. I¡¯m in a cluttered living room area now, but I see a hallway in front of me that would take me closer to the action. I run down the hall and propel myself through the ceiling right in front of what looks like a master bedroom.


    On the roof, I catch Ashley swiping at Palmer¡¯s legs, creating a perfect distraction for me to smack him with another hammer propeller assault. Unfortunately, he¡¯s cognizant enough to nail Ashley with his scorpion stinger as he¡¯s going down, sending her flying straight through the wall of the house. The sting combined with the impact of colliding with the wall must have hurt a lot.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Immediately after Terra emerges from the shadow cocoon, Ted sends her flying backwards into a metal cabinet with one of his fire attacks. Terra jumps out, relatively unperturbed, and pelts him with an ice attack. Ted winces and grunts in a pained way as the attack sends him sliding backwards into a wall.


    I take a deep breath, and then hit her square in the chest with a shotgun blast. This knocks her down to the floor and leaves her stunned, so I follow up with a nuclear strike. After this initial assault, Terra is no longer grinning and now looks furious.


    She dives forward and takes me by surprise, grabbing me by my heels and then using her wings to propel herself into the air, leaving me awkwardly hanging over her shoulder and disoriented. She then spins around and tosses me out the door to the kitchen, causing me to slam into the wall in the hallway. I fall to the floor on my side with a thud. The impact certainly hurt, but I am able to bear it. After all, I¡¯ve been through much worse in the Metaverse so far.


    I push myself up to a sitting position to see Terra staring at me from the kitchen, ominously framed by the doorway and smirking again. But then, I hear a loud bang and Terra shrieks in pain as her wings twitch a bit; Ted must have fired on her from where he is in the kitchen. Terra steps out of the kitchen and towards me, glaring at me evilly.


    ¡°What a curious pair of opponents I have,¡± she muses. ¡°A horrifying, disgusting freak of nature¡­ and a talking armadillo.¡±


    I feel my pulse rise once again¡­ however, then I heard Ted¡¯s voice call, ¡°She¡¯s trying to distract you. Ignore her!¡± I close my eyes and take a deep breath, returning to my previous pensive focus.


    I spring to my feet and reach out with my hand, intending to put her to sleep with the spell I used on Moloch. However, Terra sees it coming and ducks out the way. She retaliates with a punch to the side of my head and a knee right into my groin, causing me to stumble backwards a few steps.


    ¡°Hehe, that was cathartic,¡± Terra comments unnecessarily.


    I raise my shotgun again, and this time I hit her several times in quick succession, leaving her momentarily stunned. I take this time to run back into the kitchen and look for Ted; it¡¯s strange that he hasn¡¯t followed us out yet.


    It turns out, this was because Terra¡¯s ice attack on Ted caused him to get frozen to the wall, still able to operate his gun but not much else. I tear off the ice covering him and help him get free.


    Ted and I walk back out to confront Terra, weapons raised. She is just now standing up straight again and is breathing very heavily. We clearly were able to get the upper hand on her and wear her down quickly.


    ¡°Give it up, Terra,¡± I tell her. ¡°It¡¯s obvious by now that you¡¯re not going to beat us.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± she asks me. ¡°You¡¯ll convert me?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± I rebuke her. ¡°Why can you not go thirty seconds without making some sick comment?¡±


    ¡°You think that I¡¯m sick?¡± Terra replies spitefully. ¡°Why can¡¯t we talk about the organized network of people, preying on children and mentally ill people? The internet makes it easier than ever for predators to find their victims and infect them¡­ and you¡¯re playing right into their hands!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me at all, do you?¡± I ask. ¡°We were friends for years, and yet you somehow know absolutely nothing about me¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought I did,¡± she said. ¡°You never seemed like someone who¡¯d be radicalized. Such a pity, Zoe¡­¡±


    However, she seems to admit defeat all the same, and exits her shadow form. I sigh with relief and put my gun back at my side.


    ¡°You never answered my question, Zoe,¡± Terra states after returning to her regular clothing and wingless form. ¡°What is your goal here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to make Palmer change his heart,¡± I explain. ¡°He has the power to smooth over this whole situation, if we can just get him to stop being so stubborn.¡±


    Terra chuckles darkly. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna be able to get through to him. No way.¡±


    ¡°We have to try,¡± I insist.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get it Zoe. Did you see the monstrous form that he took? There¡¯s no way to stop him. He¡¯s given in to his selfish desires and is too far gone.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°If we defeat him, we can talk him out of it!¡± I urge her.


    ¡°No. He is too powerful. The only thing that can stop him now is the direct hand of God Himself. That¡¯s why I wanted to activate that secret weapon. But now, you¡¯ve ruined any chance of that happening¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, you were going to stop him?¡± I ask, confused. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be on his side!¡±


    ¡°I was totally on his side until he transformed into that monster!¡± Terra says disdainfully. ¡°But whatever. Have it your way. Go deal with him yourself, freak.¡±


    And without further ado, Terra takes her gun and shoots herself in the head with it, disappearing into shadows to reappear who-knows-where.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Ouch, that last hit on Ashley looked like it fucking hurt! I dash away from the fight and into the house to go find her. I find her in a bedroom, having just crashed through two layers of walls and right into a large, wooden dresser which is now in splinters. She does not look good; her armor has a few dents in it, and she¡¯s wincing and holding her stomach like she¡¯s about to violently throw up.


    ¡°Oh jeez! Here, I can help!¡± I offer. However, just as I¡¯m crouching to heal her, I hear a loud sizzling sound come from every direction around me¡­ I sprawl onto my back to see that the house has caught fire¡­ oh no oh shit, what do I do?


    ¡°Eeeek!¡± I scream without thinking. ¡°Fire! I gotta put it out! I¡¯ll use my wind!¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Ashley orders in a croaky voice. ¡°You¡¯ll only make it stronger. Palmer must have used his fire breath on the end of the house, we need to get out now¡­¡±


    But it¡¯s already too late. The fire has set the doorway and the bed by the window ablaze, leaving us with nowhere to run. I can¡¯t do anything but sit there and cry out of total panic.


    But then, I hear a crash and see a bunch of rubble fall down from the roof right in the center of the room, leaving a hole. Nova hops down through it, uttering a ¡°Yeowch!¡± as his robes catch on fire. He grabs me around the waist and just straight up chucks me up through the hole he made. I scream more as I fly, and then land on the shillings of the roof with a thud.


    I feel two sets of feet land beside me right afterwards, followed by Nova¡¯s voice saying, ¡°C¡¯mon Anja, let¡¯s go let¡¯s go let¡¯s go!¡± Ashley follows him up with, ¡°The house will collapse soon. We need to jump to relative safety.¡± I feel someone yank me to my feet by my armpits (it must be Ashley based on the height difference between us) and then push me forward. Without thinking twice (or even really once,) I make a mad dash across the roof and off the other side, too disoriented to land on my feet and instead faceplanting onto the ground. Two subsequent thuds tell me that Ashley and Nova made it.


    ¡°That fucking bastard!¡± Nova shouts bitterly from above me, having landed on his feet. ¡°When are Zoe and Ted gonna get here??? We¡¯ve been fighting like hell and we¡¯ve barely made a dent so far!¡±


    With some protesting from my battered limbs, I push myself up and use a group healing spell. Nova looks like he¡¯s managing okay, but Ashley is still on the ground coughing heavily, now covered in soot in addition to her previous injuries.


    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Ashley says. She pushes herself up too, but nearly stumbles over and Nova has to grab her shoulder to keep her steady.


    ¡°Damn, Ashley,¡± I tell her. ¡°You can do this all day, huh?¡±


    No reaction from Ashley for that, predictably. Nova, getting the reference, chuckles a bit, but then the smile is wiped off his face by something he sees over my shoulder. I whirl around to see one of the squads of soldiers from the church pointing guns at us. Oh fuck!


    ¡°You are ordered to stand down,¡± a middle-aged lady in the front of the squad says.


    Ashley rolls her eyes, does a dramatic hair flip, and then charges straight into them without any further warning. She uses the superior bulk granted by having a Persona to charge through their oncoming fire and slice through the soldiers one by one, turning them to shadowy smoke. I think that I should help her out, but she¡¯s moving so quickly through the squad that I¡¯m worried about hitting her. The other soldiers seem to have similar concerns, leaving to a confusing mess of some of them shooting and others running away. It kinda reminds me of that one scene from V for Vendetta near the end. And like that scene, Ashley somehow emerges victorious, albeit breathing very heavily and with a crazy look in her eyes. There are several new welts in her armor from the bullets that managed to hit her. I would tell her off for putting herself into that much danger when she was already weakened, but honestly right now I mainly just feel afraid of her.


    And then Palmer re-emerges, pouncing towards Ashley from the other side of the burning house. With one simple flick, he knocks Ashley away before she has a chance to react to what is happening. Ashley flies straight forward and into a tree, which breaks in half and falls backwards. Ashley falls to the ground headfirst and appears totally unconscious at last.


    ¡°No! Ashley!¡± I cry out, making to run over for her. Nova, however, grabs me around the waist to stop me.


    ¡°Anja¡­ he doesn¡¯t see us yet,¡± he whispers in my ear. ¡°Let¡¯s take cover and use this to our advantage¡­¡±


    While it goes against my immediate instinct to go help her, I think he¡¯s right. We might be able to sneak around the buildings and go collect her.


    Palmer miraculously didn¡¯t seem to hear my earlier shout over the sounds of the tree breaking, so we both back away slowly and hide behind the next house. I personally don¡¯t get too close to the wall because I¡¯m worried he¡¯s just going to set this one on fire too.


    ¡°She has fought well,¡± I hear Palmer say. It¡¯s not clear at first if he¡¯s talking to himself, or if another platoon showed up. ¡°I can respect that fighting spirit, even if she is on the wrong side of this issue. Take her back to the base and put her in a secure location.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, sir,¡± a man¡¯s deep voice says, confirming that he¡¯s not talking to himself. ¡°Is this area clear? It seems that the unclean residents here fled already.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they will not get far,¡± Palmer replies. ¡°We are sweeping every inch of this town as we speak. And anyway, two of Ashley¡¯s friends may still be skulking around here somewhere. I will find them myself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get this, why hasn¡¯t she evaporated yet?¡± A young woman¡¯s voice asks. ¡°All the other civilians we dealt with simply faded into air a while after being shot.¡±


    ¡°The powers she awakened give her special rules, it seems,¡± Palmer explains. ¡°However, rest assured she is unconscious for now. Be on your guard, as her friends may try to take her body and resuscitate her.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s an idea,¡± Nova mutters. ¡°We just wait for that squad to pass by, and then¡­¡±


    His plan is interrupted by the sound of crunching grass that is waaay too close to us. Nova grabs my arm and pulls us into a nearby patio to hide from him.


    ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s so catlike I couldn¡¯t hear him approaching!¡± Nova whispers tersely as we crouch behind the sitting table.


    ¡°What do we do, Nova?¡± I whisper back. ¡°Now it¡¯s just the two of us against one very large beast¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me think about this¡­ I¡¯ll come up with a plan,¡± Nova whispers back, though his face shows as much anxiety as I feel. He closes his eyes really tightly, seemingly trying to think of something desperately. In the meantime, we have nothing to do but stay cramped up in our hiding place and hope we aren¡¯t spotted.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Ted and I dash out the front doors of the church, ready to join the others in the fight. I scan the surrounding area, and quickly find the area of the fight, indicated clearly by the several demolished trees and a house that¡¯s been burned to the ground. We quickly start dashing in that direction¡­


    ¡­But then, I see more clearly what¡¯s actually happening. I see Ashley¡¯s limp body being carried away by a group of soldiers, with Anja and Nova nowhere to be seen. I see Palmer hastily walking around the area and looking around. Could he be looking for them?


    I slow to a stop, my heart falling in my chest as I realize what¡¯s happening.


    ¡°What?¡± Ted asks sharply. ¡°It looks as though they¡¯ve already given up!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it does,¡± I reply glumly. ¡°The mission failed. We need to get out of here before¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ted growls at me harshly. ¡°We can rejoin with the two who remain and win!¡±


    ¡°But look at Palmer!¡± I point out. ¡°They¡¯ve been fighting him this whole time, and he barely looks hurt! And we know that at least Ashley is already down!¡±


    Ted doesn¡¯t say anything to that. He just says heavily and shakes his head.


    Depressed and defeated, I start thinking about how to get everyone out safely. I¡¯ll have to intercept the soldiers carrying Ashley, but I still have no idea where Anja and Nova are hiding.


    How could this happen to us? It seems that Palmer was just too strong for us. We couldn¡¯t defeat him after all¡­ it¡¯s just like what Terra said¡­


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get it Zoe. Did you see the monstrous form that he took? There¡¯s no way to stop him. He¡¯s given in to his selfish desires and is too far gone.¡±


    That¡¯s what she said, and she ended up being right. But hold on¡­ there was something she said after that¡­


    ¡°No. He is too powerful. The only thing that can stop him now is the direct hand of God Himself. That¡¯s why I wanted to activate that secret weapon. But now, you¡¯ve ruined any chance of that happening¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the strangest of ideas overtakes me.


    ¡°Ted¡­ wait. I, uh¡­¡± I trail off.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± he asks me.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t expect this to work,¡± I disclaim, ¡°But¡­ we don¡¯t have any other ideas, so maybe there¡¯s one thing we could try.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°Remember that weapon that Palmer wanted to use? None of us tried to get it to open. It could be that it¡¯d work for one of us¡­ but no. There¡¯s no way that¡¯d work.¡±


    With a pang, I realize that if a trained pastor couldn¡¯t meet the requirements to get it to open, there¡¯s no way any of us could. Ashley can be too violent sometimes, Anja and Nova aren¡¯t Christians, Ted seems to have personal baggage that he won¡¯t share, and I¡­ I¡¯m just pretty useless for the most part.


    ¡°Hmm. It is curious that nobody could use it in the palace that they themselves created,¡± Ted observes. ¡°It¡¯s almost as if they know deep in their hearts that something is off about all of this¡­¡±


    He looks around quickly. ¡°Where did those doors he tore open lead to?¡±


    ¡°The backside of the church, I think,¡± I tell him. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Without waiting for me to finish, he runs around the perimeter of the church behind me.


    ¡°Wait, Ted!¡± I call after him. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ that idea was probably too stupid¡­¡±


    He ignores me and is soon out of sight. Disgruntled, I follow him around the church and to what would be a second, smaller parking lot in the real world. In this world, the metal doors are here instead, showing that this is where Palmer escaped from earlier. I carefully step over the bottom into the hole that Palmer left earlier, and back into the room.


    I jog down the ramp to find Ted standing at the foot of the weapon. Obviously, the door is still shut tight.


    ¡°Okay, Ted. It¡¯s clearly still not opening,¡± I tell him. ¡°It was just a distraction this whole time. Let¡¯s go get the others and escape.¡±


    ¡°Why, it was never going to be me who opened it,¡± he asserts. ¡°Come closer, Zoe.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, me?¡± I question, getting a bit hysterical. ¡°This whole hostile and hateful environment¡­ I was a part of it for so, so long. Maybe I never fully believed in it, but I didn¡¯t speak out against it, and that is bad enough.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t seeing anything about ¡®perfect¡¯ on that inscription,¡± Ted counters. ¡°Only one man was ever perfect.¡±


    I sigh. I¡¯m really afraid of stepping in front of it; not that it¡¯ll open, but that it won¡¯t, confirming what I know to be true about myself. No matter whose side you¡¯re on, you can clearly see me and see someone totally unworthy.


    Still, Ted is steadfast, and is not budging from the spot he¡¯s in. I suppose if nothing else, I will need to walk over there to pick him up.


    I shut my eyes and walk over to him, trying to focus on just getting him and leaving as quickly as possible. I heard a strange creaking sound, which I ignore¡­


    Then, right beside me I hear a large Crash. My eyes instinctively pop open¡­ so see that the door to the weapon has fallen down.

 Chapter 46: Cast The First Stone (September 23 Part 8)

    <Zoe>


    For a moment, I¡¯m simply dumbfounded, not comprehending what just happened. And then, I feel a wave of excitement and hope wash over me. Now¡¯s our chance- we can bring a quick end to this!


    I quickly run up the ramp and into the tank. I hear the sound of smaller footsteps on metal that tells me that Ted is following me.


    Despite its size, the tank was clearly not designed to be piloted by a large team; the staircase inside leads directly up to the cockpit. There¡¯s nothing I can identify as a control panel or anything; it¡¯s just an empty room with a window showing the outside.


    ¡°Um¡­ Ted,¡± I ask, realizing something. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to drive a tank¡­¡±


    ¡°This ain¡¯t nothing like the tanks of the Great War,¡± he comments, surveilling the room as well. ¡°Well, we¡¯re in a cognitive world; most likely, this will be piloted by cognition itself.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ what does that mean?¡± I ask, confused. ¡°Oh, you mean¡­ I can pilot the tank¡­ with my heart?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a cheesy way of putting it, but I suppose so,¡± Ted grumbles.


    I stand in the center of the room and think about the tank moving out the doors and outside¡­ and feel a sense of total exhilaration when it begins rumbling and vibrating. I see the tank turn towards the metal doors¡­ what remained of them opens properly, leaving the opening clear for me.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    I¡¯m hiding behind a chimney on the roof as Palmer is slowly sweeping through the area. He¡¯s about to step into the gap between houses¡­ soon, he¡¯ll be exactly where we want him to be¡­


    He steps into the gap, and I look at Anja and give her the thumbs up. She nods, and then jumps out from behind the stove she was behind and shouts, ¡°POCKET SAND!¡± She snaps her fingers, causing a bright flash of light, and Palmer grunts and shuffles backwards dizzily.


    I quickly jump off the roof and leap onto his back, running up to behind his neck. I get a firm grip on his neck and then shout, ¡°GO!¡±


    A wind attack from Anja blows Palmer¡¯s back legs into one of the houses. I shoot electricity at it to open up a hole in the wall, which his back legs and tail get stuck in from the momentum. Success!


    Anja opens fire into his torso just as we planned, and I jump on top of his head as he grunts with displeasure. Then, when her clip is depleted, she leaps out from under him, and I bring my hammer crashing down upon his head with a huge strike. Then, as he collapses onto the ground, I jump onto the next rooftop and then quickly off to the side to rejoin with Anja.


    ¡°Wow, that actually worked!¡± Anja marvels. ¡°Let¡¯s go hide somewhere again before he recovers¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®that actually worked?¡¯¡± I question, frowning. ¡°Were you doubting me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke Nova. Come on, let¡¯s¡­ AAAHHH!¡±


    I feel the needles on the skin that mean we were blasted by those eye beams again, and both of us are knocked over. I hear the sounds of crumbling brick as he must have kicked his legs free from the house¡­ oh fuck.


    ¡°Very clever,¡± I hear Palmer say behind us. ¡°But I¡¯m not interested in playing these silly cat and mouse games.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, even you¡¯re making the cat puns now,¡± I point out, groaning.


    ¡°What? Nobody was making them before! You¡¯re¡­ Well, regardless. Let¡¯s end this fight like men.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m a girl!¡± Anja bemoans.


    Palmer pounces forwards and takes a swipe at her, which she narrowly dodges by somersaulting backwards. Damn, I really wish now that I had shut up earlier so we could get away. Now it¡¯s back to the old grind¡­


    ¡­Except then, Palmer just kind of stops, and stands still for a few seconds. I don¡¯t know why at first, but then I hear it too: A deep rumbling sound in the distance, which seems to be rapidly getting closer as the ground begins shaking.


    I look into the distance to see¡­ WHAT THE FUCK


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    I roll up to the neighborhood where Palmer is now standing off with Anja and Nova; it seems as if they came out of hiding. All three of them turn towards me as I approach, looking quite terrified.


    I remember what my father said earlier: ¡°It¡¯s an unstoppable weapon that can obliterate the hearts of the sinful.¡± It should work on him¡­ but I need to act quickly before he realizes what¡¯s going on and tries to run away again.


    I think about the large cannon firing straight into him¡­ A ray of light comes out that seems to split the very air into two right in front of me, and I¡¯m forced to look away to protect my eyes. There is no ¡°bang¡± sound, only a high-pitched sparkly sound and a faint whine that lingers in the air as visibility comes back.


    Palmer was grievously injured by the cannon. While before he looked a bit battered but still healthy, after the cannon fire his fur is singed all over, and he is struggling to stay standing, his legs looking like they¡¯re about to give out. He will be easy to finish off now.


    Anja and Nova were dazed by the attack but are otherwise unharmed. Anja sees me and shouts, ¡°Holy shit! Look Nova, that¡¯s Zoe in that thing! You go, girl!¡± Celebrating, Anja waves fervently at me, which I return.


    ¡°Ow, my eyes and ears!¡± Nova moans loudly, holding his head in his hands.


    Palmer takes a few steps backwards, and then suddenly leaps to the side and takes to the air, quickly enough to where I¡¯m not able to aim and fire again in time.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Nova yells furiously. ¡°He¡¯s not getting away this time! Come on Anja, let¡¯s go after him!¡±


    ¡°What? How?¡± Anja questions.


    Nova grabs Anja around the wrist, and then uses his propeller technique to take flight and fly after Palmer, Anja screaming with surprise.


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll be able to get him?¡± Ted inquires. ¡°This hunk of metal can¡¯t move fast enough to give chase.¡±


    ¡°I believe they can do it,¡± I assure him. ¡°He looks totally crippled by our attack.¡±


    ¡°What will you do then?¡± he questions.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go retrieve Ashley,¡± I tell him. I turn the tank around and move back towards the base, scanning the scenery for the squad of soldiers I saw earlier.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    And that¡¯s how I got to be flying through the air, dangling helplessly by my wrist as I watch the town fly by below me.


    ¡°ANJA! I¡¯M GONNA THROW YOU!¡± Nova calls over the rushing wind.


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE GONNA WHAT???¡± I shout back incredulously.


    ¡°I¡¯M THROWING YOU TO HIS BACK! TAKE OUT THE WINGS!¡± Nova shouts back.


    Without giving me a choice in the matter, he chucks me forward. I scream like a maniac as I go flying at the speed of a bullet straight for Palmer¡¯s back. I land on my face, the fur thankfully cushioning the impact. I desperately grab onto the fur for dear life.


    ¡°GET OFF OF ME!¡± Palmer yells at me.


    ¡°WHAT HAPPENED TO FIGHTING LIKE MEN, HUH?¡± I taunt back. I get up to a sitting position and start firing into his wings like Nova told me to.


    Palmer yowls furiously and starts doing circles in the air to shake me off. I grasp his fur again, but it¡¯s not enough to save me from falling off. However, I¡¯m somehow able to ride the wind current created by the spinning motion and get back on top of him. Holy shit, I¡¯m so glad I have wind powers.


    While he¡¯s still off balance from the spin, I shoot out the other wing, and it¡¯s finally too much for him: he quickly begins plummeting down. And that means that¡­ I am too! Aaahhhh!


    I jump off his back and try to use my powers to slow myself down. However, given the huge distance to the ground and lack of any center of gravity, there¡¯s only so much I can do, and I prepare for a painful landing¡­


    And then, Nova wraps an arm around me from behind, catching me under my armpit. That absolute         madman, I can¡¯t believe he manipulated his momentum carefully enough to catch me like that. I quickly cling on to him, and I feel us slowly decelerate going down. Meanwhile, below us, I hear a loud crash that indicates that Palmer hit the ground.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°We finally did it, Anja!¡± he shouts jovially. ¡°He¡¯s not getting up from that!¡±


    I start laughing, not because of anything funny but sheerly from nerves. Then, caught up in the theatrics of the moment, I lean into him and give him a kiss on the cheek. Nova blushes furiously and stammers a bit, which is super adorable, making me giggle more.


    We gently touch down onto the ground, and I feel my feet touch land at last as Nova lets me down. We landed in the middle of a cattle ranch; I spot a herd of them cautiously watching us from the distance. Palmer is in the middle of a small crater, laying on his side and clearly defeated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go rub it in his face that we won,¡± I suggest to Nova. He agrees, and we walk up to Palmer¡¯s head.


    ¡°No more, please,¡± Palmer requests calmly, his voice weak. ¡°I know when I¡¯m defeated. I will return to my human form and surrender.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ well, it¡¯s no fun rubbing it in when he¡¯s already admitting defeat,¡± I reason. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll call it good then.¡±


    ¡°Wait, uh, don¡¯t turn back into a human yet,¡± Nova urges him. ¡°We¡¯re, uh, kinda in the middle of nowhere now, so, we need a ride back.¡±


    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s even better!¡± I say gleefully. ¡°From enemy to mere stead!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in any kind of condition to walk right now,¡± Palmer admits. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to figure something else out.¡±


    ¡°Well, I could heal you just enough to make you walk again,¡± I offer.


    ¡°But how are we going to know he won¡¯t just attack us again?¡± Nova complains, raising his hammer again threateningly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. You have my word,¡± Palmer states. ¡°Not only did the weapon fail to open for me, it was used against me¡­ I acknowledge that I have been rebuked.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you go,¡± I assure Nova, still grinning at the humor of the situation as I move in close to heal him.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    I am very amused to see Anja and Nova return to me quite a while later riding on Palmer¡¯s back, still in Manticore form of course. Ted and I abandoned the tank after using it to scare away the soldiers keeping Ashley hostage. She now rests in my arms, still unconscious. I had been spending the time brushing through her hair with my fingers.


    Anja and Nova jump off Palmer¡¯s back. Anja looks rather smug, while Nova looks somewhat nervous for a reason I can not guess. Then, one last time, Palmer is engulfed in the shadows to re-emerge as his regular human self.


    I am rather antsy to get home by this point, but I first need to make sure that things will happen the way that they¡¯re supposed to. I walk up to Palmer and say, ¡°In real life, my parents now stand outside the door of Ashley¡¯s home, along with several others. I believe that they are trying to intimidate them. You have the power to ensure that it ends peacefully, and that this fervor they have ignited is soothed.¡±


    Palmer sighs heavily. ¡°Yes. I will, of course. It is my duty,¡± he agrees. ¡°I regret that this has happened. I never got to tell you this, but I do believe that your parents¡¯ initial reaction to your ¡®coming out¡¯ was disgraceful. If they had just talked to me first¡­¡±


    ¡°Distancing yourself already?¡± Anja interrupts. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. We haven¡¯t forgotten what your solution was. And by that I of course mean sending her off to Psychological Abuse Camp.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are¡­ disputes about the effectiveness of that practice, I¡¯m aware,¡± Palmer admits, mollified. ¡°But worst case, she¡¯d be away for a short while, letting me sooth tensions so we could return to peaceful normalcy afterwards¡­ But, there laid the impurity of my heart. I became so focused on the collective contentment of the church, that I was willing to allow one blameless individual to suffer¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay good, he gets it now,¡± Nova interrupts awkwardly. ¡°Can we go home already? We¡¯ve been in this stupid palace for way too long.¡±


    ¡°If you mean what you say, get everyone at the door to go home in peace,¡± I tell Palmer. ¡°We¡­ shall be leaving. If someone with free hands may do the honors.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± Nova says. He grabs his phone from his robes, and at last, we leave the palace victorious¡­


    <hr>


    We re-appear just outside the portal where we entered. The church is no longer fleshy and organic but has returned to its normal form. I am¡­ very relieved to see this.


    ¡°Do you guys¡­ think it worked?¡± I ask meekly.


    ¡°It worked last time, didn¡¯t it?¡± Nova affirms. ¡°How the fuck did you guys get into that tank, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it seems like you were up to quite a bit after we got knocked off the tower,¡± Anja says curiously. ¡°Let¡¯s head back, and how about you guys fill us in while we walk.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ okay. I think I¡¯ll let Ted start,¡± I say, feeling tired.


    ¡°No problem at all,¡± Ted agrees, as the four of us begin walking home. ¡°My hunter¡¯s instinct told me that Palmer was about to pounce on us, so I grabbed Zoe and told her to duck¡­¡±


    I quickly space out during Ted¡¯s telling of the events, and just look down on Ashley, still laying in my arms unconsciously. Though she¡¯s battered and bloody in many areas, she looks serene in a way, her face totally relaxed. She put herself through so much for me¡­ she¡¯s always been my pillar of strength. But now, I need to be stronger too, so I can help her in return. It¡¯s clear to me now that she needs me as much as I need her.


    <hr>


    <Alyssa (Ashley¡¯s mom)>


    Ahh, she¡¯s a thing of beauty; after toiling away for a while, my AR-15 is spotless. It¡¯s quite a bit harder to clean than say, my musical instruments, due to the black color obscuring much of the dirt. So don¡¯t let anyone tell you I don¡¯t take care of my things.


    Setting that down, I take a breath and think about what I need to do next. Hmm¡­ Gregg went to go answer the door quite a while ago and still hasn¡¯t come back. I guess I better go bail him out. I throw on a shirt and make my way to the front.


    My husband is standing in the doorway, and I can hear Harold¡¯s voice angrily arguing something, though I can¡¯t make out what he¡¯s saying.


    I arrive at the doorway and step out in front of Gregg. ¡°Honey, why didn¡¯t you inform me ahead of time that we¡¯re having a house party this evening?¡± I scold him jokingly.


    ¡°Where have you been this whole time?¡± Stephenson demands. ¡°This conversation has been going in circles!¡±


    ¡°Now you know what I have to put up with every day!¡± I moan, but I wink at Gregg so that he knows it¡¯s (mostly) a joke.


    Getting a better glance at the group, I notice something odd; Zoe¡¯s parents are sort of hanging towards the back, not making eye contact with anyone. That¡¯s rather uncharacteristic of them.


    I give Gregg a questioning glance about them, to which he announces, ¡°Ah, Abram and Marie, is something troubling you? You have lost the zest you had earlier in the conversation.¡±


    There¡¯s an awkward pause, as everyone else looks back at them. Marie looks around guiltily and says, ¡°Look¡­ I don¡¯t want to fight about this anymore. I just want to see my daughter again. I just want to talk with her, privately¡­¡±


    ¡°For the last time, Zoe clearly does not wish to be disturbed at this time,¡± Gregg replies sardonically, ¡°Although if you would like, I am willing to leave a message for her¡­¡±


    But then, another car pulls up to the curb and parks. I recognize it immediately; it belongs to Jared.


    ¡°Ah excellent, he¡¯s here at last,¡± Abram remarks. ¡°Well everyone, your support was highly appreciated, but I do not wish to spend any more of your afternoons; now that our pastor is here, I believe we can take it from here.¡±


    ¡°Are you quite sure, Abram?¡± Harold asks. ¡°Well, I suppose we weren¡¯t making much progress before, so perhaps you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I will see you all tomorrow then,¡± Stephenson says curtly. ¡°Peace be with you, as the Catholics say.¡±


    Mrs. White doesn¡¯t say anything, but simply gives me an annoyed glare. The other three walk away, leaving only Gregg, Marie, and Abram standing in the doorway. Then, the brief awkward silence is broken by Jared¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Good afternoon to you all,¡± Jared greets politely. ¡°Well, I had a feeling that a meeting such as this is inevitable, so let us talk.¡±


    ¡°My wife and I seek a hasty ending to this conflict,¡± Abram states simply.


    ¡°Ah, what made you change your minds?¡± Jared asks. ¡°I was under the impression that you were willing to fight for as long as it took for it to go your way.¡±


    ¡°The longer we drag this on, the more pain we put everyone through,¡± Marie admits.


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased that you¡¯ve come to realize that,¡± Jared agrees.


    ¡°Jared, you don¡¯t believe this absolute crock about us keeping Zoe here against her will, right?¡± I question him. ¡°To think former friends of ours would spread such libel just to cover their asses.¡±


    ¡°Alyssa, come on now!¡± Abram pleads. ¡°This was a misunderstanding. We only want what is in our daughter¡¯s best interests.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± I ask bluntly.


    There is an awkward pause, as neither seems to have a response for that.


    ¡°Abram, may I offer some insight?¡± Jared asks.


    ¡°You may,¡± Abram replies testily.


    ¡°I have interacted with your daughter since she was a baby,¡± Jared begins. ¡°I was¡­ very surprised to hear that she departed from her home like that. Wouldn¡¯t you agree that she is about the last child at the church you would expect this from?¡±


    ¡°Jared, we know that we were wrong with how we reacted at first,¡± Marie simpers. ¡°But¡­ I miss Zoe so much. I just want her to know that she¡¯s welcome to come back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but in your fiery anger, it seems as if you irreparably harmed the trust she has in you,¡± Jared continues. ¡°When a child becomes a certain age, the parent will not be trusted unconditionally as before, but will need to cultivate it. Perhaps if you had acted more quickly after the initial incident, you could¡¯ve begun rebuilding that trust¡­¡±


    ¡°But now,¡± Gregg interrupts, ¡°Zoe seemed concerned yesterday during dinner that returning to your care would lead to her being sent to¡­ ¡®conversion therapy?¡¯ Which was a prospect she intensely feared.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I knew that Collin was still talking to her,¡± Abram concedes. ¡°Somehow he¡¯s started believing this liberal talk about ¡®human rights violations¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to say it before it gets through to you all?¡± I accost him. ¡°Some people can¡¯t go back to being straight. Some people can, but Zoe is clearly not one of them.¡± I briefly feel sad, as this makes me think about¡­ No. I can¡¯t get distracted right now. ¡°So if you try to make someone go back, when they can¡¯t, what do you think¡¯s gonna happen?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well I suppose that I¡¯m not going to change your minds at this point,¡± Abram admits begrudgingly. ¡°I still think you people rely too heavily on worldly knowledge¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had to¡­ accept a hard lesson recently about unity,¡± Jared cuts in. ¡°Jesus wished for Christians to all be united as one church; however, even back in the early days, there were disagreements about how to interpret His teachings. Paul advised us not to quarrel over opinions, so long as the intents of our hearts are to glorify God; (1) and so, it becomes clear that ¡®united as one church¡¯ does not mean we will all be the same¡­¡±


    ¡°It is like what our children do in the marching band,¡± Gregg comments sagely. ¡°They are all quite different, and yet they work together in sync as a unit.¡±


    A pause hangs in the air. At last, I feel a sense of finality¡­


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Marie says, breaking the silence. ¡°If that¡¯s how it will be¡­ tell Zoe this message for me. She is welcome to come back to us and¡­ visit at any time. And¡­ she will be free to collect her things. We will honor whatever decision she makes.¡±


    ¡°Will certainly do,¡± Gregg agrees, looking relieved.


    Abram sighs heavily. ¡°Well then,¡± he says a bit sadly. ¡°We will be on our way back home now¡­ but if we hear a single peep from Collin about Zoe being mistreated, we will be back for her, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°We understand totally,¡± I affirm, nodding. ¡°I would not expect anything different from you.¡±


    Abram and Marie are on their way at last. Jared, however, looks up at us, and has one final comment: ¡°On the subject of parenting¡­ ever since you all arrived in Enchantment City, I noticed that your daughter is clearly quite unhappy and troubled in her spirit. I at first believed this to be a result of her having to move, but it has stayed consistent throughout all the time you¡¯ve lived here. You two would do well to intervene quickly, or else you may lose her.¡±


    His words feel like a slap to the face. As Jared turns to leave, I see the same shocked feeling on Gregg¡¯s face as well.


    ¡°Well, after you,¡± he tells me, holding the door open. ¡°And¡­ I think we should discuss that parting comment back in our bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s,¡± I agree, stepping back into the house.


    <hr>


    <BBD>


    <ol>


    <li>Romans 14:1-7</li>


    </ol>

 Chapter 47: Dark Night Of The Soul (September 23 Part 9)

    <Zoe>


    As soon as we re-appear in Ashley¡¯s room, I feel my arms protest as Ashley seems to have gotten much heavier despite the absence of her armor. I quickly drop her onto her bed. Her eyes pop open then and meet mine.


    ¡°Zoe¡­ oh no, we lost didn¡¯t we?¡± she asks.


    ¡°No Ashley, we won!¡± I tell her, smiling. ¡°We got Palmer to have a change of heart¡­ I wish you had been conscious to see it!¡±


    ¡°Oh. Good,¡± she states. She pushes herself up and sits upright on the side of the bed. ¡°If we won, why did you look so sad just then?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I looked sad?¡± I question, not realizing I was making that face. ¡°I think that was just because my arms hurt from carrying you.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not ¡®sadness,¡¯ Zoe,¡± she counters.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose not¡­ let me think about this for a minute.¡± I sit down next to her, pressed close against her so that our shoulders are touching.


    ¡°I¡­ felt things in that palace that I never have before,¡± I explain. ¡°It was like all the hurt and sadness I had over the past week exploded into anger¡­ I got so angry at my parents, after seeing how they acted in that world. And after we got separated, I ran into Terra and Diana. Terra was just¡­ so horrible to me. She treated me like I was this¡­ creature, who wasn¡¯t even human. I got so angry at her¡­ I wanted to hurt her so badly¡­¡±


    Ashley wraps her arm around me and holds me closer. I notice that tears had begun streaming down my face while I talked¡­


    ¡°I know that feeling too, Zoe,¡± she replies. ¡°It¡¯s a feeling that most people will thankfully never feel¡­ there¡¯s a special kind of ferocious anger you feel when someone treats you as subhuman, all because of something that¡¯s not even your fault.¡±


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t a good feeling,¡± I tell her. ¡°Underneath that anger, I felt so helpless and humiliated¡­ I never want to feel that way again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Zoe,¡± she says earnestly. ¡°I never wanted any of this for you. But now it¡¯s happened, and you¡¯re¡­ becoming more like me.¡±


    I turn to her, surprised. ¡°Ashley¡­ why do you say that like it¡¯s a bad thing?¡± I ask. ¡°I want to be more like you¡­ you¡¯re so confident, and brave, and smart too!¡±


    I¡¯m hoping that she¡¯ll be cheered up by this compliment, but instead, she looks at the floor, looking more morose than ever. There¡¯s an awkward pause as neither of us say anything. I feel a bit guilty that my compliment backfired, so I change the subject.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ do you think the people in that world meant how they acted?¡± I ask. ¡°Diana and Yonca both seemed like they were sorry¡­ they wanted to be friends with me again but were just afraid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ interesting question,¡± she responds. ¡°I think that they were, on some level. Diana would¡¯ve been showing the side of her she keeps hidden away from that world, and Yonca¡¯s behavior would¡¯ve had to be based on something someone in the church knew about her¡­ perhaps the two had even discussed this before, and it was Diana¡¯s knowledge of Yonca that was reflected in the palace.¡±


    ¡°Huh. So that¡¯s how it works?¡± I say, trying to wrap my head around that. I sigh. ¡°But that means that Terra¡¯s inner thoughts are even worse than how she normally acts¡­ What¡¯s happened to her?¡±


    ¡°Well, for all you know this is how she always was,¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°No¡­ she wasn¡¯t. A few years ago, a major terrorist leader was assassinated. In the cafeteria the next day, some boy told Yonca that he was sorry that ¡®her leader¡¯ had died¡­ and Terra was the one who jumped to her defense, telling the boy that Yonca was not violent and he was horrible for assuming she wanted anything to do with that. But now, she was telling Diana and I that Yonca was our enemy¡­¡±


    ¡°Yonca¡¯s not even the same ethnicity as the people behind Al Qaeda, what kind of ignorant trash would say that?¡± Ashley replies distastefully.


    We sit together for a while longer, these unpleasant thoughts swimming around my head. Eventually, we are interrupted by a knock on Ashley¡¯s door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Ashley says.


    Her mom comes in, also looking rather pensive. She looks at us for a moment and then teases, ¡°Wow, you two sure are a rowdy couple tonight.¡±


    I giggle a bit at this.


    ¡°So Zoe¡­ it looks like we¡¯ve finally got something worked out with your folks,¡± she explains. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to harass us anymore, and you¡¯ll be allowed to retrieve your things.¡±


    I sigh with relief, feeling very happy. That means that our mission was a success!


    ¡°And Ashley¡­ your dad and I were thinking of going out for dinner tonight, as sort of a celebration,¡± her mom continues. ¡°Is there anywhere special you¡¯d like to go?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ashley asks, like she was just spacing out. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t care. Ask Zoe.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ could we go to Olive Garden? The one in Round Rock?¡± I request. ¡°My family used to go there for celebrations.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. That¡¯s not too far away,¡± her mom says. ¡°Well, go ahead and get ready, then¡­¡±


    Suddenly, I have an idea. ¡°Wait¡­ I was wondering, could we bring our friends with, too? They¡¯ve¡­ done a lot to help me get through all of this.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, if their parents are fine with it, I don¡¯t see why not,¡± her mom agrees. However, I swear I see something quickly flash across her face, so quickly I can¡¯t tell what it is¡­


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    My parents took Zoe up on her suggestion and brought Anja and Nova to dinner with us. They told us all to order whatever we wanted, and boy did Nova do just that. He must¡¯ve gotten the most expensive thing on the god damn menu. Well, I¡¯ll give him credit for resisting the urge to bring his 3DS into the restaurant, at least.


    ¡°Thank you very much for taking us out!¡± Anja tells my parents, nodding at them politely.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Mom replies. ¡°See it as repayment for what you have done for Ashley and Zoe in the past weeks.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve helped me out too,¡± Nova comments. ¡°I see us all as even.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯ve helped me in a way, too,¡± Anja adds. ¡°I realized that I really never talk to people with really different views than me, since I mostly agree with my dad and the people I follow on social media. That changed when I met Ashley¡­ I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m gonna try and learn as much as I can, so I can throw the best possible arguments in Ashley¡¯s face next time we argue about something!¡±


    I scoff at her and say, ¡°Whatever, Anja.¡± That said, I privately can¡¯t help but to feel a glow of affection for her. I¡¯m glad that she¡¯s evolving so she won¡¯t end up like one of those morons that use Tumblr.


    ¡°A fine idea,¡± Dad compliments her. ¡°Talking with those who are ideologically different than you is very beneficial; either you will learn new things which change your mind about something, or your defense of your current positions will strengthen your resolve.¡±


    ¡°Are you very interested in politics?¡± Mom asks Anja. ¡°Not a lot of kids your age are.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anja affirms. ¡°It runs in the family¡­ my mom was a distinguished public servant.¡±


    Mom leans in a little, clearly interested. ¡°Do you mind if I ask what her name is?¡±


    ¡°Ellen Beatty. You¡¯ve most likely heard of her,¡± Anja responds.


    Mom reacts more strongly to this than I expect; she gasps and her eyes pop wide open. ¡°Anja¡­ your mother and I were very close friends in high school, actually,¡± Mom explains. ¡°I was absolutely devastated about her passing away. I knew that she had a daughter, but I had no idea she was the one who befriended my daughter!¡±


    Well, that was news to me. Mom had told me the story about what happened to Beatty before, but never mentioned them being friends. And if they were such good friends, how did Mom not even know her daughter¡¯s name? My guess would be that they were probably not on such good terms when Beatty died.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Wow, you really knew her?¡± Anja replies, her eyes wide with amazement. ¡°She¡¯s a huge inspiration to me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be wrong for me to speak on her behalf too much, but I¡¯ll say this much; she¡¯d be very proud of who you¡¯ve grown up into,¡± Mom tells Anja. ¡°Even back in high school, your mother loved debating, and she debated with everyone. Some of our arguments about gun control got particularly heated¡­¡± Mom¡¯s eyes glaze over, as if she was wistfully reliving memories of the good old days.


    ¡°Hehehe. So history repeats, then?¡± Anja jokes.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a good quality to have,¡± Dad remarks. ¡°It will prevent you from becoming like some of the people at our former church¡­ Zoe, I hope you do not take offense to that.¡±


    Zoe, who has been still and quiet this whole time, shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t. They were too far gone.¡±


    ¡°Man, what was wrong with those people?¡± Nova questions. ¡°How on earth could anyone ever defend what Zoe¡¯s parents did?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure what kind of beliefs you two hold, so I¡¯ll explain it this way,¡± Dad begins, and I can already feel another Dad Lecture coming. He tends to not talk much, but when he does, it is in long, through-composed speeches. I get to listen to one of these about once a week.


    ¡°When you start a new part of your life, you will have a strong emotional reaction to that thing. This can be a new job, a new hobby, a new friendship, a new romance, or, indeed, a new religion that you have converted to. Eventually, the excitement of the new thing will wear off as it becomes familiar and routine. However, that does not mean you should quit that thing; if you have built a strong foundation for that new relationship, it will survive the shift, like a house that was built on the rock. However, if you sought that thing only for the short-term gratification, it will fall apart then, like a house built on the sand. Many Christians grow afraid when that initial strong emotion wears off after conversion, and cling to anything which will bring back that feeling. They may shun secular media or grow distant from their friends outside the faith. Eventually, they may become deranged enough to rally against things that would be insignificant to a sane person, such as children reading stories about wizards or a retail store re-organizing its toy section. But only someone weak in faith would feel challenged by mere proximity to secular media and beliefs.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that makes sense when you think about it like that,¡± Anja comments, looking thoughtful. ¡°It says a lot about how insecure they are as people.¡±


    There¡¯s a moment of silence after, as I suppose everyone is pondering Dad¡¯s words or whatever. During this silence, our complimentary breadsticks arrive.


    ¡°Oh, excellent!¡± Anja says, excitedly grabbing a few. ¡°These are so good, sometimes I just want to shove a bunch of them in my purse before I leave the restaurant¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat too many, or else you won¡¯t be hungry anymore when the entrees arrive,¡± Mom scolds her, grabbing a breadstick herself. ¡°I do that every time we go here¡­¡±


    ¡°You know there are take out boxes you can get for these, right?¡± I question Anja.


    Anja shakes her head at me as she swallows her first mouthful. ¡°Ah, classic Ashley. Not getting the meme as usual¡­¡±


    Before I can ask what she means by this, I hear a gasp from Zoe, who is fixated on something past my head. ¡°Ashley, look!¡± she tells me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it- I just saw Yonca walk in with her family!¡±


    I turn my head and see Yonca walking with a man I recognize as the one Zoe¡¯s parents were waterboarding earlier, an olive-skinned woman who resembles her, and a couple of older girls who must be older sisters of hers.


    ¡°Huh. What a coincidence.¡± I state.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ what if it¡¯s not a coincidence?¡± Zoe asks, looking inspired. ¡°I¡­ I wanna go talk to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, then,¡± I tell her. ¡°I could use a bit of fresh air afterwards anyway.¡±


    Zoe makes eye contact with me, looking serious. ¡°Ashley¡­ I think this is something I should do by myself,¡± she says.


    This annoys me for some reason I can¡¯t really explain, but I shrug. ¡°Oh, alright,¡± I respond. ¡°I¡¯ll go get some fresh air by myself, then.¡± And before anyone can stop me, I stand up and walk outside.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Something seems off about Ashley tonight¡­ with her parents¡¯ permission, I follow her outside to find her brooding around on a bench in front. I take a seat next to her, and she gives me a look of mild surprise and annoyance.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ashley?¡± I question her. ¡°You seem like you¡¯ve been in a bad mood tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not feeling very talkative, okay?¡± she answers defensively ¡°Honestly, I kind of hate large gatherings like this anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, this whole affair must have taken a lot out of you,¡± I reason. ¡°The people we fought in that palace were all people you knew, right?¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°Yeah, well, I never cared for them," she replies distastefully.


    I frown at her. ¡°You mean there''s nobody at your church you like?"


    "Sure they all act nice, but it''s like Zoe said. That palace showed the real them. They''re sick, hateful people who only care about clinging to the past." She says this with such venom that I can¡¯t help but to be frightened of her¡­


    After a moment, she locks eyes with me and asks, ¡°Why are you looking at me that way? I''m not mad at you, you know." She sighs, her posture relaxing. ¡°You''ve actually been a really good friend. So has Nova. Thank you."


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Ashley,¡± I assure her. ¡°But I have to wonder¡­ you have that negative of a view of everyone from your church? Is that why you stabbed that one guy?"


    ¡°Who, Garrett? He was in the way."


    "But you seemed to actually enjoy doing that,¡± I press her. ¡°It was quite disturbing to watch."


    Ashley shoots me a clearly annoyed glare. "Don''t judge me before you know what I''ve been through.¡±


    "I''m not judging you. I''m just worried about you."


    Ashley doesn¡¯t say anything to that, she just turns her head away from me. She clearly doesn¡¯t appreciate me snooping like this, but I¡¯m not ready to give it up yet.


    "Do you have violent thoughts a lot?" I ask.


    Ashley takes a deep breath and says, "Yes. I sometimes find myself dreaming about doing horrible things to people I don''t like."


    Ooh. Yikes. "Well, we all get angry sometimes," I offer diplomatically.


    "You don''t get it. I mean I think about doing these things and I enjoy it. It feels so, so good to hurt people."


    I¡¯m not sure which is worse; what she¡¯s saying, or the rather casual way she¡¯s saying it¡­


    "Like the girl you slammed into the locker?" I ask.


    She bristles once again. "You don''t have to bring that up again."


    I sigh. I¡¯m gonna try changing strategies on her.


    ¡°Think of it this way,¡± I begin. ¡°You seem to have a low opinion of most people. And, I do partially understand that, believe me. But before this year, you weren''t friends with Nova or I. You probably would''ve assumed we were just like the rest of them, but we all ended up becoming friends. So how many others at our school, or even at your church, are people you could''ve been friends with if you got to know them more?"


    Ashley shakes her head. "It''s not that simple. I let you and Nova hang around me because I knew that you two weren''t very popular, so you understood why the social structure is awful. But I don''t want to be friends with anyone who''s complicit in that. They''re worthless to me."


    With this indictment hanging in the air, I think it¡¯s time to wrap up this discussion¡­


    "Well... okay then,¡± I say. ¡°Can you at least promise not to use violence on people? It¡¯s really not good that you¡¯re having these types of thoughts regularly. If you need an outlet you can use the Metaverse for that. Or take up playing Call of Duty or something.¡±


    Ashley sighs heavily. ¡°Yeah, I know. I won¡¯t do anything like that again. And yes, I realize that I''m fucked up in the head. I have a lot of twisted thoughts floating around in there..."


    ¡°Well, if you bottle it all up, it''ll only come out in a way that''s unhealthy,¡± I urge her. ¡°You can talk to one of us anytime you need to. Zoe, your parents, and Nova and I, we all love you- different types of love in each case, sure, but still.¡±


    Ashley reacts oddly to this, taking in a sudden, sharp breath and closing her eyes. ¡°Thank you¡­ Anja,¡± she says, a hint of sadness in her voice.


    ¡°No problem!¡± I tell her. I lean over and give her a big hug, which she returns.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Man this is really fucking awkward. Anja, Ashley and Zoe are all gone somewhere, leaving me sitting alone with her parents¡­ I just kinda slowly munch on my breadsticks and try not to make eye contact.


    Thankfully, Zoe returns to her seat after a while, smiling and with a bit of wetness in her eyes. ¡°It seems like¡­ we can be friends again,¡± she explains. ¡°She said she was sorry for not sticking up for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cool,¡± I say. I guess that was kinda a foregone conclusion after what happened in that palace.


    ¡°Good for you, Zoe,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says. ¡°I hope that things get better for you two, I¡¯ve been really worried about you both.¡±


    ¡°I think that things are going to get better,¡± Zoe assures her.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been particularly worried about Ashley,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom continues. ¡°It¡¯s not like her to get into fights at school. I can¡¯t help but to feel that there are things that Ashley still isn¡¯t telling us.¡±


    Zoe cocks her head slightly. ¡°Did she ever tell you about what happened at her old school before you all moved?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure what you¡¯re talking about, so no,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says.


    ¡°Ashley told me once that she¡¯s dealing with things she prefers to keep quiet,¡± I explain, since it seems relevant. ¡°And that was after I knew about the lesbian stuff, so she wasn¡¯t talking about that.¡±


    ¡°She implied such to me as well once¡­¡± Ashley¡¯s dad adds.


    ¡°So, I must be the only one who knows about that,¡± Zoe comments, no longer smiling and now looking blank.


    ¡°Perhaps so,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom agrees. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to tell us for her, since that¡¯s her right to do, but we need to have some serious talks as a family going forward. In high school, I had a boyfriend named Lucas. I loved him to death, but one day he lost his temper on me and exploded about something minor, and we broke up. He was clearly dealing with issues that none of us knew about, but I wasn¡¯t able to get him to tell me about it. He ran away from home after that, and I have no idea what happened to him to this day¡­¡±


    It goes back to awkward silence again after this, and Ashley¡¯s mom kinda spaces out. Not too much later, Ashley and Anja sit back down, back from whatever the hell they were doing out there.


    ¡°I hope that the food arrives here soon,¡± Ashley dad says, which was exactly what I was just thinking. ¡°I know you kids must have homework to do still, as this is a weeknight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright,¡± I assure him. ¡°I already did all mine before I got here.¡±


    Ashley gives me a wide-eyed look. ¡°Really? You did?¡± she asks. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡±


    ¡°No I¡¯m not joking!¡± I reply angrily. ¡°I¡¯m, uh, trying to get it out of the way soon so I won¡¯t spend so much time dreading it. Sometimes I fail at that and procrastinate it anyway, but I felt motivated enough to do it tonight.¡±


    Anja smiles at me. ¡°Good for you!¡± she says, which makes me feel surprisingly warm inside. ¡°I haven¡¯t done mine yet, haha¡­¡± Zoe smiles at me too, but I don¡¯t really get why¡­? She has that annoying look like she knows something I don¡¯t. I hate it when people look at me like that!


    What I don¡¯t hate is that our food is finally fucking here. I start scarfing it down as quickly as I can. I got fettuccine alfredo with shrimp on top, and it¡¯s sooo god damn good. Why didn¡¯t everyone else get this? Finally, some good fucking food¡­

 Chapter 48: Taxi Cab (September 24)

    <Zoe>


    The morning is slightly cool and still, with not a cloud in the sky or a gust in the breeze. Yonca and I are sitting on the grass outside near the gym, our backs leaning against the brick. Things are still awkward; Yonca keeps shifting uncomfortably and doesn¡¯t want to meet my eyes.


    ¡°How do you think she¡¯s going to react?¡± she asks me softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not totally sure,¡± I admit. ¡°But I¡¯m hopeful. Don¡¯t ask me how I know, but I think that deep down she wants to be friends again.¡±


    She nods absentmindedly. There¡¯s more awkward silence for a while. Both of us have our eyes locked on the sidewalk past the gym, but currently there is nobody there.


    ¡°That makes sense, when I think about it,¡± Yonca comments. ¡°That¡¯s how I felt, too¡­ I never really wanted to abandon you. And yet I did¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand how you felt,¡± I assure her. ¡°You were afraid the backlash you would get for being associated with a lesbian, weren¡¯t you? I felt the same way¡­ until I instead started being afraid of being one, that is. So I can¡¯t judge you for that. When we act out of fear and hate, we are puppets on strings for the devil.¡±


    Yonca stares blankly for a brief moment, processing what I said. Then, she sighs. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that I had no choice but to try extra hard to blend in, because of how I¡¯m different from everyone else. It¡¯s like I had to prove I fit in.¡±


    I giggle hollowly, although it¡¯s not funny. ¡°I guess I felt the same way, but for the opposite reason. I had to try extra hard to blend in because I do fit in. My family is very well known in the town, and anything I do can reflect poorly on them.¡±


    I turn to look at her in the eyes. ¡°I came to you last night because I decided I¡¯m not going to let fear rule my life anymore. It¡¯s time to learn bravery.¡±


    She nods, although she looks nervous. ¡°We¡¯ll try and learn that together, then¡­¡±


    She looks over her shoulder and gasps suddenly. I follow her gaze to see that it¡¯s because Diana is coming. She¡¯s walking alone on the sidewalk, head down and watching the ground in front of her.


    I get to my feet and offer my hand to Yonca to help do the same. I take a deep breath and walk forward to meet her.


    Diana looks startled to see me, breathing sharply and looking at me with wide eyes when I get close.


    ¡°Diana¡­ I want to talk to you about something privately. Yonca as well.¡±


    Diana¡¯s face turns red. ¡°Um¡­ okay,¡± she responds, her demeanor and voice uncharacteristically demure.


    The three of us walk to the other side of the gym, where we can be mostly out of sight. Once there, I turn to Diana, who''s looking at me wearily with her back to the side of the gym.


    ¡°Diana¡­ what you did to me hurt me very deeply,¡± I tell her. ¡°What you did not only violated my privacy but caused me to endure utter hell for the past week and a half.¡± I sigh very heavily. ¡°But¡­ I forgive you for all of that. It will be hard for me to be your friend after that, but if you¡¯re willing to make up for it, I can try.¡±


    It¡¯s dead silent for quite a while, as Diana simply stares at me, stunned with disbelief. Then, slowly, she starts to breathe more and more deeply, and tears begin rolling down her face. Yonca wraps her into a hug, after which she starts bawling. She reaches out for me, bringing the three of us together into a group hug.


    <hr>


    <Collin>


    It¡¯s breakfast time at Bynum Intermediate School. (Granted, a lot of people aren¡¯t actually eating, me included since I eat breakfast at home first.) One table across from me, sits a thin boy with glistening, shoulder-length black hair. He¡¯s talking to his friends, who are all very weird looking people with multicolored hair or some weird fashion; must be theater kids. Like me, he¡¯s not eating anything, and is instead talking to his friends animatedly. There¡¯s something about his body language that tells me that he¡¯s different from other guys¡­ or, I could be projecting. I dunno.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    And then, the most random of things happens; some dark-skinned seventh grade girl sits right across from me, looking at me closely.


    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± I ask her, startled and annoyed by the sudden visit.


    ¡°Why are you sitting by yourself?¡± she asks in an annoying voice.


    ¡°Pssh. Fuck off.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any friends?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have friends. What the hell do you want, anyway?¡±


    She leans over the table towards me. ¡°I know who you are. You¡¯re Collin.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ your sister is friends with my brother!¡±


    Calculating¡­ oh, okay. ¡°You mean you¡¯re Nova¡¯s sister?¡±


    ¡°Ding ding ding. Correct. My name¡¯s Kat.¡±


    ¡°What kind of stupid-ass name is Kat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s short for ¡®Katherine.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Oh, haha. How quirky and cool.¡±


    ¡°Bitch, it wasn¡¯t my fault my parents named me that!¡±


    I chortle. This girl seems fun.


    The dark-haired boy stands up behind her and walks away. I briefly lose focus on the conversation as my eyes follow him¡­


    ¡°Whatchu looking at him for?¡± she snoops.


    ¡°Do you know that guy¡¯s name?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°That¡¯s Jason Ives. Gayest man in this school.¡±


    Holy shit.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I know about rumors.¡±


    I put my hands on the table in a businesslike manner. ¡°Well, I¡¯m usually not one for rumors but¡­ I must implore that you say more.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, what¡¯s with that, huh? You¡¯re acting pretty sus right now.¡±


    ¡°Sus??? What the fuck does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s short for ¡®suspicious.¡¯ Haven¡¯t you ever heard black people talk before?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have. Shut your mouth.¡±


    ¡°No you, gayboy.¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck out of here, cunt.¡±


    She giggles maniacally. ¡°I dare you to call me the N word.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m not gonna do that.¡±


    ¡°Pussy.¡±


    A brief pause, and then¡­


    ¡°Okay, for real though¡­ does anyone know yet?¡±


    ¡°No. I think I¡¯m gonna tell my sister soon, though.¡±


    She nods darkly. ¡°Good luck, man. So, you like Pok¨¦mon, right?¡±


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Yonca, Diana and I arrive near the door to the band hall. Yonca is smiling and holding her head high, while Diana¡¯s face is still red and puffy from all the crying. Diana hesitates suddenly, coming to a stop a few steps away from the door.


    ¡°How do you think people will react when they see us with you?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I tell her plainly. ¡°If you¡¯d rather walk around the side, you¡¯re free to.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll react either,¡± Yonca admits. ¡°But it¡¯s like what Zoe said earlier- we can¡¯t let ourselves be controlled by fear anymore.¡±


    Diana takes a deep breath, looking uncertain. But still, she steps forward with us, and we go through the door.


    The scene is mostly anticlimactic; most people are so caught up in chatting, practicing, or doing other morning things that they don¡¯t even glance at us. There is one pair of eyes that is glued to us, however: Terra¡¯s, sitting in a chair in the middle row. Her face is expressionless, other than the suspicious narrowing of her eyes as they meet mine. Yonca turns to me nervously, her own eyes asking the question.


    ¡°You two go ahead and meet up with her,¡± I tell them.


    ¡°Okay. Talk to you later, Zoe,¡± Diana tells me, smiling at me. They walk to where Terra is sitting, and I turn my back to everyone and walk straight out the door.


    In the hallway, Ashley is casually leaning against the wall, clearly waiting for me with her eyes glazed over. When she sees me, she quickly stands up straight and asks, ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡±


    ¡°Exactly as well as I hoped,¡± I tell her, beaming.


    ¡°Good to hear. Let¡¯s go rejoin the gamers, then,¡± she states. We turn to walk towards the library, and see something surprising. A strange looking¡­ boy? With long hair and a gaudy outfit is walking past us, and he waves cheerily and says, ¡°Hi, Ashley!¡±


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she replies calmly.


    After the boy is out of earshot, I ask, ¡°Ashley, who was that?¡±


    ¡°Charlotte. A friend I made in detention,¡± she explains. ¡°On her way to the art room, probably.¡±


    Oops¡­ I guess that was a girl. I¡¯m confused about what just happened, but I decide to forget about it for now.


    We pass by the orchestra hall and to the larger corridor, where many students are walking and chit chatting carelessly. I¡¯ve mostly been afraid when walking through the crowds, but today, I feel like with Ashley and I together, there¡¯s nothing that can stop us. Grinning and blushing, I take her hand into mine, and we walk through¡­


    ~Ending of Movement II: Beating Out Of Time~

 Chapter 49: Hunting Grounds (December 6, 2014)

    <Nova>


    The neighborhood where all my nightmares were born is a rather peaceful looking place. It¡¯s outside the main city and heavily wooded, so everyone has a huge yard and a house to match. The amount of free space in between everything gives it a rather cozy feeling. It seems surreal to consider that once upon a time I actually lived in a place like this. Most people would probably consider me lucky, and maybe I would too if my life weren¡¯t a living hell at the time.


    ¡°Oh! Here it is!¡± Anja says excitedly, as we pull up to Lily¡¯s house. It¡¯s not a remarkable house compared to its surroundings, a brick two-story home with what is clearly one of the worst-kept yards in the neighborhood. I guess that¡¯ll happen when the people living there are two old people and a recluse.


    ¡°Imagine if Mom knew I was back here,¡± I comment as she pulls down the driveway. I look down the road in the direction of where my old house was, trying not to imagine what Mom would do if she happened to walk outside and see me.


    ¡°The good news is, you don¡¯t have to care!¡± Anja reassures me. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside!¡±


    We get out of the car, and Anja starts walking to the front door. I used to enter through the back, but I guess it¡¯s been a while so going in the front is probably a good idea. I follow her.


    After knocking on the door, Lily¡¯s grandma opens it.


    ¡°Oh Anja! So nice to see you!¡± she greets cheerily.


    ¡°Hi Grandma!¡± Anja responds, giving her grandma a big hug.


    ¡°And Nova, it is so good to see you again! Have you been well?¡± she says to me.


    ¡°Oh yeah, pretty well,¡± I answer. ¡°School¡¯s driving me nuts as always, but I¡¯m still kicking.¡±


    ¡°Very good to hear!¡± she responds.


    A door behind her opens to reveal Lily. It¡¯s been several months since I last saw her, and I swear she already looks older than last time.


    ¡°Nova! What is up?¡± she greets me loudly. ¡°It has been forever, man!¡±


    ¡°Good to see you,¡± I say, as we give each other a firm handshake.


    ¡°Also, hi Anja,¡± she says.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Anja replies.


    ¡°Go wait in the living room for me,¡± Lily instructs us. ¡°I need to finish a post.¡±


    ¡°A post?¡± I question.


    ¡°She means for her blog,¡± Anja tells me, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯ll only take a minute. Trust me,¡± Lily assures us. She disappears back into her room, and Anja and I walk to the living room.


    ¡°This is gonna be awkward,¡± I confess to Anja. ¡°I haven¡¯t played CoD since the summer, I¡¯m gonna suck at it.¡±


    ¡°Huh. We¡¯ll have to start training at my place then,¡± Anja responds, grinning.


    ¡°I always just panic every time someone starts shooting at me,¡± I continue. ¡°Man, I¡¯d be a terrible soldier. I hated that weird war shit in the Metaverse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a lover, and not a fighter. Just like me. I respect that.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Anja? We¡¯re both fighters too.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. I guess I can¡¯t really deny that.¡±


    <hr>


    I was able to talk Lily into playing Smash Bros first, so I was saved the humiliation I thought I would get. Anja and I helped Lily unlock characters in the WiiU version. Man, it¡¯d be so cool if I could get the game and its console for Christmas this year. I doubt I will, though.


    We take a break for dinner after a few hours, and as is tradition Lily orders a pizza. While waiting on it, Lily told me about the post she was writing on her blog, which was about some dude who went to Antarctica and then went insane because he found aliens or something. I find it really hard to follow, honestly.


    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s what the Nazis were looking for during WWII,¡± she continues on, long after the point where I was following the conversation. ¡°And that¡¯s why some people think that- get this- they went there to hide after the war was over! And then-¡°


    ¡°Where did Anja go?¡± I wonder out loud, looking around and suddenly realizing she wasn¡¯t in the room.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I dunno,¡± Lily admits, looking around the room herself.


    We hear the sound of someone rummaging through something coming from the direction of the staircase¡­


    ¡°Oh no! She didn¡¯t go upstairs, did she?¡± Lily asks, eyes wide.


    Lily refuses to ever go to the upstairs part of the house because she claims that it¡¯s haunted. I never believed her before, but after learning about the parallel world where spirits run amok, maybe the upstairs is haunted. I mean, why the hell not?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check,¡± I say. I walk to the stairs, noticing that Lily is trailing behind me quite a lot.


    I march up the stairs, and it¡¯s not long before I find where Anja went. There are two bedrooms on the floor, with a bathroom in between. The door to one of the bedrooms is closed, but in the other one, Anja is sitting on the floor, staring at what looks like a photo album.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± I ask her, getting to the door.


    ¡°Get in here and look at this, Nova,¡± Anja orders, her voice sounding excited.


    I get on my knees and look down at the picture she¡¯s pointing to. It¡¯s a picture of two young women hugging each other and smiling.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± I ask Anja.


    ¡°The one on the left is my mom,¡± she says. She points to the one with brown hair like Anja¡¯s that¡¯s cut short and Anja¡¯s rounded face shape. ¡°And the other one¡­¡± she trails off, staring at the picture.


    ¡°She looks like Ashley,¡± I observe.


    ¡°She does!¡± Anja agrees. ¡°I think it¡¯s her mom. Remember what she said back at Olive Garden?¡±


    ¡°Wow. So they did know each other.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t just know each other. Look how happy they are together! They were clearly good friends. I gotta show this to Ashley when we get back.¡±


    She takes out her phone and aims it at the album to take a picture of it.


    ¡°Uhh, Anja?¡± Lily calls from the hallway. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have flash off,¡± Anja assures her, taking the picture.


    ¡°No, not because of that. Come on, let¡¯s go back downstairs, please.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Anja replies, looking up indignantly. ¡°I¡¯ve never gotten to see my mom¡¯s room before.¡±


    ¡°Lily thinks the upstairs is haunted,¡± I explain to Anja. Anja giggles at this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe it, huh?¡± Lily accosts her. ¡°Open up that picture you just took on your phone.¡±


    Anja rolls her eyes again, and then does so.


    ¡°See! I knew it!¡± Lily says, pointing at it.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what?¡± Anja asks.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Ghost orbs! Look above their heads!¡±


    ¡°Ghost orbs? That¡¯s just sunlight glinting from the photo!¡±


    ¡°But the sun¡¯s setting in the other direction, Anja!¡±


    Anja sighs heavily and shuts the album. ¡°You¡¯ve really gone off the deep end, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Anja. Being up here for this long is a bad idea¡­ we need to leave¡­¡±


    Anja ignores her, gets up and starts gazing around the room. The decorations seem to consist of political campaign signs, photographs of people (some of whom look familiar, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and some guy I think used to be president) and a few newspaper clippings. One news story catches my eye about the governor of Massachusetts starting a program to reduce the suicide rates of gay and lesbian youth.


    ¡°Eleanor Roosevelt is literally my spirit animal,¡± Anja says. I turn away from that news clipping to see that Anja¡¯s looking at a poster of a well-dressed woman. She reaches out her hand and slides it across the woman¡¯s fur coat, as if trying to feel the fabric of it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything, please. The ghosts don¡¯t like that,¡± Lily interjects nervously.


    ¡°Who even fucking cares what the ghost thinks,¡± I say derisively. ¡°What can it do to us?¡±


    ¡°Quite a lot. Like, I dunno, possession?¡±


    ¡°Eh. Bring it on!¡± Anja jokes. ¡°Let¡¯s bring out the Ouija board and have a friendly chat. I ain¡¯t ¡®fraid of no ghost.¡±


    ¡°You guys are way too confident about this,¡± Lily criticizes. Then, she gasps. ¡°Wait¡­ you guys have experience with ghosts, don¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Experience with ghosts? Not unless playing Luigi¡¯s Mansion counts,¡± I say.


    I must have not done a very good job lying, because she seems more suspicious now. ¡°You guys know something. I heard you earlier. You were talking about tulpas.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is a tulpa?¡± Anja questions incredulously.


    Thankfully, we are saved from this conversation by the ringing of the doorbell, signaling that the pizza has arrived. I¡¯m very grateful that pizza seems to have driven Lily¡¯s weird suspicion of us out of her mind, because I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re not supposed to talk about this Metaverse shit outside the friend group.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    A very amusing discussion breaks out over dinner, giving me hope that the rest of this stay will be at least mostly normal. Nova and Lily have been swapping stories about people they beat in video games who got overly salty afterwards. Some of the stories were friends they played against, but most of them were about online games. Nova just told the funniest one yet: a story about someone who lost in online Pok¨¦mon and started spamming the chat room with completely incoherent ranting.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ VileplumesViloplumes with Substitutes!¡± I joke in between our raucous laughter. ¡°What a sore loser! Ha!¡±


    ¡°But I mean, can you really blame him?¡± Lily comments. ¡°I would¡¯ve been pissed about that too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah Anja, and you can be just as bad sometimes,¡± Nova teases. ¡°Remember how much you raged the first time we ever played?¡±


    ¡°I was not nearly that bad! Shut the fuck up!¡± I retort, shoving him playfully.


    ¡°You gotta get good, Anja,¡± Lily chastises me. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fake gamer girl.¡±


    ¡°I mean, to be fair, she has gotten a lot better since I first moved to Enchantment City,¡± Nova compliments. ¡°She can beat me like, three out of ten times now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me, mister!¡± I accost him.


    He gets flustered at this. ¡°What¡­ no, I wasn¡¯t trying to do that. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be sorry, I was just joking around,¡± I assure him.


    ¡°Wha- oh, okay,¡± Nova says, now looking confused. To make it up to him, I pat his head for a little bit, which relaxes him easily.


    ¡°Um¡­ speaking of Enchantment City¡­¡± Lily interrupts, looking mildly uncomfortable.


    ¡°What about it?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Nova¡­ how has your school been so far?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Uh, oh. It¡¯s been fine, I guess,¡± Nova answers dismissively.


    ¡°Have either of you seen anyone there¡­ acting odd?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ in what way?¡± Nova questions.


    Lily looks around, as if checking if anyone is listening in even though that¡¯s obviously not true. ¡°Well¡­ I learned about something you guys need to know about. A threat at your school¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember the last time I needed to know about something,¡± I interrupt bitterly. ¡°How about you keep it to yourself this time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a supernatural thing this time!¡± Lily promises. ¡°And it¡¯s not even a conspiracy either! It¡¯s a real threat, and I have proof of it.¡±


    I roll my eyes and start getting up from the bed, but Nova grabs my arm. ¡°Anja, I think she¡¯s being serious. Let¡¯s hear what it is, it could be important.¡±


    I shake my head and yank my arm away from him. I¡¯m opening the door to leave the room, when Lily blurts out, ¡°Anja, it¡¯s about a teacher at your school who¡¯s¡­ a predator.¡±


    I freeze when I hear this, shocked by the idea; but then, my scowl returns. ¡°Lily, you have no way of knowing that.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes I do! Here, let me pull up the blog for you.¡±


    ¡°You mean the blog you write?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°No no no. The one the predator writes¡­ just wait until you hear this, it¡¯s demented¡­¡±


    I sigh. As reluctant as I am to get caught up in another one of her tall tales, if this does turn out to have some weight to it it¡¯s something that I¡¯d definitely want to know. I close the door and turn back towards the computer desk.


    To my surprise, the ¡°blog¡± she¡¯s pulling is on none other than tumblr.com, land of Superwholock, every variety of gay/trans person you can think of, and particularly esoteric memes. And porn. Lots of porn.


    ¡°How do you know this person even lives in Enchantment City?¡± I question Lily.


    ¡°I have a very reliable source that says he is. You can trust me on this one. This man says he¡¯s a teacher, and he says all kinds of sick stuff about his own students¡­¡±


    ¡°What kinda sick stuff?¡± Nova asks, already looking revolted. ¡°Do you think he wants to¡­ do it with them?¡±


    ¡°Well, let me read a recent post for you and you can decide for yourself.¡± She clears her throat, and then begins in a sultry, dramatic voice:


    ¡°¡¯You guys ever have that one student who¡¯s just special? I have a student who¡¯s just an absolute joy. Such a nice girl. Brunette with beautiful eyes. Very hardworking. Very into athletics. I watch every morning from my window¡­ And absolutely no luck with boys. Students that age are so immature, they don¡¯t know who the good dates are. I wish I could say more, but I don¡¯t want to threaten anyone¡¯s privacy¡­ so I¡¯ll leave it at that.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± I comment. ¡°That might not be so bad. He just has a favorite student. The thing about watching out the window was a little creepy, but that¡¯s not evidence of anything nefarious.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, Anja. There¡¯s more. ¡®I think soon enough I may get a golden opportunity. Don¡¯t ask how, because it¡¯s top secret¡­ but over the weekend I¡¯ve been busy, and I¡¯m going to get a chance to show my special student some extra lessons. It¡¯s great to get to teach in more than one subject, wouldn¡¯t you agree? I was the most popular boy in school back in my own high school days, so I¡¯m very experienced. Being the sports star of the school comes with perks¡­ It¡¯ll be nice to relive the good times, before I had to join this awful adult world¡­ I¡¯m sure once my catch is ensnared, she¡¯ll be more than happy to share in my knowledge, wouldn¡¯t you agree? We all know how kids that age are. They¡¯ll act all scared, but once given a taste of real freedom they¡¯ll be more than willing to jump on it¡­¡±


    The word ensnares triggers something in my memory. Suddenly, I remember when a vine lassoed around my ankle, dragging me through the jungle¡­ when my limbs were suspended in mid-air, leaving me helpless¡­


    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Nova exclaims. ¡°How the fuck is that still up? Hasn¡¯t someone reported this dude by now?¡±


    ¡°With a few tricks, you can get away with just about anything on the internet,¡± Lily explains. ¡°This blog just popped up very recently, so it¡¯s pretty obscure¡­ but you know what¡¯s even worse? This guy has some supporters who are egging him on in the notes¡­ check this one out. ¡®Good luck with your ¡®teaching,¡¯ babe!¡¯ Here¡¯s another one: ¡®Make sure you keep your student calm during the experience. If they get too spooked, you may get yourself into real trouble¡­¡¯¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! STOP READING THAT SHIT!¡± I explode, unable to take any more. I ignore both of their shocked glances and run to the opposite side of the bed, sitting down facing away as the tears start rolling uncontrollably.


    It¡¯s not long before I feel someone touching my hand. ¡°Anja? Are you alright?¡± Nova¡¯s voice says softly.


    I turn towards him, and look him straight in the eyes, which look back at me with concern and confusion. Did he think of the same thing I did? Probably not¡­ he wasn¡¯t there, that was only Ashley and I.


    ¡°Well yeah¡­ it¡¯s really horrifying,¡± Lily says quickly, sounding embarrassed. ¡°That¡¯s what I just needed to let you guys know¡­¡±


    ¡°We should be letting the police know!¡± Nova demands, turning back to Lily. ¡°That dude was barely trying to hide what he was talking about!¡±


    ¡°Well, my source obviously already made a report,¡± Lily reasons. ¡°But this guy is not a dummy. He leaves absolutely no identifying information about himself other than him being a teacher, and only a very vague description of the student he¡¯s targeting. He never even said what state he lives in. I only know that he¡¯s at your high school because of outside knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t the police track his IP, then?¡± Nova urges.


    ¡°Well, they could. But they haven¡¯t done it yet, for whatever reason. And how long will it take for them to get to it?¡±


    ¡°God damn it!¡± Nova yells angrily, collapsing onto the bed. ¡°He should at least have his blog shut down!¡±


    ¡°Well, Tumblr¡¯s staff is famously incompetent,¡± I add, my breathing finally starting to steady.


    ¡°And they could be leaving it up on purpose to try and find clues on him, too,¡± Lily suggests. ¡°So yeah¡­ uh, we don¡¯t have to talk any more about that... Anyways, I found this funny rage compilation of people losing in Showdown earlier, let me show it to you guys, oh this one guy got¡­¡±


    Lily tries to smoothly transition out of that uncomfortable subject, but I¡¯m still perturbed for the rest of the night. While Lily is distracted with a video, I tell Nova on Skype about my suspicions¡­ if this person really does teach at our high school, it has to be the person who owns the jungle palace. Due to a lack of any leads, we¡¯ve been putting off dealing with that¡­ but now that this person could be planning something soon, we need to drastically accelerate our plans.


    ~Beginning of Movement III: A Wolf In Business Casual~

 Chapter 50: Visits From Above (December 7 Part 1)

    <Ashley>


    I¡¯m inside an odd pyramid-shaped building, with an upper story that wraps around the room like an old theater. There isn¡¯t any way to get there that I can tell, but I still see some people up there walking around regardless. The building seems to be used for school classes, as there are students with notebooks and pencils scattered throughout the room, seemingly split up to work on small group projects. That said, there is one group who is very out of place, that being a group of girls from my old church who are all dressed as Amish people and walking around the room interrupting everyone. Predictably, Terra seems to be leading them, followed closed by Bethany, Taryn, Cheryl (who¡¯s one of Zoe¡¯s cousins,) Gretchen, some freckled chick I forgot the name of, and finally Diana, who doesn¡¯t seem to be giving it her all and keeps looking around the room nervously.


    I scoff at them. What a bunch of idiots, thinking that they¡¯re going to get converts like that¡­ just wandering around and yelling in people¡¯s faces¡­


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am,¡± a man says, ¡°Are you with those girls? They¡¯re disrupting my class.¡±


    I turn to the voice to see it¡¯s the Hispanic man who oversaw my detention. ¡°No. I have no idea who those people are,¡± I answer.


    He groans as he watches Terra slam her hands on someone¡¯s table and start babbling on again. ¡°Will you help me with something? There¡¯s an active shooter on campus, and we need to get these blinds closed over the windows.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. Happy to help out,¡± I agree.


    He nods and heads out the door. I follow. He starts closing blinds on the right side of the building, so I do the left. Now that I¡¯m outside, I see that I¡¯m on a college campus that I¡¯ve been to with my parents a few times for music concerts, although I don¡¯t remember which one specifically. I go along the side of the building, closing the blinds¡­ when I¡¯m halfway around, I peer in the window to see that things in the class are going normally. Nobody seems to suspect anything is wrong¡­


    Suddenly, something hits me. The man said that there¡¯s an active shooter on campus. Why the hell does nobody seem concerned about this? Actually, why the hell am I closing the blinds, anyway? What good is that going to do?


    With this realization, I feel a shift in the atmosphere¡­ I have officially gained lucidity within the dream. I quickly walk around, observing the area. There are people running around everywhere, who I somehow didn¡¯t notice before¡­ they¡¯re all running and screaming in a panic. But what¡¯s strange is that none of them are running the same direction¡­ they¡¯re just scrambling totally at random, nobody having a clue where the threat is.


    I dodge and push my way through them, making my way across the walkway to the concert hall, and then past that on the left side. And that¡¯s when I see it¡­ the ¡°active shooter¡± description, as it turns out, is a grave understatement of what¡¯s really going on. There is a massive tank rolling over the stairs and walkways, similar in size to the one that Zoe piloted, but with its treads all at the bottom and the vehicle itself oriented far more vertically, like a moving tower. Out of the top, missiles are firing out and bombarding the nearby buildings into rubble. And through a window in the front, I see Moloch, taking the form of ¡°Luke¡± from Pavia¡¯s palace to make sure I recognize him. Out of instinct, I summon my Persona into the dream, my armor and sword appearing on me immediately. Moloch looks totally relaxed and is leaning against the side of the opening with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ wanna try taking me on all by yourself?¡± he taunts. Although he¡¯s many yards away from me still, I can hear him as easily as if he were standing right in front of me.


    ¡°What I want is for you to get out of my head!¡± I growl at him.


    ¡°Trust me, I have no pleasure being inside your head. This place is such a dumpster fire that even I¡¯m a little freaked out by what goes on in here.¡±


    ¡°Haha, what a fucking comedian. So, does this mean you¡¯re back in town?¡±


    ¡°Nah, not yet. I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m going to hunt down that bitch once and for all for wasting my time. I know that your team¡¯s been training pretty hard. Better make it a good fight when I come back. Nothing is more frustratingly pointless than an easy win. Which is what our last meeting would¡¯ve been had you not used hax to get away.¡±


    ¡°You broke into my mind again just to tell me that?¡± I question.


    ¡°No, of course not! I broke into your mind to torture you!¡± He winks at me, and then the missiles coming out of the top of his tower all start heading directly towards me without any warning.


    Seeing no alternative, I turn and book it in the opposite direction. The missiles land at my heels, knocking me down face first into the pavement. I can feel burns all over my back and legs¡­ I suppose that¡¯s the downside of being in a lucid state. I jump back up to my feet, ignoring the screaming coming from the nerves in my legs, and sprint towards the fountain in front of me, intent on not letting any more missiles hit me.


    Then, I hear a girl¡¯s voice calling for me¡­ ¡°Ashley! We¡¯re here to help!¡± I skid to a halt to see three girls; one with medium brown hair and glasses who looks really nervous, one who¡¯s Hispanic and remarkably thin, and a freckly blonde with huge pigtails who''s also wearing glasses. They seem to be about my age, but I don¡¯t know any of them, though they look vaguely familiar.


    They run up next to me, and the brown-haired one quickly pulls out a sort of remote and presses a button, wincing in preparation of something. A force field appears around the four of us, and the next volley of missiles explodes outside of it, leaving us unharmed.


    The force field goes away, and the blonde girl wastes no time grabbing my hand. ¡°Come on! I know a safe place!¡± she urges me. I nod in agreement and we all run away from the fountain, through a sitting area in between a large building that¡¯s mostly glass, down a hill across a rough road, and down a flight of stairs, until we reach a peaceful area. There is a tall building that is next to a large pond with two parallel bridges crossing over it.


    The girls lead me to the water, and the three of them lower me into it, the blonde girl holding my head and the other two carrying me by my arms. As soon as I make contact with the water, the burn scars on my legs and back start burning, making me grunt in pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡­ it¡¯ll be better soon,¡± the Hispanic girl tells me soothingly. The blonde one then pinches my nose and totally submerges me in the water, washing all of the soot out of my face and hair. She lifts me up again, and I find that all the pain from the injuries I had are gone¡­ and curiously, I am no longer in my Persona outfit either. I¡¯m simply wearing a white sleeveless shirt and basketball shorts.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± I say to the girls. ¡°I feel like¡­ nothing ever happened,¡± I say. I twist my body around to look at my legs to see them totally unscarred and unblemished.


    ¡°She¡¯s really excited to meet you,¡± the blonde girl says cryptically.


    I look at their faces, which are all smiling. ¡°Who is ¡®she¡¯?¡±


    The one with glasses points to the other side of the pond. I see a tall woman with long, wild-looking hair, and a minimalist outfit consisting of a short, plain skirt and a short white top that shows her torso area. She¡¯s holding a handgun in either hand, and though her back is turned to me, I feel an extremely strong feeling of power exuding from her, a mixture of deep respect and intimidation that I almost never feel towards another human¡­


    <hr>


    ¡°Ashley? Is everything okay?¡± I hear Zoe¡¯s voice say pleadingly.


    I open my eyes to find that it¡¯s morning, and Zoe is crouched over my bed, looking concerned.


    ¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s fine,¡± I reassure her.


    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± Zoe questions.


    ¡°No, not a nightmare. Though my dream was¡­ unusual.¡±


    I sit up and rub my eyes. ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just after six,¡± she answers, yawning.


    ¡°Okay, good. Still some time before we meet for breakfast, then.¡± Since we¡¯re not exactly, you know, going to church anymore, my family has gotten into the habit of doing a Bible study over breakfast on Sunday morning.


    ¡°Yeah, still some time,¡± Zoe says sleepily. Her head lowers into my lap, and her eyes slowly close¡­ Zoe¡¯s not much of a morning person, you could say. I start running my fingers through her hair as she always likes, causing her to smile and hum happily.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    So Moloch infiltrated my dreams yet again¡­ I didn¡¯t realize he could do that from across the country. It seems like I should tell Lucy about this, since it is a Moloch event, but¡­ somehow this dream seems too¡­ personal to tell anyone else. Also, that woman at the very end¡­ although I only glimpsed her, the sight left a very strong impression on me. Whoever she was, she feels very important¡­ a part of me thinks that Lucy herself manifested in my dream, but I¡¯ve never seen her before, so I¡¯d have no way of knowing what she looks like. Whoever it is, I somehow feel very humbled by all of that¡­


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    I¡¯m back in that awful jungle¡­ all my limbs are held by the vines¡­ I¡¯m screaming, trying desperately to tear myself free of them¡­ I see someone walking in front of me. It¡¯s that Dark Trooper lady¡­ out of desperation I cry out for her, asking her to help¡­ she pauses for a moment, but then shakes her head and walks away¡­


    No¡­ no¡­ this can¡¯t happen¡­ I¡¯m crying, this is the worst I¡¯ve ever felt¡­ the vines are creeping closer to me¡­ they¡¯re going to take off my clothes¡­ please someone else¡­ please¡­


    And then, the most amazing thing happens¡­ out of the foliage, someone new appears, who I quickly recognize to be my mother. She¡¯s just how I remember from my faint recollections as a little girl, except she¡¯s wearing the outfit I wear with my Persona, the red dress and fur coat, which I suddenly realize is the same one Eleanor wore in that poster. In her hands is a large hammer with a blade on the end, which she swings through the air effortlessly to cut down the vines. I collapse to the floor, breathing deeply. In an instant all the fear I felt saps away, and I know somehow that I¡¯m totally safe.


    ¡°Mom, you saved me!¡± I cry out in relief.


    She beams down at me, and then crouches to my level, and takes me into her arms. ¡°Anja¡­ you¡¯ve grown up quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­ I miss you so much!¡± I howl, as I start crying into her uncontrollably.


    ¡°I miss you too, Anja¡± she tells me calmly. ¡°But this visit is a gift. And I¡¯m so proud of who you¡¯re growing up into. You¡¯ve awakened a great power within you¡­ great enough to accomplish anything you set your mind to.¡±


    Her words sort of wash over me, not really registering¡­ I cry from happiness for a while longer, but then I stop and just enjoy the pure ecstasy I feel. If this moment went on for an eternity, that would just be alright¡­


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    I wake up feeling dazed and disoriented. I feel like I want to go back to sleep, but it¡¯s too bright in the room. We must¡¯ve stayed up really late last night, telling jokes, swapping weird stories¡­ I¡¯m in Lily¡¯s bed, which makes sense since that¡¯s where I was sitting. I must¡¯ve just passed out unexpectedly, and the others decided not to disturb me. I look around the room, to see that I wasn¡¯t the only one; Lily just fell asleep in the chair she was sitting in, next to her computer. Anja doesn¡¯t seem to be around¡­ I jump off the bed to find where she went.


    She¡¯s in the living room, on the couch. She must¡¯ve fallen asleep last and left to find the nearest comfortable place to lay down. She¡¯s awake already, she¡¯s sitting up and I can hear a faint sniffling sound. Maybe being in a different town is messing with her allergies.


    ¡°Morning, Anja,¡± I greet her, plopping onto the couch next to her. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m alright,¡± Anja says. ¡°I just had a dream that¡­ shook me up emotionally.¡±


    ¡°Uh oh. You mean a nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Well, it started like that. I was back in that¡­¡± she briefly glances around the room to make sure we¡¯re the only ones up. ¡°I was in that palace¡­ that one Ashley and I went to that we told you about. I was tied up with vines again, and I was really scared¡­ but then, my mom appeared and saved me from them¡­ I was so happy to see her.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really lucky,¡± I observe. The mention of her mom reminds me of yesterday when we went and looked around in her room. That gives me an idea¡­ ¡°It¡¯s almost like¡­ remember how Lily was talking about your mom¡¯s room being haunted? Well maybe, it¡¯s not a bad spirit, and it¡¯s your mom¡¯s ghost in there¡­ and she came to your dream to save you from having a nightmare?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more likely that seeing a picture of her, combined with thinking about her, put her in my mind in a way that made me dream about her,¡± Anja counters. ¡°Dreams are basically ways for our subconscious to store our memories of the day, so it makes sense that it was about stuff I was thinking about yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, that could be it too,¡± I admit.


    Anja shakes her head. ¡°Don¡¯t let Lily string you on with this supernatural stuff. For months, all she¡¯s talked about has been aliens this, Agartha that, new world order this, government psi-ops that¡­ she seriously needs to get a better hobby.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s ¡®Agartha?¡¯¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s this magical land inside the Earth, which is a utopia where giants live or North Koreans or something, I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s different every time she talks about it.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, right. That¡¯s where Hitler went after WWII was over,¡± I say, remembering something she said yesterday.


    ¡°No it is not!¡± Anja barks at me. ¡°It¡¯s not real! Inside the Earth is a bunch of shifting tectonic plates and a core of intensely hot magma. Please don¡¯t start believing in this bullshit too, Nova.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, calm down,¡± I defend myself. ¡°Although to be fair, we know now that some supernatural stuff exists, with the Metaverse and all that.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, fine. I guess so,¡± Anja says, looking annoyed that I said that.


    ¡°Okay, sorry,¡± I say, trying to get her to calm down. ¡°I won¡¯t bring it up again, I promise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯m sure she will at least once more before we leave,¡± Anja disparages. ¡°Well, whatever¡­ I¡¯m gonna be in the bathroom for a while.¡± Without any further explanation, she gets up from the couch and leaves to use the bathroom near the kitchen.


    I feel uneasy sitting on the couch by myself after that¡­ I don¡¯t really know what to think. I guess Anja and Lily don¡¯t get along that well.


    Lily comes into the room shortly after Anja leaves.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Yeah. Morning,¡± she responds. She kinda sounds annoyed.


    ¡°Did you hear any of that last conversation we had?¡±


    ¡°How could I not?¡± she says, rummaging around in the back of the TV and unplugging chords. ¡°Anja just doesn¡¯t get why I do this. It¡¯s like she thinks I¡¯m just trying to stir shit up. But it¡¯s not about that; it¡¯s about looking for the truth.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think the problem is that the ¡®truth¡¯ you found sounds like insane bullshit,¡± I tell her bluntly.


    She pauses for a moment, looking startled. ¡°Oh, wait. That¡¯s right, you weren¡¯t here last time.¡± She plops down into the armchair next to me. ¡°Let me explain myself a little more clearly¡­ Okay, so the stuff I put on my blog? I know that most of it is not true. I mean, it¡¯s very interesting stuff, but I get that it¡¯s implausible without an incredible amount of evidence to support it. But I look that stuff up anyway, because every now and then you stumble across a few grains of truth mixed in¡­ like, that stuff I was telling you yesterday? Yeah, I know it¡¯s quite¡­ colorful to imagine the Nazis escaping to Antarctica with advanced technology. But what is true is that many Nazis escaped to Argentina after the end of the war, and it kinda makes you wonder if they were ever planning some kind of comeback.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. I think I heard about that Argentina thing once.¡±


    ¡°You see, it¡¯s not about literally all of this weird shit being real. It¡¯s about pushing your understanding of reality and seeing if you can draw parallels to anything you know is real and understand it differently.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I guess that makes sense. I think Anja thinks you¡¯re 100% serious about it, though.¡±


    Lily huffs loudly. ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t. She¡¯s just mad at me about something that happened earlier.¡±


    Like she always does, she glances around the room to make sure nobody else is listening. ¡°It was about her mother, and how she died. I stumbled upon truly dangerous knowledge¡­¡±


    I gasp. Is she actually gonna be onto something with this¡­?


    ¡°Every now and then, something strange happens to certain people who are either very critical of the government, or know hidden information about it,¡± Lily explains. ¡°Even if they¡¯re totally healthy, they¡¯ll suddenly start vomiting an unidentifiable black sludge, and die in the hospital soon after. The official cause of death is a ¡®rare disease,¡¯ but seemingly nobody can explain what made it happen¡­ And guess what? Anja¡¯s mom is one of the victims of this mysterious ¡®virus.¡¯¡±


    ¡°What kind of disease is that?¡± I question, horrified by the idea. ¡°That¡¯s worse than the plague from the middle ages. I hope it¡¯s not contagious¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the thing. It¡¯s not contagious at all. And given how many people who¡¯ve died from it were whistleblowers or harsh government critics, it could not be a disease at all, but a type of poison used to silence people¡­¡±


    ¡°And you think they got Anja¡¯s mom with this poison?¡± I press her. ¡°But didn¡¯t she work for the government? What would be the point of that?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Anja ever tell you the story? When she died, it was a month before she had a serious shot of becoming the governor. Maybe there was someone in power who didn¡¯t want her to win. Maybe they thought she was too independent from the establishment, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to control her¡­¡±


    She sighs. ¡°I tried to tell this to Anja, but¡­ she just totally blew up on me. She didn¡¯t want to hear it at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t blame her for that. I mean, that¡¯s her mom you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m only the messenger, why shoot me?¡± Lily hisses. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this to sensationalize it or anything! I only care about finding out what happened to Anja¡¯s mom, who by the way is also my aunt! I want closure! If there was funny business, I want who did it to be caught and exposed!¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t blame her for being sensitive about that,¡± I argue to defend Anja. ¡°And I mean, the government going around poisoning people? That¡¯s a lot to swallow.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they? It¡¯s totally legal for the government to kill its own citizens, between the death penalty and the shit police officers get away with in some places. Our government has done far worse things¡­ ever heard of the Philippine-American War? That¡¯s one they don¡¯t teach in schools. Or the Tuskegee Experiments? I mean, the shit they don¡¯t even try to hide is bad enough! The trail of tears, the slave trade, Hawaii, the internment camps, the AIDS crisis¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I get the point!¡± I plead, getting really freaked out. She just got into this crazed state¡­ it¡¯s really scaring me, I just want to get back to playing video games now.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying man, watch the news, and remember this next time you see something about someone with secret information dying of ¡®suicide¡¯ or a mysterious illness involving throwing up black tar.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ okay, I will,¡± I say, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. ¡°What do you think we should play now? I¡¯m okay with whatever¡­¡±

 Chapter 51: The Next Level (December 7 Part 2)

    <Zoe>


    ¡°How can they say, ¡®Jenny could you come back home?¡¯ ¡®Cause everybody knows you don¡¯t, ever wanna come back let me be the one to save you!


    Gravity, don¡¯t mean too much to me. I¡¯m who I¡¯ve got to be, these pigs are after me, after you. Run away, like¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already learning the lyrics to those songs? I¡¯m pretty impressed,¡± Ashley comments.


    ¡°Wha- oh, was I singing?¡± I ask, blushing. I had no idea I was doing that¡­


    ¡°Yes. Honestly, you have quite a nice voice,¡± she compliments with a faint smile.


    I feel a rush in my stomach and my face turns red at the compliment¡­ I look around us. We¡¯re back at the picnic tables by the Methodist Church, waiting there for Anja and Nova to arrive. Apparently, they have something very important to tell us¡­ Luckily, it looks like nobody else is still hanging around the church this time, so I don¡¯t think anyone else heard me singing.


    ¡°Th- thank you, Ashley,¡± I tell her meekly. I unlock my screen and press the pause button. I had my fifteenth birthday a couple weeks ago, and as a gift Anja gave me an old music player that was loaded with songs she listens to, which she said I would like as well.


    Then, Ted comes out of the woods. ¡°I thought I heard y¡¯all¡¯s voices,¡± he tells us. ¡°You kids wanting to train more today?¡± For the past couple of months, we¡¯ve tried to go back into that other world at least once a week, so that we¡¯re ready the next time a local villain pops up.


    ¡°Yes, as well as some interesting new intel,¡± Ashley explains to him. I bend down and scoop him up, setting him down on the table like usual.


    ¡°Hmm? And what is this new intel?¡± Ted inquires.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to wait for Anja and Nova to get here for that. But it apparently involves a strong suspect for the owner of the jungle palace.¡±


    ¡°That is good to hear,¡± Ted remarks. ¡°The longer someone dangerous like that is on the loose, the greater the risk to you and your classmates¡­ If I¡¯d have met someone like that at a school my children went to, I¡¯d string ¡®em up.¡±


    ¡°Wow Ted, you have children?¡± I ask, overcome with curiosity. Ted has gotten less high-strung recently, so maybe he¡¯ll finally be willing to share something about his past¡­


    ¡°Aye, I did. Two daughters¡­ they¡¯re with the Lord now, along with my wife. Never got a chance to finish growing into adults¡­¡±


    Awwh. I feel immense sadness¡­ I feel like hugging him, but as he¡¯s so small I instead pat his head.


    ¡°I worked a dangerous job¡­ In a town near the southern border, I was a cop. I met lots of people who came over looking for a better life¡­ and sometimes, thugs with crooked intentions. I found out about a group who was connected to an international human trafficking chain and busted their operation. My community saw me as a hero¡­ but that group was bigger than I imagined, and those who remained wanted revenge.¡±


    Ashley and I watch him intently, fascinated¡­ Ted has never told us stories like this before. But I have a bad feeling this one¡¯s not gonna end in a nice way¡­


    ¡°One day, I had a dream¡­ I saw my own home burning down, and a loud voice told me to not go into work that day, to call in sick¡­ when I awoke, I wrote it off as just being a dream, and I went in anyway. But I should¡¯ve listened¡­ that day, my dream came true, and my house and family were gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh no! That¡¯s horrible!¡± I croon to him, tears already starting to well up in my eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Do you think that the dream you had was a sort of prophecy?¡± Ashley asks. ¡°I had a pretty weird one this morning myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Aye, I know it was, thanks to what happened next¡­ I went into a fit of rage, and decided to go hunt down the bastards who did it by myself¡­ of course, I didn¡¯t get too far before I got a bullet in my head for it¡­ but I took down as many of them as I could before I went.¡±


    I¡¯m sniffling and sobbing by now. Ashley stares blankly at the table for a while, as if remembering something. Then, she says, ¡°So I guess you really do know how it feels¡­ much more than I ever could. You have my most sincere apology.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure what she¡¯s talking about¡­ Ted nods, and then continues his story. ¡°I woke up on the other side, and I saw the archangel, Michael. He told me that I had been foolish, and that I was no good to anyone dead¡­ I simply begged and pleaded to be reunited with my family. But He told me I had been weak in faith, and that I must atone¡­¡±


    ¡°Did He really?¡± Ashley asks. ¡°I thought that the whole purgatory thing that Catholics believe in was bullcrap¡­¡±


    ¡°No, He didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Ted explains. ¡°He said that at the same time I had died, a new baby was born, a heroine who would walk strong in the faith, and that the hidden evils of our land would fear her. And then I saw¡­ her,¡± he finishes dramatically, pointing at Ashley.


    ¡°No you didn¡¯t,¡± Ashley replies reflexively. ¡°Stop that.¡±


    ¡°I know what I saw, lassie!¡± Ted insists. ¡°He said that someday, I would cross paths with this heroine, and that were I to help her destroy a great evil, I would see my family again¡­¡±


    ¡°When was it that you died?¡± Ashley asks him pointedly.


    ¡°I think it was¡­ the winter of¡­ 1975,¡± he says.


    ¡°There, you see? Not me. That would¡¯ve been way before I was born. Hell, I think that was close to when my  mom  was born. And I haven¡¯t exactly walked too strongly in the faith. It¡¯s a miracle I haven¡¯t fucking killed myself already.¡±


    Ashley sighs heavily. The atmosphere has changed, feeling oppressive and hopeless¡­


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a cool inspirational story, but I¡¯m a bit hurt that you think you can bullshit us about stuff like that. Especially given how serious the stuff with your family is, why would you think that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°I was serious about all of it!¡± Ted growls. ¡°I would not lie to you¡­ this is my mission!¡±


    ¡°Ashley¡­ come on, let¡¯s not fight about this,¡± I interrupt, feeling very uncomfortable at the raised tempers. I get up from the table and join Ashley on her side, feeling her hand.


    ¡°I get it, Ashley¡­ it does sounds like one of those stupid prophecy stories from a children¡¯s movie,¡± I console. ¡°But I think that what Ted is really trying to say is¡­ he¡¯s dead set on helping us. He really cares about what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    I turn back to Ted. ¡°It totally makes sense now why you¡¯re so concerned about this creep at our school¡­ in your life, you fought against people just like that, and then they took everything from you. We all have the same wish¡­ the same goal. I¡¯m glad to have Ted on our side¡­¡±


    ¡°I do appreciate that,¡± Ted tells me, nodding respectfully.


    ¡°Alright. Of course we¡¯re still gonna work together, Zoe,¡± Ashley gripes, sounding defensive. ¡°But this heroine stuff just doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­ are you sure you¡¯re not embellishing the ending of that?¡±


    ¡°It was a dream¡­ the last thing I remember, before waking up as an armadillo,¡± Ted explains. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what it meant, until I escaped into the Metaverse and saw you, along with the form of the angel who sent me¡­ that¡¯s where my memory becomes clear again. Like I started a second life.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Okay,¡± Ashley relents, seeming satisfied by this for some reason. ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that them at last?¡± I say, recognizing Anja¡¯s car pulling into the church¡¯s driveway.


    ¡°It sure is, Zoe,¡± Ashley confirms. ¡°Fucking finally¡­ let¡¯s get down to business already.¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    ¡°So. Let¡¯s review what we know about this teacher,¡± I tell the group, as we pace a street in Zoe¡¯s neighborhood, now cleared of all enemies. ¡°A male, who was popular back in his own high school days as a sports star¡­ so possibly one of the athletic coaches. Has some secret way of teaching a particular student ¡®special lessons¡¯ which can be reasonably assumed to be sexual in nature based on other rhetoric cues. The talk of ¡®real freedom¡¯ and the phallic imagery implied by that ¡®jump on it¡¯ bit. Indeed, the fixation on the idea of being ¡®free¡¯ does align with a theory I had about the jungle palace¡¯s owner when we went there.¡±


    ¡°Oh god, I didn¡¯t think about the ¡®jump on it¡¯ thing like that!¡± Nova cries out, looking very flustered and meek. ¡°I don¡¯t like that¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s targeting one particular student, who is described as a brunette girl who is in athletics and has no luck with boys. Can we think of anyone who matches that description?¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Zoe gasps, putting her hands over her mouth. ¡°What if¡­ the girl he¡¯s talking about is Anja?¡±


    ¡°What? No! Don¡¯t say that!¡± Anja replies, looking panicked. ¡°Oh my god¡­ but that would explain why the vines went after me when we were in there! Oh fuck, oh shit, oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I think that is unlikely,¡± I interrupt. ¡°I would hardly consider marching band to truly be an ¡®athletic¡¯ in the traditional sense. And the vines went for me too, I was just able to escape them easily due to already having an awakened Persona.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Anja admits, breathing deeply.


    ¡°The description of the girl is so fucking vague, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re gonna just figure it out,¡± Nova reasons. ¡°There have to be dozens of girls at our school with brown hair who are in a sport!¡±


    ¡°Very true,¡± I agree. ¡°And the predator would have no reason to reveal the identity of his victim if he wanted to keep a low profile.¡±


    ¡°I mean, if he wanted to keep a low profile, why say anything about this at all?¡± Nova questions. ¡°Just to brag to the MAP people on Tumblr? After we tell everyone tomorrow, they¡¯re going to be on high alert looking out for someone acting like a creeper.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems as if he had no idea this posting would be identified as coming from someone at our school so quickly, so he would¡¯ve¡­¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Ashley?¡± Zoe interrupts me. ¡°To your left.¡±


    I look left and see there¡¯s a couple of more of those fucking wasps. We must have killed like a thousand of them by now. I sigh and slash one of them in half with my sword, killing it instantly. Anja shoots down the other. She¡¯s wincing at it, but we¡¯ve seen so many of these that she¡¯s mostly gotten used to them.


    ¡°Damn, you guys didn¡¯t even let me do anything!¡± Nova complains. ¡°These monsters are fucking weak sauce. Is there anywhere else we can do some  real  training?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Good question,¡± I say. ¡°Let me call up Lucy. We need to update her on the predator situation anyway.¡±


    I call her. ¡°Hello again, Ashley!¡± Lucy greets me. ¡°How is your training going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s boring as shit,¡± I protest. ¡°We wanted to ask if there is anywhere we could find some more formidable shadows to fight. I think we¡¯re too advanced for the standard coyotes now.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, that¡¯s excellent to hear!¡± Lucy responds, sounding positively ecstatic. ¡°Well, I think I know how you can attract some stronger foes¡­ go ahead and go to the nearest house of worship in your area that  isn¡¯t  the First Baptist one.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure,¡± I agree. ¡°While we walk there, I need to fill you in on something we¡¯ve recently learned about.¡±


    ¡°Fill away!¡± Lucy says.


    <hr>


    A few minutes later, we arrive at a tiny Church of Christ in the neighborhood. I finish giving Lucy the rundown about the blog while we stand around outside the building for a while.


    ¡°So. Naturally, we are planning on heading into that palace with haste. We don¡¯t know exactly what this man is planning, but he seems to be ready to do it soon.¡±


    ¡°That would be wise,¡± Lucy advises me. ¡°Keep your eyes peeled throughout this next week. The poster of this blog is clearly not very competent. I would not be surprised if the police caught him quickly. However, I would also not count on that, given how shit the police system is in many areas.¡±


    ¡°Well said,¡± I agree. ¡°And in the meantime¡­ we have arrived at a nearby church.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that quickly? Well, I guess it is Texas, so I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Go inside the church and into the sanctuary.¡±


    Hmm. I think I have an idea as to where this is going.


    We go inside the church. This one is much more humble than the churches I¡¯m used to. The sanctuary looks like it could be a city hall meeting room, with metal chairs set up all facing the front podium. And in the back, sure enough, there¡¯s an oil-like substance on the back wall. While this church is clearly not well-funded enough to get its own stained glass, it does look like the wall space could normally be used for a mural.


    ¡°Ah, this makes me nostalgic,¡± I remark. ¡°So, you think that breaking a second seal will attract more powerful monsters to roam the area?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it,¡± Lucy confirms. ¡°Think of it like the hull of a ship. If a hole opens in the hull, water will rush inside due to the difference in pressure. However, if a second hole opens, the water will start to rush in even faster.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s a terrible metaphor!¡± Anja complains. ¡°That didn¡¯t explain anything!¡±


    ¡°Quit your whining,¡± I joke. ¡°It¡¯s better than the big mac one, so I¡¯m not going to protest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you kids give me a break!¡± Lucy shouts. ¡°I never claimed to be good at writing. Anyways, you clearly already know what to do, so good luck.¡± She hangs up.


    ¡°Jeez Anja, she¡¯s not gonna help us out anymore if that¡¯s how we¡¯re going to treat her,¡± I lecture Anja, although she must know that I¡¯m teasing.


    ¡°Well, that means a lot coming from you, Ms. Meanie,¡± she teases back.


    We walk towards the seal, but before we get too close, I stop everyone.


    ¡°Fair warning to everyone here¡­ last time I broke one of these seals, I was attacked immediately,¡± I warn them.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Ted agrees. ¡°And we should be prepared to deal with something a little more troublesome than a pack of coyotes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, there¡¯s five of us now, isn¡¯t there?¡± Nova comments. ¡°Just get it over with already.¡±


    I nod, and then touch the seal with my hand. As before, there is a bright light, and the loud sound of breaking glass.


    ¡°AAAHHHH!!!¡± Nova yells, covering his ears. ¡°YOU COULDA WARNED US ABOUT THAT, YOU BITCH!¡±


    ¡°Forgot to mention it. Sorry,¡± I admit.


    Then, I hear it. Coming from across the sanctuary is a repeating thumping sound accompanied by the sound of crackling electricity.


    ¡°Wow, it really is immediate!¡± Zoe says, looking nervous. ¡°What kind of thing is this going to be¡­?¡±


    Everyone in the party draws their weapon. Creeping up the aisle towards us is a massive cat-like creature. It stands quite tall even on all fours, and resembles a large jaguar, except with a wider face, and two long, sharp fangs. Its fur is a darker shade of orange closer to red, but still with the same black spots. Most distinctively, arcs of electricity come from its paws every time it takes a step.


    ¡°Hey Nova,¡± I ask. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the Pok¨¦mon who¡¯s an electric type and looks like a saber tooth tiger?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean Raikou?¡± Nova responds.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one. Thank you.¡±


    Without any further ado, the jaguar roars and pounces at us. Anja wastes no time in blowing the tiger backwards, which seems to be particularly effective. With these regular animals that roam the Metaverse, there is usually not much to do strategy wise other than wail on them with our attacks. Nova and I bludgeon it with our weapons, Zoe uses nuclear attacks, you get the drill. However, this enemy certainly has much thicker skin than many of the ones we¡¯ve been dealing with, and it takes a few rounds of this for it to go down.


    After a while, however, I notice that it seems to be charging up for something. It then turns towards Zoe, and out of instinct I leap in front of her to take what ends up being a quite potent electric attack¡­


    <hr>


    I must have passed out, because next thing I know Zoe is sitting on top of me, glaring at me intensely.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± she asks me sternly.


    ¡°Zoe. I hardly think that this is the time for this,¡± I say jokingly. I glance around to see if the others are watching, but it looks like we¡¯re actually in here alone¡­


    ¡°Ashley, why did you do that?¡± Zoe asks me, with a sort of motherly tone in her voice that she hasn¡¯t used on me before.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I deflect. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty self-explanatory? Did you  want  to be hit by the lightning strike?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not, but¡­¡± she chews on her lip agitatedly, and climbs off of me. ¡°Ashley¡­ you didn¡¯t have to do that just for me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what the problem here is,¡± I tell her bluntly, pushing myself up to a sitting position.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ you said openly earlier that ¡®it¡¯s a miracle I haven¡¯t effing killed myself yet.¡¯ And then you go and do something like that?¡±


    Oh. ¡°Well, Zoe, it¡¯s¡­ not¡­¡± I trail off, feeling frustrated.


    ¡°Do you know how scary that is to me?¡± Zoe presses me. ¡°Ashley, if you¡¯re¡­ hurting in any way, you need to tell me! Remember what we talked about, by the creek?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± I admit begrudgingly.


    Zoe sighs. ¡°I just¡­ sometimes get the feeling that you don¡¯t really respect me. You love me, but you see me as someone who always needs to be saved.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I counter. ¡°Of course I respect you!¡±


    ¡°Then why do you always follow me around at school? Even if I¡¯m just talking to another friend you feel like you need to stick right next to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re getting at,¡± I say defensively.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not jealous. But¡­ you seem like you¡¯re afraid of me doing anything on my own. But I need to learn how to do some things on my own¡­ you can¡¯t be around to protect me all the time.¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything to that. I feel a confusing battle of emotions inside me¡­


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go join the others,¡± Zoe states. ¡°I just¡­ had to get that off my chest. I¡¯m not mad at you, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I say simply. I get to my feet, and we both exit the church.


    The others are all uncomfortably standing around outside, and I realize suddenly that Zoe must have asked them to leave us alone.


    ¡°Welp, seems like we¡¯ll have much better prey to train with now,¡± Ted remarks casually, seemingly oblivious. ¡°Y¡¯all want to do some more wrangling?¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s just go home,¡± I say, feeling detached from my body.


    Ted nods respectfully, and we all start walking back towards our entry point.


    I feel partially like I should be angry¡­ so she¡¯s gonna get mad at me for trying to protect her? Well, if that¡¯s the gratitude I¡¯m going to get, maybe I¡¯ll just leave her alone and see how well she does¡­


    But no¡­ that¡¯s not right. Gratitude shouldn¡¯t be the point anyway. I mean, it  shouldn¡¯t  be. Have I been subconsciously doing this to get praise from her? Hmm¡­


    Then, I feel partially like I should be ashamed, when I think about the suicidal thoughts thing. I was so eager to deny Ted¡¯s bullshitting that I let that slip out. She must have felt so afraid and upset hearing that out of the blue like that¡­ she really does care for me, and I hurt her¡­


    The shameful half eventually wins out, and I leave the Metaverse feeling worse about myself than I have in quite some time.


    <hr>


    <Alyssa>


    I¡¯m in the process of sneaking cookies, when I faintly start to hear voices coming from the front porch¡­ probably the Mormons again. Hmm, how many of these have I eaten today? Five? Ten? I should probably stop here.


    I go to the front door, taking a path that doesn¡¯t pass by any front-facing windows, and then look out the peep hole¡­ oh, it¡¯s actually Ashley and Zoe coming home from hanging out with their friends. But what are they doing just standing there?


    I open the door and see something quite surprising. Ashley and Zoe are holding each other very closely, and Ashley is crying. Actually crying. I haven¡¯t seen her do that in many years.


    ¡°Hey, everything alright, kiddos?¡± I ask, approaching them.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s alright,¡± Ashley answers, nodding at me. ¡°We were just having a serious conversation.¡±


    I look at Zoe, who is smiling in a sad way. ¡°We must look silly standing around out here¡­ let¡¯s go back in,¡± she suggests.


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead,¡± Ashley agrees. ¡°I wanna show Mom that thing first, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hmm?¡± I question her, curious. ¡°What thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you in the living room,¡± she replies. She¡¯s already fully regained her composure, the only remaining sign of her show of emotion being the redness around her eyes. And with that, Ashley and I go to the living room, while Zoe returns to her own room.


    Ashley gets her phone out and shows me a picture on it. It¡¯s a picture taken of a printed photo, and I¡¯m shocked to see that it¡¯s Ellen and I from back in high school, holding each other closely¡­


    ¡°Anja found this in a photo album at a family member¡¯s house,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°That¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is indeed,¡± I confirm. Seeing the image makes me feel a sharp pang of mixed emotions; mostly sorrow, but also some nostalgia and guilt.


    Ashley nods and turns the screen off. ¡°Hmm¡­ do you miss her?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°More than I can say,¡± I tell her. ¡°All I will say is this¡­ I am glad that you and Zoe are¡­ able to have those serious conversations together. You never know what could happen in the future, and there¡¯s nothing worse than having someone leave your life without you telling them everything on your mind."


    ¡°Hmm¡­ okay,¡± Ashley says blankly. ¡°I will think that over.¡±


    I force a smile. ¡°It¡¯s cool that she found that, thank you for sharing it,¡± I tell her. ¡°You may go rejoin Zoe now.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she agrees. She leaves, and I go into our master bedroom.

 Chapter 52: Denton (December 7 Part 3)

    <Alyssa>


    Gregg is in there, sitting on the chair by the window with his euphonium. He has the valve caps unscrewed and is in the middle of oiling them.


    When he catches sight of me, he sets the instrument aside and asks, ¡°Is something the matter, dear?¡±


    I give a hefty sigh and plop myself onto the bed. ¡°Well, a few things, but¡­ first of all, I just saw our daughter crying for the first time in years.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asks. ¡°It was only a few months ago for me. Specifically, the day that Zoe left her parents¡¯ house.¡±


    ¡°It must be something about Zoe, then,¡± I observe. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to reconnect with her since everything went down, but I find that it¡¯s hard to talk to her; I never get any feedback. But Zoe can get to her, somehow¡­¡±


    ¡°They do seem to be good for one another,¡± he agrees. ¡°Which is miraculous, given that it was essentially an impulsive high school romance¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, just because a relationship is impulsive doesn¡¯t mean that it  won¡¯t  work out,¡± I reason. ¡°You and I are proof of that, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°Indeed. Hmm, that brings me back¡­¡±


    <hr>


    <Gregg (flashback)>


    It is a most pleasant Friday morning. The other band members are sleeping in right now, but I chose to take a trip down to the local Hastings and browse through the music section. There is almost nobody here, perhaps because it is so early. Now that I have finished my leisurely browse, I make my way over to checkout.


    There are not many employees here, either. Only one checkout lane is open. The attendant is a woman, who looks to also be college age. She is very pretty. Her hair is naturally red and hangs down neatly to below her shoulders. The morning sun coming in through the front windows gives it a mesmerizing glint. I think she¡¯s someone I may want to get to know a little.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greet, as I set my two selected CD cases down on the counter.


    ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± she replies sleepily. I watch her face as she scans my items.  Foxtrot  - I wanted to see what the digitally remastered version was like- and  Kind of Blue  . Her bleary eyes open slightly more when she sees  Kind of Blue , and she stops for a moment.


    ¡°You like jazz?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I sure do. Are you familiar with that album?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans, and Jimmy Cobb.¡±


    ¡°Correct. I already own it on vinyl, but I wanted something to listen to in the car.¡±


    ¡°Good man. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s obsolete, vinyl has the best sound. Nothing¡¯s going to change that.¡±


    She finally scans the bar and sets it into the bag with Foxtrot. I look to the right- nobody is around. Nobody to be angry if I hold up the line.


    ¡°By any chance, miss, are you planning on being at the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival tomorrow?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes! Are you?¡±


    ¡°I sure am. I will be performing with the UC-Berkeley Jazz Ensemble.¡±


    Her eyes are fully open now. ¡°Pretty well-known jazz program there, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. We¡¯ve graduated Branford and Delfeayo Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Quincy Jones, Ingrid Jenson, and Toshiko Akiyoshi, to name just a few.¡±


    ¡°Composer of ¡®Hiroshima: Rising From the Ashes¡¯?¡±


    ¡°The very same.¡±


    ¡°You had that all memorized?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your major there? Jazz?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    There¡¯s a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m attending TCU right now. I¡¯m doing music education.¡±


    ¡°Very respectable.¡±


    ¡°I love jazz, though. I hope I get hired somewhere with a program. What do you play?¡±


    ¡°Trombone.¡±


    ¡°Nice. I¡¯m a sax player myself.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your favorite player?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know¡­ I love Coltrane. Recently, I¡¯ve been listening to Sonny Rollins.¡±


    There¡¯s a brief pause. She fumbles around a bit as she tries to finally log my order. I think I got her.


    ¡°When are you playing tomorrow?¡± she asks.


    ¡°11 AM. Celebration Stage.¡±


    ¡°Cool¡­ I think I¡¯ll try and go watch.¡±


    ¡°That would be excellent. I appreciate it.¡±


    She grins at me, a little bit of pink in her cheeks. ¡°See you tomorrow, then.¡±


    ¡°See you. By the way¡­ what is your name?¡±


    ¡°Alyssa.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Gregg.¡±


    <hr>


    <Gregg (current day)>


    Alyssa snickers. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe the source of our original bonding was because we were the two biggest dorks on the planet.¡±


    ¡°I had always hoped to someday meet a woman who can truly appreciate art in its more complex and abstract forms,¡± I confess. ¡°I have never stopped being grateful that I got one¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, hush you!¡± she says, blushing. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the next part of the story, I remember it quite well¡­¡±


    <hr>


    <Alyssa (flashback)>


    The Celebration Stage is in a nice, open grassy area, somewhat removed from the rest of the festival. It¡¯s near what appears to be some sort of city hall building, which is currently deserted.


    The UC-Berkeley band is dressed in all black. Gregg is sitting second from the left in the trombone row, in the lead bone position. He looks pretty dashing in his button up, and he seems to have used some hairspray for the occasion. I occasionally glance at him during the performance. I wonder if he sees me in the crowd? I¡¯m sitting on the ground in my best pair of denim, a green sleeved crop top, and a pair of pink-tinted sunglasses. Usually not my thing, but I want to look trendy for today.


    In the third tune, he has a solo. It¡¯s a tune I hadn¡¯t heard before. It has a hard rock beat, and an intense sound, as it utilizes a lot of half-step chord changes. He plays his solo with such power¡­ it¡¯s not what you¡¯d expect from such a soft-spoken man. It¡¯s amazing how someone¡¯s personality can change when you put an instrument to their face.


    After the concert, I decide to go meet him backstage to see if he recognizes me from yesterday.


    The scene I am met with is quite interesting. I see various band members putting away their instruments, the cases scattered across the field. I see Gregg putting away his trombone next to a blonde girl I recognize as the lead trumpet player, who¡­ appears to be in the middle of getting high. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s smoking, but I¡¯m certain it¡¯s illegal. Hopefully it¡¯s just weed. She¡¯s really, really beautiful, with flowing blonde hair and such a nice figure. She looks like she should be modelling for Playboy, not playing lead trumpet.


    As I get closer, I hear that the two are embroiled in conversation.


    ¡°¡­hope that nobody sees you,¡± Gregg is saying. ¡°You¡¯ve got a real future, Sarah. You don¡¯t want to throw it away while you¡¯re still in college.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a jazz festival. Nobody cares,¡± Sarah says in her defense. Still holding her trumpet in her other hand, she takes another hit.


    Gregg finishes putting his horn up and looks up and notices me. I see his eyes briefly pause before reaching my face- yes! That¡¯s a score.


    ¡°Oh! Alyssa, wasn¡¯t it? Thank you for coming out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You guys did amazing. I really liked your solo.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much for that.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Hmm, so you know this girl?¡± Sarah interjects into the conversation. ¡°Looks like your luck is finally gonna pick up again¡­¡±


    ¡°This is my friend, Sarah,¡± Gregg says, gesturing at her. ¡°She¡¯s quite a skilled trumpet player.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I heard her,¡± I say. ¡°You sounded radical.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no I didn¡¯t. I could¡¯ve done a much better show than that,¡± she laments, sighing.


    ¡°Anyways¡­ I¡¯m going to go put my horn back in the van. When I am done with that, you are welcome to come with me.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, yes¡­ I would like that,¡± I say. He grins at me, and then makes his way to the parking lot.


    I stand there smiling like an idiot for a few seconds, but then I notice the sound of someone giggling behind me¡­I turn around and see a pretty black girl with wavy hair stuffing some drum sticks into a bag.


    ¡°May I help you?¡± I ask, annoyed, but also blushing a bit despite myself.


    ¡°Well¡­ if you¡¯re interested in that guy, uh¡­ good luck. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say.¡±


    I frown at her. ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t ask, but thanks.¡±


    ¡°Come on now, Yvonne. Don¡¯t hold a grudge- this girl might just be his type.¡± I turn to my right to see yet another woman accosting me. This one is a brunette who¡¯s holding nothing but a folder. She¡¯s pretty average looking and is wearing a very heavy amount of make-up which makes me expect she doesn¡¯t play a wind instrument.


    ¡°Am I supposed to be taking that as a compliment, or an insult?¡± I ask her, bristling.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so defensive,¡± she scolds me, shaking her head. ¡°Yvonne and I are both exes of Gregg there. It didn¡¯t work out for us, but¡­ you seem like a small-town girl, am I right? Perhaps somewhat of a rebel, or at least that¡¯s what you say?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me. Although yes, I grew up in a small town called Thorndale,¡± I admit.


    ¡°I see¡­ well, perhaps you¡¯re exactly the kind of simpleminded girl who is perfect for our Gregg¡­¡±


    ¡°Simple-minded, huh? Well, if you¡¯re so sure you¡¯re smarter than me, how¡¯s your GPA doing? Mine¡¯s currently hovering around a 3.8¡­¡±


    Apparently, her GPA isn¡¯t very good, because she glares at me for this. ¡°No need to take everything so personally. I just mean that Gregg is pretty stubborn with his beliefs. And quite preachy¡­ but go ahead. You¡¯ll probably have an easier time getting along with him than someone like me.¡± With that, she makes her leave of me, the girl named Yvonne following her out. I catch them whispering to each other as they walk away¡­


    I glance back at Sarah the lead trumpetist. She hasn¡¯t moved an inch; she¡¯s just been standing there watching that little argument with great amusement, still getting stoned.


    ¡°Um¡­ so, what exactly did this guy do to get these girls so angry?¡± I ask her.


    Sarah chuckles. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, Gregg is a great guy. They just had a¡­ strong clash of ideology. But if you¡¯re not a free lover or a communist, you should have better luck.¡±


    I laugh out loud. I feel so stupid that I was actually worried for a moment. I¡¯m certainly neither of those things, so I¡¯m not gonna stress it at all.


    Anyways, Gregg returns from putting his horn up, and we awkwardly set out to travel the fair. We go on to have an incredible day together. Listening to more jazz¡­ talking more about jazz¡­ eating funnel cake... looking through the art gallery¡­ then, of course, we go to the Showcase Stage to watch the legendary UNT One o¡¯ Clock Lab Band. Like the rest of the festival, there aren¡¯t really any chairs, but there is a sort of strange cement structure near the stage that people can sit on. Due to the tight space, we have to sit with our thighs touching¡­


    After it is over, we decide to go find a nice place away from the crowd. By this time, it is dark out.


    ¡°Oh, that was simply incredible,¡± he remarks as we walk.


    ¡°Oh yeah. The experience of a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°I have heard them many times on recordings, but live¡­ it¡¯s a totally new experience.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. You can¡¯t beat live.¡±


    We arrive at a fairly secluded little spot, in between an unused civic building and a tree.


    ¡°Hey¡­ let¡¯s stop here for a minute,¡± I suggest, trying not to sound too nervous or excited.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He slides down the brick until he is sitting in the grass. I sit sideways across his lap and we lock arms. I feel like I¡¯m about to start shaking¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s been really nice hanging out with you today,¡± he tells me.


    ¡°Yes¡­ It has been very nice.¡±


    He just kind of sits there and grins at me. Not much of an instigator, huh?


    Trying to be braver than I felt, I lean forward and kiss him on the lips.


    He¡¯s actually pretty good. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve kissed someone. The last time was¡­ the last time I saw¡­


    I involuntarily back away. Something must have shown on my face, because he asks me, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a little while for me too, now that I think of it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a boyfriend since high school. I was with this boy named Lucas¡­ he was so smart, so passionate about helping the world, and fighting against evil¡­ but he also had some serious mental problems. I tried to get him to get help, but¡­¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You probably don¡¯t want to hear about this.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t mind. I have my fair share of regrets in life, trust me.¡±


    We¡¯re quiet for a moment.


    ¡°I really do like you,¡± he tells me. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you know. It¡¯s a shame that¡­¡±


    ¡°We live in different states. Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I do graduate in a month,¡± he says. ¡°I could be talked into coming down here¡­¡±


    However, I shake my head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to live in Texas for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    I let out a hefty sigh. How can I explain it¡­? I shouldn¡¯t tell him everything just now. But I need to impress on him that it¡¯s important for me to disappear for a little while.


    ¡°Just¡­ too many bad memories down here,¡± I tell him, which is true. ¡°I¡¯m not on great terms with my family, and my friends have all¡­ scattered to the wind. There¡¯s nothing left for me here. I¡¯ll come with you, back to California.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ are you going to be finishing your degree this semester as well?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I still have one more year, in theory.¡±


    He gets stern with me. ¡°Hold on there, Alyssa. I know we¡¯ve been going 0 to 90 today, and I¡¯m mostly okay with that¡­ but you should not abandon your education just to run off with me. I¡¯m not worth that. Stay one more year and finish, then you can leave if you wish.¡±


    Damn it...how can I get him to understand?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m leaving after this semester. I already decided, this isn¡¯t just because of you. I can¡¯t be here any longer. No matter what, I¡¯m going to be leaving the state for somewhere. You might as well tell me where you¡¯re going to be living after college.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what is making you want to skip finishing your degree. Think about your career prospects.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a degree to gig.¡±


    ¡°But working in education is much steadier. Why would you¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t hold it back anymore. Before I can stop myself, I¡¯m crying.


    When he sees that I am, he stops talking. After a few moments, he wraps an arm around me uncertainly. ¡°Alyssa¡­?¡±¡¯


    I take a few deep breaths and start to talk quickly. ¡°Look, I know that this sounds really stupid. I don¡¯t expect you to understand. But I just¡­ have to get out of here. I  have  to.


    ¡°I grew up with very¡­ controlling parents. And it was a very deeply religious household. And, you know¡­ that can be a really good thing, I think¡­ I don¡¯t know where you lie as far as that stuff goes¡­ but there¡¯s just some aspects of their personal philosophies which I just¡­ Can¡¯t. Accept.¡±


    I look at him, trying to see his reaction. He looks very¡­ thoughtful.


    ¡°I¡­ was also raised in a pretty religious household. I regret to say that I¡¯ve fallen off a bit in college. But¡­ I can imagine what you mean.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ I can¡¯t accept that I was put on this Earth for the sole purpose of plopping out a few kids, then spending the rest of my life cleaning a house¡­ I just feel it innately that I was meant for something more. Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with family life, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I agree. I think you were absolutely meant for something more than that,¡± Gregg says. ¡°You¡¯re a very remarkable woman.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And you know, I don¡¯t believe anybody should have their life path decided for them¡­ especially based on things like that. Not by other humans, at least.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m so glad that you understand me.¡±


    ¡°And you know¡­ I too have some¡­ well, there¡¯s room for¡­ in certain parts of the¡­¡±


    He seems to have lost his train of thought. He just stares at the tree for a while, with a vacant expression.


    ¡°¡­Well, I shouldn¡¯t say any more,¡± he says at last. ¡°Anyways¡­ if you¡¯re dead set on leaving¡­ you can come and find me. I¡¯m planning on living in a little city called Concord, a bit further upstate. It¡¯s in a location that is close to a few different major urban centers, so there will be plenty of performance opportunities. I already have an apartment shopped out¡­ Do you have a pencil and paper?¡±


    I take out a notepad I carry around in my purse and hand it to him. He writes down an address.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ thank you so much,¡± I tell him. ¡°I know this is really fast, but¡­¡±


    But what? Somehow, I just really feel like doing this is the right thing, as illogical as it seems. Maybe it¡¯s the Holy Spirit. Maybe it¡¯s just my own delusions. I suppose only time will tell.


    ¡°Well, in that case¡­ I guess I may be seeing you soon,¡± he tells me. ¡°But goodbye for now¡­ unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless what?¡±


    ¡°Unless¡­ you¡¯d like to stay here and enjoy the night a little while longer?¡±


    I grin at him. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯d like that.¡±


    I get back onto his lap, but this time, I put my knees on either side of him and face straight towards him.


    I meet his lips once again. Again, he is a pretty good kisser. I put my hands on his shoulders. He puts his on my hips, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and then¡­


    <hr>


    <Alyssa (current day)>


    ¡°Okay dear, you can stop there,¡± Gregg cuts in, going red in the face at the memory.


    ¡°Hehe, sorry hon. Got carried away,¡± I admit. ¡°Oh, to be young and vicarious again¡­¡±


    We both sit in our respective spots and space out, reliving old memories¡­ before long, however, my mind drifts back to Ellen, and the picture of us that Ashley showed.


    I was in such a rush to get away from the pain¡­ and because of that, I missed out on the opportunity to ever make things right with her. I can¡¯t really say I totally regret it, because I¡¯m very happy to be with Gregg¡­ but I¡¯m never going to be able to get closure on what could¡¯ve happened with Ellen and I. I suppose I should just forget about it, but I can¡¯t help but to feel that would be disrespectful to her memory¡­


    There¡¯s one thing I can do, at least. I can¡¯t let a distance like that form in my own family. Maybe sometime soon, I¡¯ll sit down and talk with Zoe one on one¡­ she seems to know how to get to my daughter better than I can, somehow.


    <hr>


    <???>


    My studying has been interrupted by the most interesting occurrence¡­ my Skype account, which is usually quiet, got a ping, and it was a message from Lilyana Kuznetsov, whom I have not talked to in years. The purpose of this contact was to raise awareness of a serious threat at my school; a teacher who seems to be planning to seduce and/or rape a student. There is a link to a Tumblr blog in which the teacher posted about their plans.


    Concerned, I carefully deliberated over the contents of the post and the blog itself, and I must say that there are some very odd things about this case. At first glance, it seems to be cut and dry; this teacher has a serious mental health issue and has chosen to act it out, and was also incompetent enough to publicly brag about their plans. They will likely be quickly tracked by the police and arrested before they can do anything.


    And yet, something about the very specific way the post is worded doesn¡¯t add up to me. So I decided to dig a little deeper. I used some web tools to find out that the blog itself was created the very day of the post. There is no way of knowing if the email address associated with the blog was also created that day. And finally, it is very odd that Lilyana would have already discovered this blog after only existing for less than 48 hours before she sent me the message. I can¡¯t shake the feeling that there is more to this than meets the eye¡­ but, I need more proof to confirm my theory.


    On my own, I doubt there is much I can do to get such proof¡­ but, perhaps I can kill two birds with one stone, and use this opportunity to gain insight into a certain other mystery that has been nagging at me recently. A certain small group of students at my school seem to be a fan of a neo-pagan conspiracy tale about a group called ¡°The Thieves In The Night,¡± who would use supernatural means to bring out social reform. It seems as if this group of students believe that this group is real and that they can replicate its results. Of course, there is no evidence to suggest that they can, but nonetheless it will be interesting to find out how they react to learning about this pedophile teacher, and perhaps in their dedication to the cause they can discover if there is a deeper story to this. I plan to play a game with them to find out just this, and I will watch them closely to see what they do¡­ perhaps they will lead me to some more solid clues that prove my suspicions.

 Chapter 53: Not Who You Think (December 8 Part 1)

    <Anja>


    Yawn¡­ another boring day at school¡­ except this time it¡¯s NOT boring! Some demented predator could be around any corner¡­ I need to keep my eyes peeled. Trust nobody. Not even myself¡­


    Passing through the band hall, I run into Ashley. Because of course I do. Who else would be here first thing after the doors are unlocked, already getting into her locker?


    ¡°Hey there Ash!¡± I greet her cheerily. ¡°Library today?¡±


    ¡°Not today,¡± she answers dourly. ¡°I need to practice. Region band tryouts are tomorrow, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. That,¡± I say. Trumpets, trombones, and horns audition tomorrow. (Today is flute, alto sax and percussion.) I¡¯m signed up too, but I¡¯m not taking it that seriously: I mainly only did it so I could skip class. ¡°Welp, see you at lunch, then.¡±


    She nods, and then takes her French horn into one of the practice rooms. I make my way out of the ba- wait, what? Hold on a sec¡­


    While I¡¯m about to leave, I see something¡­ funny. Through the window to Mr. Castro¡¯s office, I see him in there with Mason, the blonde guy in my section. And they seem to be¡­ hugging?


    I freeze in place. No. No way¡­ Mr. Castro seems like such a great guy, he can¡¯t be¡­


    Wait, no, he actually can¡¯t be. The blogger said that he was targeting a girl, and that doesn¡¯t fit Mason¡¯s description at all. Still, it is weird for a teacher and a student to be hugging¡­ I wonder what that¡¯s all about?


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    I¡¯m the first to get to the library this morning. I feel very restless and fidgety¡­ I grab one of the pillows sitting on the armchair, cradle in my arms, and start compulsively squeezing the sides of it.


    I probably could do homework this morning, I think I have something due tomorrow, but I really can¡¯t focus right now¡­ I really want to talk to someone. I hope that someone other than Anja is the second to get here¡­


    I¡¯m in luck, because it¡¯s Zoe who gets here next. That¡¯s perfect, Zoe is usually pretty good to talk to about this stuff.


    ¡°Good morning, Nova!¡± she greets me pleasantly, sitting in a chair across from me. ¡°Are you alright this morning? You¡¯re breathing really heavily.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± I reply awkwardly. ¡°I was wondering if¡­ we could¡­ um, if you¡­ Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Yes, of course,¡± she agrees, peering at me curiously.


    I look around¡­ nobody else is nearby, except for that one chubby Latina girl who¡¯s always here, and she¡¯s always so busy reading or something she can¡¯t hear us. ¡°I, uh, it¡¯s about Anja. Do you think that she likes me?¡± I say very quickly.


    ¡°Oh, of course she likes you!¡± Zoe answers. ¡°I mean, you too always have so much fun together!¡±


    ¡°No, I mean like, do you think¡­ she¡¯d want me as her boyfriend?¡± I clarify.


    Realization comes across Zoe¡¯s face, and she starts giggling, which I really wish she wouldn¡¯t since I¡¯m already embarrassed enough. ¡°Oh, I see¡­ awwh, have you got a crush on her?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yes,¡± I say in a very small voice. ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡±


    ¡°But you should ask her out!¡± Zoe urges me excitedly. ¡°I think you two would make for such a great couple!¡±


    ¡°You do? Really?¡± I ask, feeling a wave of happiness from her approval. ¡°I mean, Anja is just so cool¡­ she makes me smile so much, and¡­ oh yeah, for me, wearing glasses is a huge turn on¡­ I don¡¯t know why people think they look ugly¡­ she¡¯s confident, she¡¯s sweet, she¡¯s cute, she¡¯s a gamer, she¡¯s¡­ perfect, and I feel so good when I think about¡­¡± I stop, suddenly realizing how much I was rambling and feeling embarrassed. ¡°So, uh, yeah, I guess I have a crush on her.¡±


    Zoe is giving me that sorta lovey-dovey look. ¡°Wow, that is so adorable¡­ you need to tell her how you feel!¡± she reiterates.


    ¡°I mean, yeah, but¡­ will she say yes?¡± I question, feeling really nervous. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s like my best friend, so if she doesn¡¯t¡­ things could get messed up between us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I understand¡­ that¡¯s how I felt before telling Ashley, too,¡± Zoe comments. ¡°Except that was way worse because I was also afraid she¡¯d hate that I am a lesbian¡­ clearly I was wrong, but that was a really nerve wracking thing to tell her!¡±


    ¡°Oh, true,¡± I say, ¡°It must have been way worse for you¡­ but yeah, like, how do I know if she likes me or not?¡± I question. ¡°There was one time, when we were fighting that manticore, she gave me a kiss on the cheek¡­ that means she likes me, right? But then¡­ if she does like me, why hasn¡¯t she said anything yet?¡±


    Zoe looks thoughtful. ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, usually girls don¡¯t like to tell guys they like them¡­ they want the guy to come to them first. It¡¯s what¡¯s traditional.¡±


    ¡°But Anja and I are both bisexual!¡± I argue. ¡°Why would that matter? If this were some alternate timeline where I was a girl, what would she do then? Would both of us just never say it?¡±


    ¡°I doubt that it¡¯s something she¡¯s consciously thinking about like that,¡± Zoe reasons. ¡°And it¡¯s possible she¡¯s not really sure if she likes you yet¡­ that kiss could¡¯ve just been a way of testing it out and seeing what you did.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s not sure?!¡± I question furiously. ¡°Is it really that hard to figure out?¡±


    ¡°Girls can have pretty complicated emotions,¡± Zoe explains solemnly. ¡°Me realizing that I was in love with Ashley confused me six ways from Sunday¡­¡±


    ¡°Man, fuck girls,¡± I joke. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll just go date¡­ uh¡­ fuck, there aren¡¯t any gay guys at this school!¡±


    ¡°Well, there might be one or two we don¡¯t know about,¡± Zoe speculates. ¡°I mean, between Ashley, me, Anja¡­and Anja also has an ex somewhere¡­ that¡¯s four gay girls, right? And at the middle school, my brother found out that boy he likes is gay¡­ they¡¯re going to see each other this weekend, actually!¡±


    ¡°Guess it makes sense that the few gay people in town all end up knowing each other,¡± I comment. ¡°Well, anyway¡­ thanks for talking to me about this. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s off my chest¡­ it¡¯s been driving me crazy all morning. I had this really nice dream about her, and I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Zoe asks, curious. ¡°What happened in your dream?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s not important,¡± I dismiss, blushing. I see Anja coming into the library. ¡°Shh¡­ she¡¯s here,¡± I whisper to Zoe in warning. ¡°No more about the crush thing.¡±


    ¡°Hey guys, how¡¯s it going?¡± Anja greets, plopping into the seat next to me. ¡°I can¡¯t stop worrying about that Tumblr thing¡­ make sure you all keep your eyes peeled for any teachers acting suspiciously. Especially one of the coaches!¡±


    From there, we get into a regular conversation, which for some reason is about food categories today¡­ however, a few minutes into it, I get a vibration in my pocket, and see that Zoe messaged me with ¡°Ask her out!¡± I shake my head at her¡­ I¡¯m too nervous to do it today¡­ but yeah, I guess I need to do that soon¡­


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Etude two, measures twenty-three and twenty-four¡­ I run this passage a few times, focusing on air support to make the high notes pop out effortlessly. I also need to check the tuning on that last long note¡­


    Oh, oops. Right as I played that last note, someone in another room played a note a half step away. I wasn¡¯t really able to check the pitch. Bad luck. I¡¯ll just play it again.


    ¡­The same thing happened a second time. Unusual¡­ let me try it again.


    Okay, what the fuck. Someone played the entire passage I was playing a half step away! This is clearly purposeful. I set down my horn and charge out of my room. I look through the windows into the other rooms¡­ Yep, I knew it. Mason.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I throw the door open, and he just sits there smirking at me, his trombone leaning against his shoulder. ¡°Madame, please! I already paid my taxes!¡± he begs in a mocking voice. ¡°Oh why must you interrupt my critical practice session to extort me even more?¡±


    ¡°Shut your god damn mouth. I¡¯m not stupid, I noticed what you were doing,¡± I tell him bluntly. ¡°Any more of this and that trombone is going somewhere you won¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°Damn, epic Ashley moment. You sure showed me,¡± he mocks. ¡°Please madame, you don¡¯t understand how important it is that I learn the second horn etude a half step away!¡±


    ¡°Oh, can it, will you?¡± I growl at him. ¡°Mason, tell me this. What is the point of this? All of this? It¡¯s just childish at this point.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of you acting like a massive bitch all the time?¡± Mason challenges me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve caught onto this little fact, but I¡¯ve been going through a lot of shit this year! I really don¡¯t fucking need you continuing to agitate me on top of all of the anti-gay bullshit.¡±


    Mason sighs, and his expression softens. ¡°Right. Yeah, I know,¡± he admits. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I blink, surprised. ¡°Huh. Wasn¡¯t expecting you to actually back off.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about you being into girls and stuff,¡± he explains. ¡°But you really need to learn that whatever stuff you¡¯re going through in your life, it¡¯s not an excuse to be completely unlikeable.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion. In fact, I never once have,¡± I deflect. ¡°I¡¯m going to go back to practicing. How about you do the same?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I think I¡¯m done for today,¡± he says cockily, taking his instrument apart. ¡°I think I got this.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I reply, shaking my head. I go back to my session, and try to forget about the irritation I feel from that exchange¡­


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    Hey, everyone. My name¡¯s Kevin. As part of track & field, I have to get to school early in the morning and do some laps around the school. Most kids wouldn¡¯t want to get up early, but I like it. Really gives you a chance to enjoy the cool air, and just spend some time in God¡¯s wilderness. (And by that, I meant that there are a few trees planted around the school which I run past.) I live for the simple things in life. Of course, recently the air has been a little too cool for some people- now that it¡¯s November, it can get all the way down to the 50s in the morning. [Note for international readers: 50¡ãF is about 10¡ãC.] Maybe it¡¯ll even snow this year¡­ haha, just kidding. It never snows in Texas. [Author¡¯s note: I SWEAR that I wrote this before the severe cold snap that happened in Texas in early 2021. I didn¡¯t intend that as a joke, but I guess it is now.]


    After our morning jog, we have a little while to take a shower and change in school clothes before school starts. This part of my day is always a bit¡­ weird, because of some of the conversations that can happen in the locker rooms. Guys act a lot differently when they¡¯re in a group of only other guys¡­


    They are having a pretty, uh, upfront discussion of different girls in the school and the sizes of their breasts. I don¡¯t really see what the point is, so I try and just tune it out¡­ that is, until I hear a familiar name get brought up.


    ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s Ashley Davis. I think hers have to be at least D-size¡­ not bad for a girl who¡¯s pretty thin,¡± one of them is saying.


    ¡°Wait, hold on, huh?¡± I awkwardly interject into the conversation. ¡°You guys are talking about Ashley?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s right¡­ you like her, don¡¯t you, Kevin?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ kind of?¡± I answer, unsure of what the right thing to say is.


    ¡°Well yeah, she went lesbian, didn¡¯t she?¡± a different boy chimes in. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s alright Kevin. She¡¯s a bitch anyway.¡±


    ¡°What would you say if I told you¡­ that I asked her to Homecoming?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Haha, sucker... I bet that was a rude awakening,¡± the second boy replies.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it was,¡± I reply. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. She¡¯s in my English class, and I usually work on group projects with her and her girl. Ashley¡¯s smart, so she pretty much does all the work.¡±


    ¡°Oh nice, you¡¯re getting favors,¡± the first boy says.


    ¡°Uh¡­ not exactly,¡± I correct, starting to get annoyed.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a lesbo, remember? You¡¯re such an idiot! How did you already forget that?¡± the second boy shouts at him. ¡°Anyways, even her breasts are small compared to this black girl who¡¯s a senior, what¡¯s her name¡­¡±


    I start tuning them out again, and before long I¡¯m done showering, so I get out and start drying off. As I¡¯m leaving, one of them is talking about this weird lesbian porno he watched. I miss some of it, but apparently it involves a cheerleading team and several bottles of cake icing. While I¡¯m walking out though, I pass by Coach Everheart, who coaches our track team.


    ¡°Good morning Kevin!¡± he greets somewhat awkwardly. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m doing fine,¡± I tell him. He walks into the lockers, and I notice that the talking about the lesbian porn suddenly ends now that there¡¯s a teacher around¡­ I set off for my first class.


    I¡¯m sure you noticed this, but those other guys are very rude and annoying. I don¡¯t like to spend more time around them than I can help. I swear, the dirty talk with them just never ends. As much as I do enjoy women, I prefer to do so¡­ privately. Those guys always have to make everything weird. They never even talk about the people that the girls are, which I think is far more interesting. It¡¯s always just about their looks. Those dumbasses would date some legitimately mean lady just because she¡¯s hot.


    Well, I guess I¡¯m not that much better. The truth is, whatever I said to the other guys, Ashley kind of scares me. The confidence that she has is very attractive, but¡­ well, when I asked her to the dance, she was¡­ very harsh with her rejection of me. I always feel like if I slip up while talking to her, I¡¯m gonna get chewed out for it¡­


    Anyways, I¡¯m rambling. I¡¯m about halfway down the hallway, when I run into a guy who¡¯s actually cool to talk to; Mason Wallace. He¡¯s walking together with Diana Coleman, who he started dating a while back.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up Kevin?¡± he greets me. We give each other a firm handshake.


    ¡°Oh, just got done with morning track practice,¡± I explain. I notice that he has a subtle red ring on his face, which band people sometimes get from playing their instruments. ¡°Are you ready for that audition, or whatever?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m gonna kick ass tomorrow,¡± he asserts confidently. ¡°I¡¯ll be the only freshman trombone to make it, mark my words.¡±


    Diana shakes her head and rolls her eyes at him, but she¡¯s smiling. ¡°You¡¯re a lot more confident than I am, Mason¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, Diana,¡± Mason says, jolting like he just remembered something. ¡°We need to warn Kevin about that thing.¡±


    ¡°Uh oh,¡± I comment. ¡°What thing?¡±


    ¡°Someone showed me this¡­ horrible blog post,¡± Diana explains. ¡°One of the teachers here is writing about a student¡­ we think that he wants to-¡± she mouths the word ¡®molest-¡¯ ¡°her!¡±


    My eyes widen in shock. ¡°Dear God¡­ that¡¯s horrible!¡± is all I can say.


    ¡°And we have no idea who it is, either!¡± Mason elaborates. ¡°But¡­ it says on the post that the guy was a sports star in high school. Maybe it¡¯s one of the coaches?¡±


    One of the coaches¡­? My heart sinks at the thought. ¡°Man, I really hope not.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always a coach in these stories, though!¡± Diana insists. ¡°You see it all the time in the news¡­¡±


    ¡°I just hope whoever it is, he gets caught quickly!¡± Mason comments, shuddering. ¡°Anyways, bell¡¯s about to ring. Wanna walk to class together?¡± he asks Diana with a grin.


    ¡°You go ahead. I have to go to the lady¡¯s room first,¡± she replies.


    ¡°Alright, fair enough. See you around, Kevin,¡± he tells me.


    ¡°Later,¡± I respond. I have English first, so I head in the direction of my class. One of the coaches here is a creep? That is very disturbing to think about¡­ I want to go tell Ruth about it, but she¡¯s probably setting up for orchestra right now, so I¡¯ll have to catch her during lunch. What a major bummer¡­


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Class is starting pretty soon, so I finish off my session and pack up my horn. I feel pretty good about my etudes. I think tonight I will try and smooth out some fingerings on the second half of the third etude. However, I should keep it pretty short so I¡¯m not too tired for tomorrow.


    But then, I see something very peculiar. There is a note in my locker¡­ curious, I slide it out and unfold the paper. It reads, ¡°the pedophile is not who you think,¡± in very neat handwriting.


    I frown. That¡¯s it? The pedophile is not who I think? Who wrote this? There is no signature or anything to indicate who put this here. I glance around the band hall to see if anyone is looking at me or acting suspicious, but I don¡¯t see anything unusual.


    Well, I can rule out this note being from any of my friends. If one of them wanted to say this to me, they could simply say it. Also, I know this handwriting doesn¡¯t belong to any of them. Zoe¡¯s is very fancy and loopy, Anja¡¯s is chicken scratch, and Nova constantly writes in half-cursive.


    So, it sounds like there is someone else who is aware of this threat. And not only that, they are somehow aware that I am aware. The implications of this are very interesting, to say the least.


    I ponder who it could possibly be while I use the restroom before class. The only other person we know is aware of the threat is Anja¡¯s cousin Lily. And it can¡¯t reasonably be her, as she should be in New Braunfels right now. Whoever it was has access to the band hall, so it¡¯s likely that it was a fellow band student, or at least someone who would be in the fine arts part of the building.


    Or maybe it was Mr. Castro. Being a member of the staff, he could know something about one of the other teachers and wanted to subtly warn me about it. He has always been kind to me in the past, after all. But why only tell me? Once again, whoever this is has to be aware that I am actively planning to address the problem¡­ this brings me back in a big circle, and I begin to get frustrated.


    While I am washing my hands, I see Diana walk in behind me in the mirror. She smiles at me and greets, ¡°Hello, Ashley!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re here to take more videos, you¡¯re too late,¡± I retort. ¡°I already finished peeing.¡±


    ¡°Wha- oh no, I¡­¡± Diana looks really distressed at this, which is not the reaction I was hoping for. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just¡­ leave¡­ sorry¡­¡± she awkwardly backs out of the bathroom.


    I immediately feel very conflicted. When I thought of that remark, I imagined that she had been coming in here to heckle me and she was going to act indignant¡­ but what was she actually going to tell me? I feel a bit guilty as I leave for my English class. Was that uncalled for? I got so used to being defensive that I guess I¡¯ve started doing it automatically. Not to mention I haven¡¯t forgotten how she was the one who outed Zoe and I¡­ Still, something about the look on her face sticks in my mind. I arrive at my class feeling uncertain.

 Chapter 54: Here To Help (December 8 Part 2)

    <Kevin>


    I get to class and take my seat. A couple of minutes after I arrive, I see Ashley and Zoe walk into the room, talking about something. I feel like I need to scrub my mind after hearing that disturbing information, so I make some small talk.


    ¡°Hey guys, what¡¯s up?¡± I ask as they take their seats near me.


    ¡°Hi Kevin,¡± Zoe greets, giggling about something. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you this¡­ what exactly is cereal?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ part of this balanced breakfast?¡±


    ¡°She means categorically,¡± Ashley clarifies. ¡°Like, would you classify it as a soup, or a salad?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, it¡¯d have to be a soup, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡± Zoe insists.


    ¡°Yeah, unless you classify the milk as a condiment,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°In a soup, the broth itself is usually considered the most essential component.¡±


    ¡°Okay class, let¡¯s get started for today,¡± Ms. Truman calls out. The talking in the room subsides.


    Zoe has seemed a lot happier recently, which is really good to see. Earlier this school year, something weird happened with her family, and she actually had to move in with Ashley¡¯s. There was a big controversy around it, according to my dad. (My dad¡¯s a cop, so he¡¯s usually in the know about the community drama.) For a while, she was sad, or brooding, or just tired whenever I saw her. But that was over two months ago now, and she seems like she¡¯s been doing better. That¡¯s good. If life gets you down, you have no choice but to keep on moving. It¡¯s a personal philosophy of mine.


    After class is over, I¡¯m the last one to leave because I¡¯m slow at putting my stuff up. Unexpectedly, Ms. Truman starts talking to me as I¡¯m about to head out the door.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Kevin?¡± she asks me kindly. ¡°You seem quite worried about something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± I briefly explain what Mason and Diana told me about earlier.


    ¡°Yes, I was aware of the situation. All teachers were notified about it this morning,¡± she explains.


    ¡°Oh really? So the school already knows about it?¡± I say. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling about all of this?¡± she questions in a soft voice. ¡°Are you afraid? Worried?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not worried for myself, obviously,¡± I answer. ¡°But¡­ my friends think that this blog person is probably one of the coaches. And I know most of them since I do athletics. It¡­ really bothers me when some guys just treat women like shit. I thought that they were better people than that.¡±


    She smiles widely at me. ¡°Oh Kevin, you¡¯re a treasure of a man¡­ and sadly, your friends are probably right. There¡¯s currently an investigation happening in the athletics department¡­ oops. You didn¡¯t hear that from me, okay?¡±


    My heart plummets. So it really is true. ¡°That¡¯s really depressing,¡± I lament. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to be able to show up for track tomorrow, not knowing which one of them said those sick things.¡±


    ¡°I understand that totally,¡± she says sympathetically. ¡°I want you to know that I take the safety of my students very seriously. If you ever feel scared, and you need to talk to someone, I¡¯m here. And if you see anything suspicious, you can talk to me about that too. I¡¯m here to help.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. That means a lot to me,¡± I tell her genuinely. ¡°But don¡¯t worry too much. My dad is a police officer, and he says that they can track anything someone does on the internet. They¡¯ll catch the guy in no time.


    Ms. Truman grins widely. ¡°That is great to hear, Kevin. Well, get along to your next class now.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. See ya.¡± I do just that. I feel slightly better after the conversation. It feels good to know that the district is aware of the problem, and they¡¯re already working on it. There are people on our side trying to help¡­ I just need to remember that.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Another lunch, another political debate between Ashley and Anja. This time, it is about¡­ uh¡­


    ¡°Ashley, when FDR signed the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, he said that ¡®no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country.¡¯ That¡¯s a direct quote,¡± Anja explains triumphantly.


    ¡°Okay Anja, that¡¯s great,¡± Ashley retorts. ¡°That doesn¡¯t absolve you from considering the side effects. To pay for the higher wages, companies must raise the prices of their products, and since the minimum wage earners will need to use their higher income to purchase the more expensive products, they are effectively back to square one. And those are for the ones who are lucky enough to not get laid off or have other benefits cut.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t be back to square one!¡± Anja counters. ¡°It won¡¯t effect the prices of rent and utilities, which are the largest drains on the working class¡¯s income, so it¡¯s a total net positive. And some businesses will probably just bite the bullet anyway; they were just gonna use the extra money to give the CEO an increased salary! That¡¯s how the big wigs are nowadays, nobody wants to invest in their own companies!¡±


    It carries on in that vein. Bored by the long and complicated argument, my eyes start wandering around the room. I happen to make eye contact with Yonca, so I wave at her. She waves back cheerily, and then walks over and sits at our table.


    ¡°H-hi guys!¡± Yonca greets shyly. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello there,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Just giving Anja an economics lesson.¡±


    ¡°And by that, she means being a filthy bootlicker!¡± Anja counters. ¡°Anyways, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ a little bird told me something interesting today!¡± Yonca explains. ¡°There¡¯s another girl in this school who seems to be Ashley¡¯s secret admirer¡­¡±


    ¡°What? There is?¡± I ask, feeling jealous. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is¡­ it¡¯s been kept a secret,¡± Yonca explains. ¡°But I hear she¡¯s very smart¡­ she probably wants someone who can keep up with her intellectually.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nice, but I¡¯m devoted to Zoe,¡± Ashley states bluntly, making me feel a little giddy despite myself. ¡°There¡¯s not really any point in telling me that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wanted you to know why you¡¯re getting love letters, at least!¡± Yonca explains.


    ¡°Love letters?¡± Ashley asks, frowning. ¡°I certainly have not gotten any of those. But I will be on the lookout now, I guess.¡±


    ¡°If you find out who it is, tell her that Ashley is all mine!¡± I tell Yonca proudly.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Wow, so you two are really dedicated to each other, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yonca asks curiously. ¡°Before Zoe came out, I really didn¡¯t know anyone who was¡­ like you guys. But my parents always told me that gays don¡¯t settle down into relationships¡­ they just meet for one night of sex, and then never see each other again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that is rather common,¡± Anja explains, ¡°Or rather, it was before being gay started to be more accepted.¡±


    ¡°Being ostracized by society by something that¡¯s not really your fault, or else living a lie to yourself and the world¡­ it takes a great mental toll on you,¡± Ashley says. ¡°So many gays and lesbians turned to drugs and casual sex to self-medicate. They basically had no other choice, unfortunately. Now that we¡¯re entering an age of more knowledge about people¡¯s sexual differences, I plan to join many others in breaking this cycle.¡±


    ¡°So do you think you guys might be married someday?¡± Yonca presses excitedly. ¡°You know¡­ if it¡¯s ever legal here?¡±


    ¡°It is far too early to commit to something like that,¡± Ashley responds. She meets my eyes. ¡°But¡­ I would certainly like to someday.¡±


    I smile widely at her. The thought of living out my life with her fills me with so much happiness¡­


    ¡°That is so sweet,¡± Yonca replies cheerily. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you two¡­¡±


    ¡°Yonca, you¡¯re from Turkey, aren¡¯t you?¡± Anja questions. ¡°It¡¯s really cool how accepting you are of them now. Gay people are treated really brutally in the Islamic world.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± Yonca agrees, frowning. ¡°But Turkey is better than most on that, actually. There the government is mostly neutral about gay people, but in countries like Saudi Arabian and Iran, they can be locked in jail or even executed¡­ it is horrible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. You know, I really wouldn¡¯t mind getting to learn more about your culture,¡± Anja presses her. ¡°I think Americans are way too self-centered, we should all try harder to learn about people in other parts of the world.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was so young back then that I hardly remember anything about it,¡± Yonca explains, scratching her head. ¡°All I know is what I learn from family¡­ my childhood memories probably aren¡¯t too different from yours. I watched Disney movies and SpongeBob¡­ heard Britney Spears on the radio¡­ read the Harry Potter books¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you read Harry Potter, did you?¡± Anja asks, looking suddenly more alert. ¡°Out of curiosity, who was your favorite character? I always loved Luna, she is just so¡­¡±


    Amazingly, the two carried on talking about Harry Potter and other things they did as kids for the rest of the lunch period. I don¡¯t mind because it¡¯s nicer to listen to than the economy stuff from before. I don¡¯t say much, however, since I start daydreaming about what it would be like to be married to Ashley. I imagine having our own little house, with all our things¡­ our many musical instruments probably all in a spare room¡­ we¡¯d have several pets, and maybe even adopted children¡­ I imagine myself making dinner at night to greet Ashley with it when she comes home from work¡­ I imagine us tucking ourselves into the same bed each night, with Ashley giving me a good night kiss before we fall asleep together peacefully¡­ I get so lost in these thoughts that the rest of lunch flies by, and before I know it, the bell rings and I have to leave for geography.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    After lunch is speech. It¡¯s taught by Mrs. Harding, this middle-aged lady with curly black hair who talks in a southern accent.


    After taking attendance, she greets us in a false cheery voice with ¡°Hello class! It¡¯s so wonderful to see all of your beautiful faces today! We¡¯re going to do a fun little project, all of you get into groups of four, and then¡­¡±


    Groups of four? Really? Man, if only Anja, Zoe and Ashley were in this class. Then we¡¯d be a perfect group. But then I¡¯d be with Anja again, and then Zoe would probably tease me more about having a crush on her¡­ Oh god, I need to do this quick, I know she¡¯s not gonna let me live it down until I do. Hmm, I wonder what it¡¯ll be like when I tell her? Ideally, we¡¯d be alone at the time¡­ maybe at my apartment again. There¡¯ll be one day where Dad and Kat aren¡¯t around, and we¡¯re sitting on the couch. Then, I beat her in a match, and she turns to me and gives me this seductive look and says, ¡°Wow, Nova! You¡¯re so good at this game! Oh, I need to give you a reward¡­¡± she reaches over and grabs me and kisses me full on the lips. Her pupils form into heart shapes like the characters in an anime sometimes get as she looks deeply into my eyes with longing¡­ then, she stops the kiss, and says, ¡°Oh, Nova¡­ can you beat me in a few more matches? I wanna reward you with so much more¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay babe,¡± I tell her, my voice deeper and sexier than usual. ¡°We can take a break from the games¡­ games are only the second love of my life, next to you ¡­¡± And then we go back to passionately making out, and we put our hands on each other¡¯s waists, and this one future funk song starts playing, and¡­


    ¡°Nova, do you have your group yet?¡± Mrs. Harding asks me, interrupting my fantasy.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I say stupidly, feeling really confused. ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    Wait, shit! I missed literally everything she said about what we were actually doing! God damn it, why do I always do this? Also, I was  supposed  to be thinking about me telling Anja I like her, and I didn¡¯t even do that! I fail!


    ¡°We still need two more in our group, Mrs. Harding!¡± a girl¡¯s voice says. ¡°He can join us!¡±


    I look over my shoulder at who said that¡­ oh, fuck my life, it was Diana, who¡¯s with that homophobic cunt Terra. I don¡¯t wanna work with them!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go join them? It looks like there aren¡¯t any other open groups,¡± Mrs. Harding tells me. ¡°Oh, Maurice, do you still need a group? Why don¡¯t you be the fourth person.¡±


    Sigh. Well, I guess I have no choice, then. I grab my backpack and go fucking sit with Terra and Diana. And then the fourth person is this really tall black girl with a pink frilly outfit who always sits in the back of the class.


    ¡°Wait, are you Maurice?¡± I ask, confused.


    She nods at me.


    ¡°What the fuck? I thought that was a guy¡¯s name,¡± I question. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a girl?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ you can call me Charlotte,¡± she replies quietly. Her voice is kinda deep for a girl.


    ¡°Diana, please don¡¯t just invite people to our table without asking me first,¡± Terra complains. ¡°Now we have to work with this¡­ thing.¡±


    ¡°Bitch you talking about me?¡± I challenge. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking fight you.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t seriously hit a girl, would you?¡± Terra responds, flipping her hair dramatically.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck. I¡¯ll knock you straight in the jaw.¡±


    ¡°Guys, please¡­ no knocking each other!¡± Diana interjects, looking panicked. ¡°Let¡¯s just work on the assignment¡­ let¡¯s see, were any of you paying attention to what she said?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I assert confidently. ¡°What about you, Chocolate? Er, I mean, Charlotte?¡±


    Charlotte gives me a sad look. ¡°You know¡­ she wasn¡¯t talking about you. She meant me. It¡¯s okay, I get it. I¡¯ll just sit here and do nothing, and you can pretend I don¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°I have a better idea,¡± I respond. ¡°Let¡¯s pretend  she -¡± I point at Terra- ¡°doesn¡¯t exist, since she¡¯s the one acting like a hoe.¡±


    ¡°NOVA MOSELY!¡± Mrs. Harding shouts. ¡°IF I HEAR ONE MORE SWEAR WORD FROM YOUR MOUTH, I¡¯M GONNA WASH IT OUT WITH SOAP!¡±


    ¡°Oh shit¡­ sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± I respond sheepishly.


    There¡¯s an awkward silence at the table. Diana just looks between the three of us really quickly, still on the verge of panicking.


    Terra lets out a long, dramatic sigh. ¡°Well, thanks for that, retard,¡± she jabs, looking at me. ¡°Now I¡¯m even more embarrassed. As if having to sit with a tranny wasn¡¯t bad enough.¡±


    Wait¡­ okay, I think I get it now. Charlotte is trans. That explains a lot.


    ¡°Well, sucks to be you,¡± I jab right back at her, not having even the tiniest amount of sympathy for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my problem some people don¡¯t know the difference between man and woman anymore,¡± Terra sneers.


    Charlotte rolls her eyes. ¡°I  do  know the difference. That¡¯s how I know I¡¯m a girl,¡± she contests.


    I snicker at Terra. ¡°You sound like a 4chan incel,¡± I tell her. Wait a second, can girls technically be incels???


    ¡°I have no idea what you just said, and I don¡¯t care,¡± Terra responds.


    ¡°Guys¡­ please¡­¡± Diana presses, leaning over the table with pleading in her eyes. ¡°Can we just¡­ do the assignment?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just leave for region early,¡± Terra suggests. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like waiting until halfway through class.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, you guys audition today, don¡¯t you?¡± I say. ¡°Yeah, maybe that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Terra doesn¡¯t need to be told twice and stands up with her backpack. ¡°Come on, Diana. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Diana hasn¡¯t moved yet, and slowly turns her gaze up to Terra, her face red. ¡°Terra, you¡¯re really embarrassing to be friends with sometimes, you know that?¡±


    Oh shit. Terra looks highly offended and replies, ¡°Oh really? Where is this coming from?¡±


    Diana stands up and grabs her backpack angrily. ¡°You don¡¯t even know anything about someone, and you have to put them down like that!¡±


    They both start stomping towards the door while Terra responds, ¡°Like I¡¯d want to learn about a person like that.¡±


    ¡°But you see? You¡¯re so ignorant!¡± Diana chides as they walk out the door. ¡°If you don¡¯t know about any of that stuff, you shouldn¡¯t say anything! It makes you look¡­¡± their voices trail away as they walk down the hall. The room is quieter for a while, as the other students gawk at the arguing girls.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to work with them anyway, so that works out just fine,¡± I say to Charlotte. ¡°The only problem now is, uh¡­ I have no idea what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    Charlotte smiles at me. ¡°That¡¯s okay, I can do it. I¡¯m really good at drawing, so it¡¯ll be easy for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweet! Thanks,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Thank you for sticking up for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was not my first encounter with those¡­ uh, mean girls,¡± I say, glancing at Mrs. Harding over my shoulder.


    The rest of the period goes pretty well. Charlotte was right, she¡¯s good at drawing. We talk about some random stuff while she draws. I learn that she met Ashley once while they were in detention. I guess what I said to Zoe earlier applies to trans people too.

 Chapter 55: Truth Is Elusive (December 9 Part 1)

    <Kevin>


    I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯m not going to track this morning. I just¡­ don¡¯t have a good feeling about it. And I feel a little sick to my stomach, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to enjoy it. But I don¡¯t want to look like a slacker, so I get to school early anyway and go by the gym to tell Coach Everheart I won¡¯t be there.


    They are about to get started when I get there, but a few boys are dawdling to chat with the coach. As usual, they only have girls (more specifically their appearances) on their mind, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen them actually bother a teacher about it.


    ¡°What kinda girls are you into, coach? I¡¯m curious now,¡± one of them is asking.


    ¡°I¡¯m not into girls, Devon. Only women,¡± Coach Everheart replies.


    ¡°What kinda women, then?¡± a different boy asks.


    ¡°Well, if I¡¯m honest, I was always interested in dating an Asian woman.¡±


    ¡°Whoah, I didn¡¯t expect you to say that? What for?¡± the first boy presses.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because you don¡¯t see them around here too much,¡± he answers.


    I walked up to them and say, ¡°If you¡¯d like to meet someone Asian, you¡¯re better off going to the west coast,¡± I explain. ¡°My family went on a vacation to California once, and I noticed they are a much greater percentage of the population over there.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Coach Everheart acknowledges. ¡°What parts of California did you go to, Kevin?¡±


    ¡°We mostly spent time near the Yosemite National Park,¡± I say. ¡°But we also toured the surrounding area a bit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go there,¡± he replies, as the other boys who were talking to him earlier leave and get started outside. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s a great place to go on vacation.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, I guess,¡± I say uncomfortably. ¡°Oh yeah, Coach¡­ I¡¯m not feeling up to practice today. Feeling sick¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, well that is okay, Kevin. You have been very good about showing up on time, so I trust you. Take the morning off,¡± he tells me kindly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, surprised at how smoothly that went. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, then¡­¡±


    I wander away from the gym, feeling relieved. The problem is, now there¡¯s still quite a while before class starts and I¡¯m not sure what to do¡­


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Zoe and I arrive at the library to find it oddly empty. While the room is never fully packed, there is nobody here today other than Anja and Nova in our usual back corner, and the librarian at the front desk who is sorting things in her office. It strikes me that these are the perfect settings to discuss something of a more secretive nature.


    ¡°Hey, not practicing this morning?¡± Anja questions me as we arrive at the table. ¡°I was sure you¡¯d be holed up in here, with this being region day!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I am  not  practicing,¡± I tell Anja matter-of-factly. ¡°I don¡¯t want my face muscles to already be tired out when we arrive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad that I don¡¯t have to do it twice like you guys do,¡± Zoe laments as she takes her seat. ¡°I¡¯m so nervous about this¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, if I do well enough, I will be there with you on Saturday,¡± I assure her. ¡°And frankly I¡¯m pretty confident I will get at least that far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident I won¡¯t,¡± Anja jokes. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to do any bullshit on a Saturday, so I¡¯m fine with that.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna try and audition next year,¡± Nova interjects. ¡°It feels kinda bad that you are all going without me.¡±


    ¡°Just try and take it seriously if you do,¡± I advise him. ¡°Don¡¯t be like Anja and go just to skip class.¡± Anja makes an odd gesture at me, consisting of pulling down one of her eyelids and sticking out her tongue. I ignore her.


    ¡°I feel like I still don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Zoe complains nervously with her hands on her cheeks. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t disappoint Mr. Castro.¡±


    Anja starts picking her teeth, thinking. ¡°Oh, there was something I was going to tell you guys about¡­ yes! I remember!¡± She looks up seriously. ¡°Yesterday morning, I saw Mr. Castro in his office hugging another student¡­ specifically Mason.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I comment. ¡°That¡¯s very unusual.¡±


    ¡°Right? With all this stuff about the predator at the school, it kinda makes me uneasy¡­¡±


    For a moment, this just hangs over the air. I¡¯m sure we are all contemplating the same disturbing idea.


    ¡°Ashley, do you remember when we saw him in the park?¡± Zoe asks timidly. ¡°That was so weird¡­ why was he out there that late?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, Zoe,¡± I respond thoughtfully. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t think we can use that as a point in favor of him being the culprit.¡±


    ¡°Are you  sure ?¡± Nova questions. ¡°That is pretty suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but think of the implications,¡± I argue. ¡°Assume that he is the culprit. He goes to a park at night, for some unexplained reason, and found Zoe and I. From his perspective, we were two young teenage girls who were alone in the middle of nowhere and seemingly defenseless. And to boot, we were girls who already had a certain level of trust in him. Of course, I could have whisked us into the Metaverse to escape at any time in reality, but he had no way of knowing that. Disregarding that, this is a pedophile¡¯s dream scenario. Why, then, would he simply tell us to go home?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because¡­ he already knew us, so he¡¯d feel bad about doing it to us?¡± Zoe suggests.


    ¡°Eh, Ashley¡¯s got a point, actually,¡± Anja counters. ¡°That¡¯s not how abusers usually work, Zoe. Contrary to what you¡¯d expect from all the stranger danger PSAs we grew up with, it¡¯s most common for the perpetrators of child sexual abuse to have a close relationship with the victim, usually family members and family friends, or someone like a pastor or teacher.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agree. ¡°If anything, Zoe and I¡¯s relation to him made us  more  at risk, since he¡¯d see us as easier to groom. But once again, he showed absolutely nothing but concern. There¡¯s no way he can be our blogger.¡±


    ¡°Still, why the hell was he out there so late then?¡± Nova questions. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. It¡¯s like he has a secret life none of us know about.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it really is like that,¡± Anja agrees. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s him, I just thought I should bring it up, since we¡¯re supposed to be on the lookout for that stuff.¡±


    ¡°Has anyone else noticed anything suspicious?¡± I ask the group at large. ¡°We still don¡¯t have any hard clues other than the contents of the original blog post, and I¡¯d like to be in a position to go storm the palace as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Nova cuts in. ¡°I have this one teacher, Mrs. Harding¡­ every day she always says this annoying shit about how she loves seeing our beautiful faces¡­¡±


    Zoe giggles. ¡°Nova, I don¡¯t think that counts as suspicious¡­ that¡¯s just a thing old ladies say.¡±


    ¡°I think we might just have to go in there regardless,¡± Anja suggests seriously. ¡°I know we¡¯re supposed to know who it is first, but I feel really uneasy letting this person run amok. There has to be something we can do in the Metaverse already.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can at least go there to get information about the person,¡± Nova comments. ¡°When you two went into the palace before, you said it was like a jungle, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was,¡± I confirm. ¡°And I will think about it. I do agree that this situation is making me¡­ restless. Keep an eye on the group chat, I may want to have us go in tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to go in there without Ted, so if we do this I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Zoe suddenly makes eye contact and lifts a finger to her lips, so I stop talking. I hear footsteps behind me, and then someone comes to our table. I recognize her as the older girl who usually sits at a table near us.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­ I believe I left my phone somewhere around here earlier. Has anyone seen it?¡± she asks. This is the first time I¡¯ve heard her voice, which is an alto tone said in a dull manner, like how most of our teachers would talk during a lecture.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, but we can look around,¡± Zoe offers, checking around the base of her chair. For some reason Anja looks very uncomfortable and is intently looking away from everyone else.


    ¡°Oh, is this it?¡± Nova asks, pulling up a phone that has a sturdy looking case around it.


    ¡°Yes it is, thank you very much,¡± the girl replies, giving him an appreciative nod. She takes her phone from him, presses a few buttons on it, and then slides it into her pocket. And without further ado, she leaves.


    After the interruption, the conversation returns to being relatively mundane. I realize that there was something I never brought up to the others¡­ the note I found in my locker. I ponder if I should do so, but ultimately, I decide there¡¯s no point. I was not able to derive anything useful from the note, and I still have no idea who put it there and why. That said, the occurrence gives me the strong feeling that we are not even close to the bottom of this mystery.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    Eventually, I get bored enough to where I decide to go to class early. As I expected, nobody else is there yet except for Ms. Truman, who seems to be grading the worksheets we did at some point last week. When she sees me, she looks up from her work and smiles at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, Kevin,¡± she greets. ¡°How are you feeling this morning?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ not the best, if I¡¯m honest,¡± I admit.


    ¡°Oh, is that why you weren¡¯t at track this morning?¡±


    I nod. ¡°Just feeling really stressed about¡­ that stuff I told you about.¡±


    ¡°I understand. You can talk to me about whatever you need to,¡± she offers kindly. She sets down her grading pen and gives me a worried look as I sit in the desk nearest to the front. ¡°You said that your dad is a police officer¡­ have you been talking with him about all of this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should,¡± I declare. ¡°It¡¯s hard to talk to my parents about stuff sometimes.¡±


    She gives me a small smile. ¡°Family can be difficult¡­ I had a pretty bad home life growing up, so I understand that very well.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not abusive or anything,¡± I interject quickly, worried about how she¡¯ll take it. ¡°I just mean that¡­ they don¡¯t really listen to me. It¡¯s like they think I¡¯m this bad kid.¡±


    She raises her eyebrows, seeming curious. ¡°Oh, but Kevin, you¡¯ve been just a model student the whole time I¡¯ve had you. Why would they think that about you?¡±


    I take a deep breath. There¡¯s a story that I was reminded of earlier when talking to Coach Everheart¡­ but I almost never tell it to people. I¡¯ve only told my closest friends. But Ms. Truman has been really kind to me¡­ she¡¯s heard me out and is being very supportive. Maybe I can tell her¡­


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s mostly because of something that happened¡­ one time. We went on a vacation trip to California, visiting the Yosemite Park¡­ but while we were touring the surrounding area, something really scary happened to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± she coos sympathetically.


    ¡°We were on this crazy road that goes around a mountain, and they pulled over and got out of the car to take pictures of the coastline nearby. I was tired, so I stayed inside and played on my DS. They were gone for several minutes, and I eventually got out of my seat and went to lay down in the back. I must have dozed off, because I woke up and¡­¡± I shudder. ¡°The car was starting, but there was some man I had never seen before in the driver¡¯s seat. He must have not seen me back there, because he started driving away, and I started panicking and breathing heavily. He looked up and saw me and swore loudly. He said that he had a knife, and that I needed to stay back there and be quiet.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh! That is so horrible!¡± Ms. Truman cries, hands over her mouth with shock. ¡°How on earth did you get out of there?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s the weird thing. He drove us away from the cliffside to somewhere with a forest, and then he just¡­ pulled over, jumped out and ran away, leaving me there. My best guess is that he was trying to steal the car, but at least had the conscience to not kidnap someone¡¯s kid while he was at it. This was before everyone had cell phones, so I had no idea what to do. I just sat in the car and cried. I was so scared, I thought that the guy was going to run back and slash me with his knife or something. But thankfully, a police officer found me after a while. My parents had called 9-1-1 when they saw their car was missing.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness you got out of there safely,¡± she comments.


    ¡°I guess so¡­ the problem was, everyone thought I was the one who drove the car away, and my parents were furious. They had decided to climb down to where the shore was and go swimming there, and they left their keys sitting somewhere so they wouldn¡¯t get wet and short out. I think the burglar must have found them there and found out they were to our car¡­ but nobody saw anyone suspicious in the area, so everyone just assumed I had snuck down there and taken them because I was bored. The guy was never caught.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s not fair at all!¡± she calls out sympathetically. ¡°Kevin, I am so sorry that happened to you. I know that you are a good kid, and you wouldn¡¯t do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s not just that, either. Since then, I¡¯ve gotten blamed for small things¡­ like a few weeks ago, I was doing my driver¡¯s ed hours, and while my mom was in a store, some lady opened her car door too fast and scratched our car really badly. When my mom saw it, she just assumed that I had taken the car out and ran into something¡­¡± I huff with frustration. ¡°Why can¡¯t they trust anything I say? I never asked for any of this stuff to happen to me. I just feel like I¡¯ll be blamed for anything that goes wrong from now on, so there¡¯s no point in trying to impress anyone¡­¡±


    My train of thought gets interrupted by the door to the classroom opening. In walks Ashley, carrying herself with that unquestionable confidence as always. She stops at the doorway briefly, and her eyes flit between Ms. Truman and myself several times.


    ¡°Good morning, Ashley,¡± Ms. Truman greets her cheerily. ¡°Where is your girl this morning?¡±


    ¡°Good question. I thought she was right behind me,¡± she replies calmly. She throws her backpack into the seat where she usually sits, and then walks back out, presumably to go find where Zoe went. I can¡¯t help but to watch her as she goes out.


    ¡°You like her, don¡¯t you?¡± Ms. Truman asks me mischievously.


    ¡°What? Oh, uh,¡± I stammer, taken totally off guard by this. ¡°I mean, I know it¡¯s not gonna happen, but yeah, she¡¯s cool.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not gonna try asking her out?¡± she questions.


    ¡°Well, I did, and she¡­ rejected me  very  harshly,¡± I admit. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. We can just be friends. And she¡¯s not interested in dating guys, you know.¡±


    There are more students coming in by now, so I take my backpack to my own desk and get ready for class. It was nice getting a lot of that stuff off my chest, I have to admit. I go about the rest of my day feeling a bit lighter than before¡­


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    ¡°So, we go to half of our next class, and then it¡¯s time to take off?¡± I question Ashley as we finish up lunch. ¡°What¡¯s the point of that? Why not just let us go now?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you probably  could  go now,¡± Nova points out. ¡°In my class yesterday, two girls left at the very beginning of class and the teacher didn¡¯t give a shit.¡±


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t take that chance, as Mr. Johnson is pretty strict about that stuff,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Anja, you can make your own judgement on that.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll just go to class. Without Ashley there to pester, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do hanging around the band hall anyway,¡± I reason.


    I notice something strange¡­ a sudden increase in the noise level of the cafeteria, as the chatter becomes even more deafening than usual. I look around to see if there is a cause, and then follow the direction of some pointed fingers to see a few police officers in one of the hallways.


    ¡°What are they doing here?¡± Zoe asks, trying to peer across the table to see.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in close and check it out!¡± I offer. ¡°I¡¯m small, so I can hide easily!¡± I give the group a mock salute, and then skitter up to the scene of attention and hide behind a pillar.


    Three police officers, two men and a woman, are talking to one of the teachers in heated tones. I don¡¯t recognize which teacher it is, but he¡¯s a gangly, bespectacled white guy who looks fairly young. I arrive just in time to hear him say defensively, ¡°¡­Then run your tracking software again. It must have misfired.¡±


    ¡°That will be our decision to make, not yours, okay?¡± the female police officer says. ¡°We¡¯re bringing you in under suspicion of statutory rape.¡±


    ¡°I will need to speak with a lawyer before any interrogation happens,¡± he requests. ¡°I won¡¯t let you pin this on me.¡±


    ¡°We are required by law to grant that,¡± one of the male officers tells him begrudgingly. ¡°But we¡¯re not letting you stay at this school while you¡¯re under suspicion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± the teacher says in a defeated way. He sighs gloomily as the officers put him in handcuffs and lead him out of the building.


    The chatter of the cafeteria gets even louder, and I can faintly hear a few girls scream. Nearby, there are a few other students who got up to listen in, and I overhear some bits of conversation.


    ¡°¡­won¡¯t have to go to biology today, I guess. That¡¯s so crazy that they just marched him out in the middle of school¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­always gave me the creeps. When we talked about the ¡®phile¡¯ suffix, he said that ¡®pedophile¡¯ means ¡®lover of children¡­¡¯ do you think he was warning us? Like a subconscious confession¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­had back when I was in track. Is he really the guy behind that one blog? What a revolting¡­¡±


    My head is swimming¡­ I dart back to where my friends are seated at once, as some of the counselors start swarming the area of the confrontation to make students calm down.


    ¡°Did you guys see that?¡± I demand upon sitting down. ¡°A teacher just got walked out by the police!¡±


    ¡°That was our biology teacher, Zoe,¡± Ashley states, her face blank as ever. ¡°Coach Everheart.¡±


    ¡°He was the culprit???¡± Zoe questions with huge eyes, absolutely floored. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that guy,¡± Nova states. ¡°Does this mean that this saga is over? We didn¡¯t even have to do anything.¡±


    I think about this¡­ the man whose shadow tried to violate me is now being taken in¡­ the school is safer now¡­


    ¡°He will presumably have to face interrogation and trial,¡± Ashley states. ¡°It could be a false lead.¡±


    ¡°Ashley, I overheard the cops saying they caught him with the IP tracker,¡± I explain. ¡°I think this is over.¡±


    For some reason, Ashley looks annoyed at me for this. ¡°Let¡¯s just not let our guards down just yet, okay? We need to see what happens with this case.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think he might be innocent, huh?¡± I ask, bothered that she is questioning the intense sense of relief I was about to feel.


    Ashley gives me a hard, silent gaze for a few seconds. Then she simply says, ¡°Just a hunch¡­¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I don¡¯t truly have time to reflect on this development until after my half of Human Geography is over, and I am on my way to the band hall to leave for region. If I am to be totally honest, this whole situation feels very dissatisfying to me. I know that it is probably just because I feel like we¡¯re being robbed the glory of solving the case and taking down the villain. I mean, who expected the police system to actually work properly? I certainly did not. And that is the only real theme of my feelings on the issue. It feels too anticlimactic. I can¡¯t really find myself being happy about the capture just yet.


    Still, the majority of people seem to have no problem going along with the story. And it does make sense: I did predict that the blogger was most likely a coach, and sure enough, it was. Zoe messaged the group chat saying that a different teacher had to hurriedly take over the class, as Everheart would normally be teaching her this period.


    I arrive at the band hall, to find most others going to region have already arrived. Passing by, I already hear a few jokes from other classmates about the situation, most notably a few ¡°Yee-hee!¡± shouts a la the late pop singer Michael Jackson. I don¡¯t have the peace of mind to be critical of making light about a serious situation this soon, so I simply ignore it and start getting my things from my locker.


    I am so absent minded that I almost miss it. Another note in my locker, just like the one from yesterday. I open it up at once. The handwriting is recognizable as the same as the first one, but the smallest amount less tidy, as if the writer wrote it in a hurry. It reads three words only.


    ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡±

 Chapter 56: All-Region Rat Race (December 9 Part 2)

    <Ashley>


    It¡¯s not him . Those words repeatedly bounce around in my head throughout the bus ride to all-region band tryouts. We pass through the woeful city of Austin into more pleasant scenery consisting of many hills and carefully planned landscaping as we reach the south side, but I am too preoccupied to pay it much attention. Anja is in the seat next to me, but for once she is not feeling very talkative, and simply plays games on her phone. This gives me plenty of time to process the recent events.


    My curiosity about the note sender and their identity has grown manyfold. It¡¯s not him? What do you mean it¡¯s not him? How do you know? Who are you? Why are you giving these notes to me specifically? It is so strange that I speculate endlessly as to what the greater mystery behind this is.


    A thought that crosses my mind is that this is someone who knows about our adventures in the Metaverse. It explains, at least in part, why I specifically am being targeted with these notes. Of course, it would create the question of why Anja, Nova and Zoe are not getting any notes like these. Perhaps the note writer sees me as the leader, or as the most responsible. Of the group, I am probably the least likely to spread the information, and perhaps the writer wants to keep it confined to a few people for now.


    This, however, raises more questions than it answers. How does this person know about the Metaverse? Did one of us let something slip in public? I can not think of anyone outside our group who should know about it other than Lucy, and there¡¯s no way it can be her. Should I even be trusting this person? Well, I can¡¯t find any sort of self-interested reason for doing this, so perhaps I should. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any chance that the note writer is Coach Everheart himself trying to clear his own name.


    But that raises the next question. What makes the note writer so confident he is not the culprit? How can they possibly know more than the police? It easy to write off the police as being incompetent and corrupt, but they have access to resources that a private citizen does not. Furthermore, they seemed to already know something like this would happen, judging by the first note.  The pedophile is not who you think . This note, in hindsight, makes even less sense. Before the arrest, there was nobody who I thought the culprit was anyway.


    Unless¡­ Coach Everheart¡¯s profile matches the one described by the blog post quite well. Perhaps the note writer thinks the blog itself is a cover up for something? Maybe the blogger is intentionally framing him. Of course, I have no idea why anyone would want to do this. A severe personal grudge? Or was he just a convenient target to pin someone else¡¯s crime on? Could there still be someone out there preparing to make a move on one of my fellow students?


    It is on this very discouraging note that my train of thought comes to a halt as we arrive at the site of the tryouts. They are being done at Westlake High School, which has a historically successful band program.


    After everyone gets off the bus, I see Mr. Castro talking to the bus driver as all the other students head into the school cafeteria, and I decide to take the opportunity to ask him something.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± I ask as the bus departs and he turns back towards the school.


    ¡°Ashley! How are you feeling? Feel ready for the audition?¡± he asks me cheerily.


    ¡°I absolutely am ready,¡± I tell him confidently.


    ¡°Great! I have high hopes for you, you know. You¡¯ve really put in the work. I think you¡¯re going to excel today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± I respond, giving a courteous nod. ¡°Anyway, I have recently been getting odd notes in my band locker. I wanted to ask if you would happen to have seen who was slipping them in.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± he said, suddenly concerned. ¡°What notes are you getting? Are they threatening or harassment?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that. Just odd. Nothing to be concerned about, though,¡± I assure him. ¡°It would have to be another student in band putting them in, right?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, yes,¡± he reasons. ¡°I don¡¯t normally allow non-band students into the band hall. If I saw anyone I didn¡¯t know, I would¡¯ve asked them to leave.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. I just thought I¡¯d check,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m going to go start warming up.¡±


    ¡°Slow and steady, Ashley!¡± he advises.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I agree. I make my way into the cafeteria. I find where Anja is sitting. Just like she was on the bus, she is on her phone, looking uncharacteristically gloomy.


    ¡°Is the situation weighing on you as well?¡± I ask her, as I sit down next to her and begin constructing my instrument.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± she sighs a deep, sad sigh. ¡°Ashley¡­ do you really think it might not be over yet? Everyone in the school seems to just be going along with it.¡±


    ¡°I do think that. And I have a good reason to, which I think it is time to disclose to you soon.¡±


    She raises her eyebrows. ¡°You found something out?¡±


    ¡°Well, sort of,¡± I say. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until after tryouts are over to talk about it, I need to be in a good head space for the audition.¡±


    She nods. ¡°Alright. I just have¡­ really bad vibes from all of this.¡±


    I frown. ¡°Vibes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Something just feels wrong about it. I hate how people see this like a big joke¡­ even if he really was the culprit, he was still threatening to do something really serious.¡±


    ¡°Well, it could be that they are also scared by the situation, and making jokes is their way to cope,¡± I suggest.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. It¡¯s too derisive.¡± She shakes her head glumly. ¡°I almost got caught by this¡­ person. It¡¯s not a joke to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not to me either,¡± I assure her. ¡°I swear to you, we will get to the bottom of this. The true culprit will not walk free on my watch.¡±


    We make eye contact and have a moment of deep understanding. Then, she leans forward and unexpectedly hugs me. I return it.


    <hr>


    I have to wait in the cafeteria for quite a while before they call French horns to come and audition. In that time, trombones had started well before us, meaning that I lost Anja¡¯s company for most of that time. By the time we are walking to our audition room, I feel unsettled. Mostly due to the lingering worries about the predator, although I try my best to repress them to focus on playing well.


    The audition, as usual, is taking place in a random classroom in the school. The usual chairs and desks are aligned as they usually would be for class, except for five chairs that are pulled to the front next to a series of large dividers, behind which the judges will sit. I find a seat near the back of the room and try not to make eye contact with anyone.


    Despite my best efforts, I am approached by a short, curvy and dark-skinned girl in my grade.


    ¡°Hey Ashley. I hoped I¡¯d see you again here this year,¡± she tells me.


    I give her a bewildered look. It''s a girl I''ve seen during previous region tryouts named "Laura." I have no idea why she is suddenly talking in this casual tone like we¡¯re friends.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°I feel pretty good about my chances today. I really want to make Area,¡± she confesses to me. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you there, too. I bet us two will be the only two freshmen at state!¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I say.


    ¡°I want to make my boyfriend proud¡­ oh yeah, I have a boyfriend now,¡± she explains. She looks at me and pauses for a moment, presumably to see if I react, and when I don¡¯t, she pulls out her cell phone and pulls up a picture of the two of them together. Her boyfriend is a shy looking boy with messed up brown hair. In the picture, Laura has one arm around his neck, and is making the peace sign with the other, while the boy is simply flashing an uncertain smile.


    ¡°Cool,¡± I say, not sure what reaction she wants from me.


    ¡°It¡¯s so great that I have him cheering for me,¡± she says glowingly. ¡°Anyways¡­ I¡¯m gonna go sit down, good luck Ashley!¡± She smiles at me as she walks away.


    Well, that was quite bizarre. I do have somewhat of a storied history with her, but not one that you would expect from that exchange.


    My seventh-grade year, I showed up to my first all-region band tryouts. Of course, those tryouts were much different, as it was only seventh and eighth grade there, so everyone was fairly new. In contrast, high school tryouts contain four grade levels, which mean freshmen like me have to compete with far more experienced juniors and seniors. That said, for my first audition I did exceptionally well. I placed first among all horn players in the region, even beating out the eighth graders who had done it before. But I wasn¡¯t the only seventh grader who managed this feat- Laura had made second.


    After the audition, I heard much muttering among students that I was some sort of prodigy, for how well I had done as only a seventh grader. I had just moved to Texas back then, so nobody knew me. They saw me as this mysterious dark horse girl. I was quite fond of the attention I got for my performance. But what made me happier than anything else that day was seeing Laura¡¯s reaction. I watched her draw her finger up the page, finding her name at #2. She looked shocked, but not because of how well she did, but because someone had managed to beat her. She found my name, and she turned her head towards me, and gave me a look of the deepest jealousy. I felt such a high right in that moment that I never forgot.


    I¡¯m not sure what had made her think she needed to be #1. A perfectionist mindset, or perhaps severe pressure from family. But I know many other kids that day would¡¯ve loved to be in her place- #2 in the whole room. And yet, she only turned her eyes one place- towards me, the single other who beat her.


    The next year, we both returned to all-region band tryouts. This time, I wasn¡¯t an unknown dark horse. I was a legend. Everyone anticipated the return of the red-haired girl who got first as a seventh grader. And as expected, I got first once again. And as expected, Laura got second once again. After the audition, I sought her out, excited to see her devastated once again by my dominance. But this time, the meeting went a bit differently. Laura looked defeated, for sure. But she didn¡¯t look at me with jealousy. She had a rare twinkle in her eye as she beheld me, and she looked at me with awe and deep respect. She shook my hand, awkwardly telling me that I had played great.


    This year, things feel a lot different. I find I don¡¯t really care now how anyone else will react to my performance. I¡¯m not sure what changed, to be honest. I guess it¡¯s how stupid the whole thing was. Nobody really cares anymore how I played in all-region tryouts in middle school. It was an idol that consumed me for so long. I honestly think that experience poisoned how I view this activity. What should be an exercise in creative expression and artistry is just turned into another relentless teenage rat race. That¡¯s the mindset of people like Diana, who only try to further their status. I should be above that. I should be better. I have more in common with Mason than I¡¯d like to admit, I suppose.


    Mason¡­ his words echo suddenly echo through my head. ¡° You really need to learn that whatever stuff you¡¯re going through in your life, it¡¯s not an excuse to be completely unlikeable .¡± I feel annoyed, which is what usually happens when I think of him. But this time, it¡¯s because I think he¡¯s got a point. I¡¯ve seen the other side of the high school social hierarchy. It suddenly feels wrong that I don¡¯t spend more time trying to sympathize with others in that position. For as I suffered, as Zoe suffered, as Anja and Nova suffered, there are bound to be many more that I don¡¯t even know about.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Ashley is taking forever in her auditions. It¡¯s starting to get dark, and I¡¯ve already eaten my ¡°dinner¡± (a hot dog and some sour punch straws that were being sold at the stand.) I eventually get bored and start wandering around outside the school. Nobody else is out here, I guess this was a pretty novel idea I had!


    I do a few laps around the school, trying to not worry about region results and pedophiles by instead thinking about who I would ship together in an anime I recently watched. (Hint: All of the couples I come up with are male/male or female/female. No straights allowed! Okay, except for this one m/f couple I really like, but I made both of them bisexual, so HA.)


    But then, while making another lap, I see Mr. Castro in the distance, talking on his cell phone. I pause¡­ I remember the story Zoe told about how they saw him out in the park. Well, once again, one of us is seeing him in a strangely secluded location when it¡¯s dark out. Quite a weird thing to happen twice, don¡¯t you think?


    I sneak around the wall of the building silently. I try to shimmy as close to the wall as possible, like in the Sly Cooper games. Eventually, I get close enough to overhear some of the phone conversation.


    ¡°¡­of them. I really am. They haven¡¯t posted the results yet, but I can tell you that Mason did quite well for a freshman.¡± There is silence for a while, and then Mr. Castro laughs. ¡°Oh, trust me, I know. I see him a like a son to me now, you know.¡±


    Wait¡­ like a son to him? Mason? I guess that¡¯d explain why they were hugging earlier.


    There¡¯s a long stretch of silence. ¡°I would love that more than anything in the world. But I¡¯m still scared of losing my job. These kids need me.¡± More silence. ¡°We¡¯ll see, I guess. You¡¯re more optimistic than I am. But I hope you¡¯re right.¡±


    Suddenly, I get the strange feeling that I shouldn¡¯t be eavesdropping on this conversation. Damn it, I never get that feeling until it¡¯s too late!


    ¡°Yeah, I need to be back. Talk to you later.¡± Oh shit, he¡¯s coming around the corner! I try to look casual and not like I was just intently spying on him.


    ¡°Anja! Whoah, you took me off guard there!¡± he starts. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just getting some fresh air,¡± I respond.


    ¡°How do you feel about today?¡± he questions.


    I make a ¡°so-so¡± gesture with my hand. ¡°I¡¯m not getting my hopes up,¡± I state.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s always next year,¡± he says encouragingly. ¡°You still have two more years if you want to give it your all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess so,¡± I reply.


    ¡°You do seem troubled. Is there anything I can help you with?¡± he asks.


    I think for a moment. This could be a good time to put on the old charm and get any information he has about the case. But can I trust him? Ashley seems convinced that it wasn¡¯t him¡­ and to be fair, even in that phone call he didn¡¯t say anything particularly sketchy. I wonder what¡¯s making him worry about being fired, though?


    ¡°Well¡­ did you hear about what happened? Shortly before we left?¡± I ask, testing the waters.


    ¡°You mean the arrest?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Yeah. That.¡±


    He turns his head and looks away. It¡¯s hard to tell in the dark, but his body language seems morose.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it, personally,¡± he states. ¡°I guess you really never know a person.¡±


    There¡¯s an awkward pause. I¡¯m not sure what the right and wrong questions to ask are¡­


    ¡°Did you know him?¡± I ask tentatively.


    ¡°Fairly well. It¡¯s haunting¡­ just the weekend before he had thrown a work party.¡±


    I feel a jolt of excitement, although I¡¯m not sure why. ¡°Were you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was. And I never would¡¯ve suspected a thing. He was perfectly cordial¡­¡± he sighs woefully. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the cafeteria with the others. It¡¯s too dark to be out here now, I don¡¯t know how safe it is here.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± I agree. We both go back to the cafeteria, where I continue to wait for Ashley to finish up¡­ holy hell, what are they doing in there? Having an orgy? A¡­ French horn-gy? Hehehe, I¡¯m so funny.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    At last, the affair is over. It is about time to leave, but I take a trip by the bathroom first to thoroughly scrub my hands. While playing, I accidentally got valve oil all over my fingers.


    Truthfully, I could have played better. Ultimately the mental stress I¡¯ve been under held me back. I should be able to improve my standing at the second round on Saturday.


    And then¡­ Laura walks in. ¡°Hey again, Ashley!¡± she greets. ¡°How do you think you did?¡±


    ¡°Laura. Don¡¯t take this the wrong way. But why are you talking to me?¡± I ask her. ¡°We were never friends before.¡±


    She deflates. ¡°Well¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t  become  friends, right?¡±


    ¡°No. Although I¡¯m not the easiest person to just make friends with.¡± I turn the faucet off and start drying my hands. ¡°I¡¯m just curious¡­ what changed with you?¡±


    She turns towards the mirror next to me and sighs. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think anything changed. Other than just growing up, I guess. I decided¡­ what¡¯s the point of us hating each other?¡±


    ¡°So you hated me. I see,¡± I comment.


    She turns away from the mirror, looking uncomfortable. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I console her. ¡°I understand. If our places were swapped that first time, I would¡¯ve hated you. But I agree, it is pointless.¡±


    She turns back towards me, smiling and looking hopeful. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I¡¯ll see you on Saturday, then?¡±


    ¡°I expect so,¡± I agree. I give her a courteous nod, and then depart from the bathroom.


    We return to the cafeteria, and soon after our results are posted. I made fifth in the room. As I expected, my lack of peace of mind affected my performance enough to drop my placement. The listing is: Some sophomore, a senior who¡¯s made All-State three times already, a junior who¡¯s made All-state once already, and¡­ Laura. And then me.


    I find Laura¡¯s eyes. She¡¯s looking at the paper with a sort of dull shock. I give her a congratulatory smile, and then leave to go rejoin Anja.

 Chapter 57: A Stranger With Info (December 10 Part 1)

    <Kevin>


    On account of there being no track practice, I take my time this morning. I don¡¯t really feel up to moving quickly anyway. I feel this sort of numbness which makes it hard to care about most things. It¡¯s like the feeling you get when you¡¯re really burned out on school and stuff, but worse. It¡¯s debilitating.


    I can also be less particular about my breakfast with no planned physical activity today. I eat a bowl of cereal. I never eat this on days I have track, it¡¯ll make you throw up. Each little bit is a little stab of sweetness that I have become less attuned to since I started cutting back on my sugar intake at the start of the year.


    ¡°Alright, see you this afternoon, Kevin,¡± Dad tells me, walking past me to the door.


    ¡°Hey, real quick, can I ask you something?¡± I say quickly.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he responds, turning around and leaving the door half opened.


    ¡°How is¡­ his interrogation going? Do you think he¡¯s really the one?¡±


    Dad sighs at me. ¡°It¡¯s a police matter, so don¡¯t make lightly of this. It¡¯s not a game.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that at all,¡± I defend. ¡°He was my track coach¡­ the thought of him being the guilty one, is¡­ well¡­¡±


    Dad¡¯s features soften. ¡°Well, nothing conclusive yet. He¡¯s denied everything so far. But the evidence against him is pretty damning, so we¡¯re certainly not letting him go. We¡¯re searching his house, and we hope to get the confession today. Anyways, bye.¡± He fully opens the door and leaves.


    I return to gloomily eating my breakfast. Of course, posting the blog post isn¡¯t a crime, however sickening its contents. But they think that if he was openly posting this stuff, he was probably involved with some other sketchy stuff either on the internet or at school. I really hope that isn¡¯t the case¡­ either way, he¡¯s at least going to be fired and have his teaching license revoked. Mom says the school is scrambling to find a sub for the last week and a half of school, and hopefully a new hire or a long-term sub for the spring semester.


    ¡°Finish up, I need to be heading out soon too,¡± Mom urges, stepping into the kitchen now dressed in her work clothes. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to walk yourself to school otherwise.¡±


    I sit there for a moment, starting down at the little that remains of my cereal. ¡°Honestly, Mom, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m feeling up to going to school at all after what happened.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be? They took him away, it¡¯s safe there now,¡± she scolds me. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna use this as an excuse to get out of school. Hustle up, now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll finish up then,¡± I agree. I¡¯m irked as I finish up my breakfast, though. I wasn¡¯t making an excuse; I actually just feel really crappy about this stuff¡­


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Ashley¡¯s parents drop us off at the band hall, as usual. But instead of heading to the library as we normally would, Ashley has something else in mind. She¡¯s decided that we should all head inside the palace in the school and try and find clues about who the blog writer could be. She thinks that it¡¯s not Coach Everheart like the police think. Apparently, some stranger has been passing her notes saying it¡¯s not him. But then why did the police take him in yesterday? I¡¯m honestly really confused by the situation. But with something as serious as this, I understand that there¡¯s no being too careful. And if it really is him after all, maybe the palace will disappear now that he¡¯s in custody? I¡¯m not sure how that would work, now that I think of it¡­


    Anja and Nova are waiting for us outside the door to the band hall, and after Ashley¡¯s parents drive away, they walk up to join us.


    ¡°Well, as much as I am not looking forward to this¡­ I¡¯m ready,¡± Anja announces.


    ¡°You guys got Ted?¡± Nova questions.


    ¡°Yep! He¡¯s in my backpack!¡± I answer. ¡°How are you doing back there, Teddy?¡± I ask.


    I hear vague, rumbling mutterings come from inside my backpack. I sling it off my back and unzip it to reveal a certain armadillo curled up next to my school folders. ¡°What were you saying?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s more comfortable in here than you¡¯d think,¡± he answers. ¡°It gets very warm¡­ I think I will sleep the day away, if you are so kind as to not rock the pack too much.¡±


    ¡°That makes me think of something,¡± Ashley says, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna make a mess in there, are you? I¡¯m not fond of the prospect of explaining why we¡¯re cleaning armadillo droppings out of Zoe¡¯s backpack.¡±


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t!¡± Ted growls indignantly. ¡°I may have the form of an animal, but my mind is that of an adult man still, and I am very much still potty trained.¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Anja comments teasingly. ¡°When you get  too  old, you kinda lose that again¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry!¡± I assure the others. Nervous about someone else seeing him, I zip up my backpack again.


    ¡°Where are we going in?¡± Nova asks plainly. ¡°We can¡¯t have anyone see us disappearing into thin air out here.¡±


    ¡°We could all go by that generator where we initially went in,¡± Anja suggests. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s a remote enough place.¡±


    ¡°Not remote enough to stop you from following me there,¡± Ashley points out. ¡°I think we¡¯re better off using our secret little practice room. It¡¯s about as secluded as anywhere else in the school, given there¡¯s no percussion sectional or anything this morning. Which I don¡¯t think there is.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Okay, that works,¡± Anja agrees, shrugging. ¡°And for the record, I was  not  stalking you.¡±


    ¡°I never said you were,¡± Ashley retorts. ¡°Guilty conscience?


    ¡°You said I was back then, and so¡­ well, never mind,¡± Anja stops, suddenly looking embarrassed. I giggle at their exchange.


    Thankfully, Ashley is right, and the back room of the band hall is deserted as usual. We go inside of the storage practice room. I feel my nerves rising¡­ the way that Anja and Ashley describe this palace makes it sound really horrifying¡­


    ¡°Uh¡­ I have this feeling¡­¡± Anja says absentmindedly as we all stand in a circle. ¡°There was something I was supposed to tell you guys¡­ something important¡­ hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°You can tell us later. Let¡¯s stay focused,¡± Ashley states. ¡°Nova, are you paying attention?¡±


    ¡°I thought I saw something outside,¡± Nova explains, looking out the small window on the door. He briefly looks out again and peeks around, and then returns to the circle. ¡°Okay, never mind. Probably just being paranoid.¡±


    ¡°Good. Everyone ready? Okay, here we go again¡­¡± Ashley pulls out her phone, and presses that button as always¡­


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    We pass to the other side, and we¡¯re met by the unfortunately familiar scenery of the jungle¡­ As before, we appeared in a sort of clearing.


    ¡°Okay everyone. Get all the hentai jokes out of your system now,¡± Anja comments. ¡°It¡¯s going to be serious business from here on out¡­¡±


    I look around at the others, who are taking in their surroundings¡­ Oh no. We have a stowaway.


    Standing a few feet away from the rest of the group is the girl who often sits at the table nearest to us in the library. She is also glancing at the scenery, looking clearly shocked¡­ but honestly, not as shocked as she should be. Compared to Anja¡¯s reaction when she was accidentally taken into here, this girl¡¯s is suspiciously tame.


    ¡°Oh god damn it!¡± Nova yells, seeing her as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys. I should¡¯ve looked more carefully¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the girl from the library yesterday!¡± Zoe comments. ¡°Oh poor thing¡­ she must be so confused¡­ let¡¯s take her back.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± the girl says. ¡°Don¡¯t send me back¡­ I want to help.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Anja questions, looking aghast.


    ¡°Anja¡­ it has been a while,¡± the girl greets, acknowledging Anja with a nod. ¡°I came in with you by my own choice¡­ please hear me out.¡±


    ¡°You snuck up on us?¡± Nova interrogates. ¡°What the hell, do you have a death wish or something?¡±


    ¡°What do you know about our operations?¡± Ted questions in a growl, his pistol drawn.


    The girl¡¯s reaction to Ted would¡¯ve been comical had it been in less stressful circumstances. She casts her gaze down on Ted, noticing him for the first time, and is stunned for a moment, eyes wide in shock. Then, her face collapses into a deeply thoughtful expression. ¡°I have been¡­¡± she starts.


    But she¡¯s interrupted by the arrival of the vines. They come at us from all sides. Anja and I are thankfully prepared for them and knock most of them away with our wind magic and sword, respectively. Zoe and Nova yelp with surprise. Zoe trembles and raises her shotgun in the direction they were coming, while Nova wildly swings at a one which barely misses him. Ted instinctively retreats into his shell, his reflexes overwhelmed by an attack from all sides.


    The stowaway girl, being outside the group, is not so lucky, and gets quickly trapped by the vines. ¡°What the hell¡­ Wait, no¡­ NO!¡± she yells, hyperventilating as she¡¯s lifted into the air.


    ¡°NO! RUTH!¡± Anja shouts, throwing herself at the scene and knocking several vines back with more wind. Ted springs out of his shell and makes the remaining ones drop her with well-aimed gunshots.


    ¡°Surround her! Now!¡± I order the team. We hustle over to where the girl named Ruth fell to the ground, making a circle around her and facing out with each of our weapons drawn.


    This horrible, hissing voice speaks from every direction, in a cadence that sounds vaguely familiar¡­ ¡°Eh, that¡¯s okay¡­ that one is too fat for me anyway. You can keep her.¡±


    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth!¡± Anja yells. ¡°Show yourself, you rapist monster!¡±


    ¡°Oh? But why should I?¡± the hissing replies. ¡°You already know who I am, don¡¯t you? You watched me get carted out of school just yesterday! Hehehehe!¡±


    ¡°Identify yourself then,¡± Ruth commands them, getting back onto her feet. ¡°Say something that only Coach Everheart himself would know. For instance, where would you like to go on vacation?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you trust the police?¡± the voice replies.


    ¡°Not particularly,¡± I admit. ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to reveal your true identity that easily, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fucking idiot, Ashley!¡± the hiss says. ¡°If you want to know who I am so badly, how about you come in and find me? I¡¯ll call off my vines and let you come¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not a trap or anything,¡± Nova snarks.


    ¡°But you won¡¯t be able to resist, will you?¡± the voice taunts. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting¡­¡±


    There is an eerie quiet now. I¡¯m not sure whether to let my guard down or not. The voice said they would not attack again, but can we trust that? At any rate, the thought that we are still being constantly watched from the shadows is unnerving¡­


    ¡°Thank you so much for coming to my aid,¡± Ruth says. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I think we should just leave now,¡± I answer. ¡°Nova is right in that the invitation to pursue is clearly a trap. And we now at least have confirmation that Coach Everheart is not the culprit. Let¡¯s go back to safety and discuss this.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t get it,¡± Zoe questions. ¡°How could it not be him? Didn¡¯t the police say they traced the source of that blog post to his house?¡±


    Anja gasps loudly. ¡°Oh yeah! I just remembered what I was going to tell you! But uh, I¡¯ll tell you back in the real world.¡±


    ¡°I also think I have an explanation for at least part of this,¡± Ruth offers.


    ¡°You certainly have a lot of explaining to do either way,¡± I tell her. ¡°Anyways, returning now¡­¡±


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    After another brief dizzy spell, I return to the band hall at school, with no remaining trace of the jungle we were just in. I am exactly where I was, pressed against the wall next to their practice room. I do trust my senses; I have no history of psychosis or any strong visual hallucinations. At this point, supernatural activity is the most likely explanation for this experience. I was not expecting this outcome.


    The door to the practice room opens. It¡¯s Nova, the boy with messy hair and a frequently crass tongue who has sexual feelings for Anja. ¡°Alright, get in here,¡± he tells me.


    The tone of some of the group members is rather confrontational. This is understandable, given that I have stumbled upon what is presumably a very tightly kept secret. Perhaps they will conclude from this experience that they should refrain from discussing supernatural affairs in the school library.


    I walk into the practice room. Everyone turns to me at once. Ashley, the leader of the group, has an unreadable expression. Zoe, her blonde-haired girlfriend, looks at me nervously, although I think I also detect a small amount of excitement. Anja, as usual, avoids my gaze and looks at the ground, trying to act as if she had never looked up. Whenever it is convenient, the two of us will need to have a private conversation regarding how we feel about past events.


    ¡°Please take a seat. And start from the beginning,¡± Ashley orders calmly. Nova closes the door behind me, and I oblige her and take a seat across from the group.


    ¡°Here, since you already saw him, I might as well let him get some air,¡± Zoe chatters. She unzips her backpack. I am very confused by what she means by this, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my place to ask about it at the moment.

 Chapter 58: Reach Out For The Truth (December 10 Part 2)

    <Ruth>


    ¡°Okay. So first of all, my name is Ruth Antunez,¡± I introduce myself. ¡°It is nice to meet you all. Anja I already know well, but I don¡¯t think I have talked to the other three of you in any significant capacity.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how do you know Anja?¡± Zoe asks curiously.


    ¡°She¡¯s my ex-girlfriend,¡± Anja answers dully. I nod to confirm this.


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Zoe exclaims, realization dawning on her. ¡°I never made the connection that it was you!¡±


    I catch the slightest glimpse of annoyance on Ashley¡¯s complexion. She doesn¡¯t like that we are discussing casual gossip. I decide to shift back to the subject of the group¡¯s activities.


    ¡°I have vaguely been aware of the activities of your group for a while,¡± I explain. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you have all realized, I would often sit not far away from your group in the library. I would usually be too focused on studying or doing homework to catch anything you talked about. But every now and then, I overheard a strange word or phrase. Something about  shadows  or  personas . This caught my attention because it reminded me of this.¡±


    Now having their full attention, I take off my own backpack, unzip it, and pull out a case for a video game:  Persona 3 FES,  released in 2007 (2008 in North America.) The cover depicts a white silhouette of the robotic character  Aegis  next to a pentagram with several Greek letters embroidered on it.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a gamer?¡± Nova asks me excitedly.


    ¡°Not personally. But I have siblings and cousins who are, so I was distantly familiar with this franchise,¡± I explain. ¡°I decided to do some research in my spare time, and I learned that this game series was actually inspired by real world tales of people travelling into a sort of shadow world, which goes by many different names. The one that caught my interest was one of a group that operated here in Texas,  The Thieves in the Night . They allegedly existed in the late 80s and 90s. Like in the video game series, the group consisted of high school students. It was also the most prominent tale of this kind of activity in recent history. I assumed that you were inspired by the tales of this group.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true in a sense, I suppose,¡± Ashley admits. ¡°Although I wasn¡¯t aware they inspired a video game series. Nova and Anja, did you know about this?¡±


    ¡°I knew there was a series called  Persona , but not that it was inspired by the Metaverse stuff!¡± Anja marvels. ¡°We gotta play that sometime, dude!¡±


    ¡°Metaverse?¡± I ask. ¡°So that¡¯s the name you refer to it as? That one has not been used in any of these games. How were you able to access this world?¡±


    Ashley shakes her head. ¡°Nope, you finish first. Then we¡¯ll consider telling you the full story.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I agree. ¡°Anyways, I was aware of your group for a while because of this, but I assumed that you were simply fans, and that the story of the Thieves was just an internet creepypasta or folk tale. That said, it did seem rather odd¡­ most of you did not seem like the type to be interested in those things. While all outcasts in some way, none of you had any inclination towards occult subculture. Anja in particular I knew to be someone who didn¡¯t believe in anything supernatural. So a small part of me wondered if there was something more to this. But I mostly put it out of my mind. That is, until I got a message from Anja¡¯s cousin.¡±


    ¡°What? Lily?¡± Anja questions. ¡°She messaged you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did,¡± I confirm. ¡°She said that there had been a post put on tumblr.com from someone who taught at our school. She sent it to me as a warning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so did you two know each other from when you dated Anja?¡± Nova questions.


    ¡°We exchanged contact information during that time, yes,¡± I confirm. ¡°Although at the time of that message we hadn¡¯t talked in years.¡±


    ¡°She did say she was gonna contact  everyone  she knew,¡± Nova reflects, seeming impressed with Lily¡¯s comprehensiveness.


    ¡°Okay, so you knew that there is a predator at this point,¡± Ashley recaps. ¡°But how did you know that we were planning on going after them?¡±


    ¡°Well, I had to assume that Lily had told her cousin Anja about the post as well,¡± I explain. ¡°But even still, I disseminated the information myself to be on the safe side. But I¡¯ll get to that later. First, I want to go over my observations about the blog post itself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do,¡± Ashley urges. ¡°I am very curious as to how you knew that Coach Everheart isn¡¯t the culprit.¡±


    ¡°Wait, she already knew that?¡± Zoe questions.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say now that Ruth here was the one slipping notes into my locker,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Am I right?¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± I confirm. ¡°It was a hunch I had. I analyzed the blog post very deeply, and there was something about it that didn¡¯t add up. It felt far too deliberate. For one, the poster shares details about their plans, the student that is being targeted, and even their own personal history. This shows, at first glance, that the predator is very incompetent. That said, the poster stops just short of giving any names or identifying details. The student¡¯s description in the post is one that could apply to many students at the school. In addition, I discovered that the post was made on a blog that had just been created the previous day. The e-mail address associated with the account was a burner, which had also been created that day. And Lily somehow knew about this seemingly obscure and unknown blog the day after it was posted. At the time, the only other people who had interacted with the post were those deep in Tumblr¡¯s so-called ¡°MAP¡± community, and I can¡¯t imagine Lily would be involved with that. Something was very clearly not right about this.¡±


    ¡°You know, Lily never did share what her source was,¡± Anja comments.


    ¡°Ask yourselves this. The poster was clearly smart enough to not tie the account to an existing e-mail address or give any identifying information. But if the user was intelligent, why would they make this post at all, and risk raising any suspicion whatsoever? Why would they seemingly not anticipate their IP being tracked? The wildly inconsistent levels of competence displayed by this poster led me to come up with a theory. That being that this blog post was created as a cover-up, or as a smokescreen to mask a deeper secret. Now, this theory has problems. First of all, it raises the question of how the culprit managed to route the post through the IP of Coach Everheart¡¯s house.¡±


    Anja raises her hand suddenly. ¡°I think I know, actually!¡± she cuts in excitedly. ¡°Um¡­ can I interrupt?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You know something?¡± Ashley questions, frowning. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hear it then.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I was talking to Mr. Castro yesterday, at region!¡± Anja explains. ¡°He said that last weekend¡­ you know, the same time of the blog post¡­ Coach Everheart had a work party! I think the real culprit must¡¯ve been there and snuck over to his computer and made the post!¡±


    This bit of information is quite a bombshell. If true, it would cover what I considered the biggest hole in my theory. There is shock and excitement all around the group. Even Ashley¡¯s eyebrows raise at this.


    And then, before my heart had a chance to slow down again¡­ I hear a gravelly deep voice, coming from a source I can¡¯t see, which is laughing. ¡°You did good Anja,¡± the voice applauds. ¡°We¡¯re finally starting to figure this out!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I plead, short of breath, ¡°Which one of you said that?¡±


    Zoe giggles. ¡°Oh, that was Ted! Let me show you!¡± She reaches into her backpack and pulls out¡­ a live armadillo. I suddenly remember the armadillo-like creature I saw inside the jungle.


    ¡°Greetings, lass. My name is Ted, and I¡¯m here to help you all catch that fiend!¡± he asserts.


    ¡°Um¡­ hello there¡­ Ted¡­ please give me a moment.¡± I dive into my backpack and grab my inhaler.


    While I am taking a puff of it, the others discuss. ¡°We need to find out who was at that party!¡± Nova asserts. ¡°That will narrow it down! Someone go ask Mr. Castro about it during band!¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯d be easiest for me to do it,¡± Anja offers. ¡°After all, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s supposed to know about it, so it¡¯ll look the least suspicious.¡±


    ¡°That is a very useful bit of information, Anja,¡± Ashley praises. ¡°I think we might be onto something.¡±


    ¡°That makes so much sense now!¡± Zoe exclaims. ¡°But oh my gosh¡­ I¡¯m not letting anyone use my computer next time we have guests over! That¡¯s terrifying!¡±


    ¡°Coach Everheart is exceptionally easygoing,¡± Ashley comments. ¡°It¡¯s not hard to imagine that he wasn¡¯t keeping a very close watch on his guests.¡±


    ¡°And you know what? He was really adamant about it not being him when the police were taking him away yesterday!¡± Anja continues. ¡°He was saying like, ¡®oh I need a lawyer, oh there must have been a mistake.¡¯¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like one of the few useful things I¡¯ve learned from my mom,¡± Nova comments. ¡°If you get arrested, and you¡¯re guilty, ask for a lawyer. If you get arrested and you¡¯re not guilty¡­  definitely  ask for a lawyer.¡±


    ¡°True. The police in this country are sketchy as shit,¡± Anja rants. ¡°Who knows what kinda shit they¡¯re getting up to during interrogations that they¡¯re not supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not very happy with how the police act either,¡± Ashley agrees.


    There¡¯s a brief pause. Then, Zoe says, ¡°Wait, did Ashley and Anja just¡­ agree on something?¡±


    I chuckle, having finally caught my breath again. ¡°I take it that¡¯s rare?¡±


    ¡°When we¡¯re discussing economic issues, yes,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°But you know, I¡¯m really not aligned with the Republicans on social issues. Except for second amendment rights, if that counts.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Zoe asks me sympathetically.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Thank you,¡± I answer. ¡°I think I owe you the conclusion to my side of the story now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s hear it,¡± Ashley agrees. ¡°We still have plenty of time before class starts, so let¡¯s finish this up.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, I knew that your group is a huge fan of a supernatural vigilante group- although I had no idea it was real at the time- and that there was a predator at the school who was cleverly masking their own operations. I decided to try and solve both mysteries at once. So I devised a plan, which I started carrying out Monday morning. I went into the band hall and started a conversation with Diana Coleman.¡±


    ¡°But wait, you¡¯re not in band,¡± Ashley points out. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Mr. Castro have kicked you out?¡±


    ¡°No, because I happen to be good friends with his¡­ um, a student he is close to. He would¡¯ve recognized me.¡±


    ¡°You mean Mason?¡± Anja asks curiously. ¡°They have a sort of father-son relationship going on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do they really?¡± Ashley questions. ¡°I suppose that explains why he lets Mason get away with being a nuisance.¡±


    ¡°It is Mason who I was referring to,¡± I admit. ¡°Although the circumstances of their relationship are something that must be kept a secret, so that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say on the matter. I assure you it is nothing malevolent, though.¡±


    ¡°That is reassuring to hear!¡± Zoe says, relieved. ¡°So, you went and talked to Diana?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know that you and Diana are friends, and that Diana is an incurable gossip. I figured if I told Diana about the blog post, she would spread it to Zoe, and that she would tell Ashley. That way, even if Anja hadn¡¯t told you already, my bases would be covered. In the process, Diana would also presumably spread it around to more people and keep them on alert.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± Ashley compliments. ¡°And this is when you slipped that first note into my locker?¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± I confirm. ¡°Although I did not know where your locker was, so I had to come up with a story for Diana as to why I needed to know. Since both you and I are known to have dated other girls, I told her that I had a crush on you and wanted to give you a love letter. She agreed to tell me the location of your locker. That said, I also told her to keep it a secret, since I didn¡¯t want you to know who I am yet.¡±


    ¡°That explains that weird thing Yonca told us,¡± Ashley comments. ¡°So you¡¯re my ¡®secret admirer¡¯ then?¡±


    ¡°Um, you don¡¯t  actually  like her like that, right?¡± Zoe questions nervously.


    ¡°Of course not. Don¡¯t worry,¡± I assure her. Zoe looks immensely relieved at this.


    ¡°Oh yeah. It¡¯s all coming together,¡± Nova comments. Anja laughs at this, so presumably it was some kind of inside joke between them.


    ¡°I then went to the library and tried to listen in to see if you all had gotten the message yet. I was pleased to hear when Anja arrived after me that you had.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Nova asks in a panicked tone. ¡°Does that mean that you overheard¡­ uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Overheard what?¡± Anja asks curiously.


    ¡°Uh¡­ nothing. Never mind,¡± Nova replies, thoroughly unconvincingly. Anja now looks very suspicious of him in a mischievous way.


    ¡°So, the next day,¡± Ashley presses. ¡°You dropped in on us again.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, it¡¯s at this point that I need to issue you all an apology. I left my phone in the library on purpose and used it to record your conversation that morning.¡±


    There¡¯s a twinge of annoyance passed through the air by all of them. Ashley comments, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. No more talking about Metaverse stuff in the library.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± Nova agrees. ¡°Still, she did it for a good reason, so I¡¯m not really mad.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve 100% done the same thing in her place,¡± Anja admits. She looks at me with a sense of respect.


    ¡°¡­Well, anyway. So that¡¯s how you knew we were meeting this morning?¡± Ashley asks, still sounding a bit annoyed.


    ¡°Yes¡­ but first, I had to make sure you all did not give up the chase after Coach Everheart was taken in. I hastily dropped the second note into Ashley¡¯s locker before lunch ended. I got extremely lucky and found the band hall deserted, so nobody caught me.¡±


    ¡°Had you been there any later, you would¡¯ve run into the all-region crowd who decided not to go to any of the next period,¡± Ashley observes. ¡°I see¡­ and that brings us to today.¡±


    ¡°I knew that you were all planning something the next morning, and that you seemed  very  serious about actually being able to access the supernatural. I got curious and decided to tail you¡­ once again, I must apologize.¡±


    ¡°Ha! So  you  were the stalker all along!¡± Anja teases.


    ¡°I saw the four of you gather out a window, and I thought it was odd that you met out there instead of in the library as usual. You walked into the band hall, and I watched you go into this back practice room from the hallway. I quickly hid close to the room in hopes of seeing or hearing something¡­¡±


    ¡°And then you got sucked in with us when we went to the palace,¡± Ashley finishes. ¡°So now we¡¯re all caught up.¡±


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s incredible that you figured all of that out!¡± Zoe praises. ¡°I think Ruth should join our team! She¡¯ll be really helpful!¡±


    ¡°That is up to her, Zoe,¡± Ashley halts her. ¡°But Ruth, you should know that this entire situation with the Metaverse is highly confidential. If you do not want to join in our mission, we will leave you alone if you swear to yourself to absolute secrecy. Otherwise¡­ we have a problem.¡±


    ¡°Ashley! Don¡¯t threaten her!¡± Anja scolds her. ¡°Ruth said she wants to help. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll want to come with us for the rest of this!¡±


    ¡°I would like that,¡± I confirm. ¡°I am insatiably curious about this supernatural world you have found yourselves travelling into. And, of course, I want to stop the predator before they are able to hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°Well, other than offering your brainpower, there is not much you can directly do without a Persona, assuming we end up going into that jungle again,¡± Ashley comments.


    I think back to the eccentric outfits they were all wearing while we were in there before. ¡°I see. How do I go about getting one of those?¡±


    From there, the others give me a crash course in the workings of this ¡°Metaverse.¡± The description lines up surprisingly well with the video game series in some ways, though there are also notable differences. I exchange Skype information with everyone else, and they add me to a group chat where they coordinate their activities. Our next step for now is for Anja to ask their band director about other teachers who were at the work party later today. With all of us working together, I¡¯m sure we will corner the culprit soon...

 Chapter 59: Tip Of The Iceberg (December 10 Part 3)

    <Anja>


    Holy shit¡­ it finally feels like we¡¯re really onto something! It¡¯s starting to make sense now¡­ everything we¡¯ve gathered between Ruth¡¯s deductions, the behavior of the palace owner, and my own personal sleuthing is all coming together to point us one way. Of course, we still don¡¯t know who it is, but now we know how to start narrowing it down. And that is why I am cornering Mr. Castro in his office after band is over. I make sure to wait until all the other students asking him random questions are gone. I¡¯ll be late to geometry, but I don¡¯t really give a shit.


    ¡°Hello again, Anja,¡± he greets me when he sees me skulking in the doorway.


    ¡°Hey. So¡­ remember that conversation we had last night at region?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes. What about it?¡±


    I look around once more to make sure everyone else left, and then I slide into the office and into one of his chairs. ¡°Well¡­ I was thinking about how you said you had just been to a work party at his house. And you know, that party was supposed to be about the time that one blog post came out. Is there any chance that¡­ it  wasn¡¯t  Coach Everheart, and someone at the party used his computer to leave the post?¡±


    He cocks his head and thinks for a little while. ¡°I guess it¡¯s possible¡­ but I don¡¯t know why he¡¯d let anyone use his computer.¡±


    ¡°Well, it probably wasn¡¯t his intention. They just snuck up to his computer when he wasn¡¯t around and did it.¡±


    ¡°Most computers now have a password you need to input before logging in. I have a hard time seeing that.¡±


    ¡°Look¡­ I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what happened or not. I only bring it up because¡­ if there¡¯s even a chance, a small chance, that he''s not the real culprit, isn¡¯t that worth telling the police? Couldn¡¯t this information be helpful to the investigation?¡±


    He thinks more on this, seeming very conflicted. ¡°I suppose so¡­ it is a possibility¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you remember who was at the party?¡± I question. He doesn¡¯t really have any reason to tell  me  this, but I intentionally sprung the question on him while he was thinking heavily about something else, so he answers it in a thinking-out-loud sort of way. I discreetly type the names onto my phone while he¡¯s looking away and send the list to our group chat.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that he was just¡­ pulled out of the school, in the middle of the lunch period. Most people took this as a confirmation that he was the one behind that one blog post that Diana was talking about. But according to my dad, he has been persistent about being innocent so far in the interrogation¡­ The idea that a teacher I saw every day and got along with would be capable of this is really horrifying. I guess part of me wants to believe that he is innocent just because of that. But I know that''s not likely.


    ¡°And I feel like most people don''t really get how much it''s bothering me. I feel like I''m just expected to go about my day as normal... but it keeps weighing on me. This whole thing is just really disturbing. The only people I feel like I can really talk to are you, and my English teacher... She''s actually been very supportive of me throughout this entire ordeal. So, thanks for hearing me out, Ruth.¡±


    I look up at her. She doesn''t seem to be paying close attention. I wonder how much she caught of what I said? She''s just kinda eating her lunch and staring off into space.


    ¡°Hey, you haven''t been talkative at all this week,¡± I point out. ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she answers. ¡°I''m sorry, I''ve just had a lot on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Is this situation bothering you too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She stares in the distance again. What¡¯s interesting is that it doesn¡¯t quite look like she''s perturbed; she has that stern look she gets when she''s trying to figure something out. She absentmindedly opens her phone and starts staring at something on it.


    Unexpectedly, Zoe from English class sits down at the table with us and gives us a big wave. ¡°Hi Ruth! Hi Kevin!¡± she greets.


    ¡°Hey Zoe,¡± I greet back. ¡°What brings you here?


    She giggles a little. ¡°I couldn''t keep up with all the... healthcare policy. So I decided to come say hi to some other friends!¡±


    ¡°You two already know each other?¡± Ruth questions.


    ¡°Yeah, we''re in Ms. Truman''s class together,¡± I explain. ¡°I always sit with her and Ashley.¡±


    ¡°And I met Ruth earlier today!¡± Zoe chirps, smiling at her.


    ¡°Yes, we were... discussing the situation with Coach Everheart as well,¡± Ruth explains.


    ¡°It''s really been the talk of the town, huh,¡± I comment. ¡°But most people aren''t taking it that seriously¡­¡±


    Zoe¡¯s mood shifts. Upon the subject being brought up, she now looks nervous. ¡°I think it''s really scary... I don''t understand why one of the teachers would want to hurt a student like that.¡±


    ¡°People like feeling power,¡± Ruth answers plainly. ¡°And some people will do anything to satisfy their hunger for it.¡±


    ¡°But I don''t get it... why would anyone think that''s okay to do?¡± Zoe asks. ¡°Especially being a teacher. It''s their responsibility to care for and help their students.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, Zoe,¡± I admit. I think for a moment, and then suggest, ¡°I guess at a high school, you could convince yourself that your students are basically already adults?¡±


    Me saying this seems to activate something in Ruth. She puts down her plasticware and sits up straight. I know from experience that this means we¡¯re about to hear a mini lecture.


    ¡°Teenagers may look close to maturity physically, but the human brain does not finish fully developing until 25-27 years old,¡± she begins. ¡°And in our society teenagers have a very low amount of autonomy, so they are inexperienced at making important life decisions. You can''t have a driver''s license until 16, which is where the lowest age of consent laws in the country are set. But reasonably it should be higher, since until 18 the vast majority of teens still live with their parents, and an increasing number are even still living with them older than that. Therefore, teens are the perfect opportunity for someone who wants a physically mature partner, but also wants someone young enough to be manipulated and exploited into doing anything they want.¡±


    This cynical analysis doesn¡¯t seem to help Zoe feel better. She starts biting her lip. ¡°But I still don¡¯t understand why someone would think that''s an okay thing to do... They have to know it''s hurting the student, right?¡±


    ¡°I don''t really get it either, Zoe,¡± I offer. ¡°I guess some people are just that self-centered. They just don''t care about how the other person feels or how it will affect them. They just want the pleasure, or the feeling of power like Ruth said. It is sick...¡±


    ¡°People like the feeling of hurting others,¡± Ruth comments. ¡°Even if you''re a good person, I''m sure you''ve felt that at some point in your life.¡±


    Zoe¡¯s face darkens. ¡°Well... there was one time, one of my friends... former friends, I should say... said something really horrible to me. I was so angry, I did want to hurt her...¡± she spaces out after this, seeming very morose now.


    ¡°Yeah, but that''s different than wanting to hurt someone innocent,¡± I argue, trying to cheer her up. ¡°Come on Ruth, lighten up a little. She just wanted to come say hello and we''re making her even more depressed!¡±


    ¡°No... I''m okay, don''t worry...¡± Zoe says, in a very thoroughly unconvincing way that doesn¡¯t make me stop worrying.


    ¡°Ruth has a very¡­ cynical view of humanity, you could say,¡± I explain further. ¡°Don''t overthink it too much, okay?¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn''t I?¡± Ruth argues calmly. ¡°Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.¡­¡±


    ¡°Matthew 7:13-14?¡± Zoe asks robotically.


    ¡°Yes, very good,¡± Ruth confirms, smiling encouragingly at her. ¡°The fact is, most people will never achieve enlightenment. And the few who find it are given perhaps the most unenviable task of all... being a teacher of the people they either can''t relate to, or hate themselves for relating to.¡±


    I chuckle at her. ¡°You''re really in a mood today, huh. Anyways, let''s talk again later. You should go join back up with Ashley.¡± Zoe is looking so down that I don¡¯t think spending more time with Ms. Gloom and Doom is a good idea for her.


    Zoe chuckles dryly. ¡°Haha, that Affordable Care Act stuff doesn''t sound so bad now... Okay, I''ll talk to you guys later! Bye!¡± She leaves the table. Despite her best efforts to appear otherwise, she still looks considerably dampened in mood compared to when she came here¡­


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Kevin, can I ask you something?¡± Ruth says once she¡¯s gone.


    ¡°Uh, sure. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°You know her girlfriend Ashley well, right? Would you say she''s a good person?¡±


    I¡¯m taken by surprise by this. ¡°Huh? Well, yeah. I mean¡­ ¡°


    I really want to say yes without any caveats, but something bothers me¡­ that one time I tried to ask Ashley out to Homecoming. How mad she looked at me, and how horrible I felt¡­


    ¡°She has her bad days like the rest of us. But she''s a good person overall. And I can tell she is good for Zoe; Zoe always seems more confident around her.¡±


    ¡°There was a rumor going around a while back about their relationship being forced and abusive.¡± Ruth comments.


    I shake my head. ¡°No, that''s not true at all. They''re a great couple. They¡¯re always happy together when I see them during class.


    Ruth looks pensively in the direction Zoe went, where she¡¯s now sitting back with her other friends. ¡°I hope you''re right,¡± is all she says.


    Weird¡­ what makes Ruth so curious about Ashley¡¯s strength of character all of a sudden? I swear, I can never figure out what¡¯s going on inside her head, no matter how many years we¡¯re friends.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    The investigation is at an odd place at the moment. We got a lot of people who were at this party, which mostly consisted of teachers who taught freshmen. Makes sense, given that Everheart himself taught freshman biology. Mr. Castro was supposed to report the tip to the non-emergency police line, but there¡¯s no way of knowing when he did, or if he¡¯s even gotten to it yet. And we haven¡¯t figured out any way to narrow it down further yet.


    Zoe and I just finished up with jazz band, meaning that school is over for the day. Zoe, being the sweetheart she is, is very worried that Ted is getting thirsty in her backpack, so we leave our backpacks in a secure place in the band hall and walk out to the hallway to the water fountain.


    While Zoe is filling up a Dixie cup, I see someone approach¡­ It''s Kevin.


    ¡°Hello again, Zoe,¡± he greets. ¡°Hey, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fancy meeting you here!¡± Zoe greets, smiling at him.


    ¡°Sorry about lunch¡­ Ruth has been in a weird mood recently. It happens from time to time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no problem! It was nice getting to talk to you guys!¡± she responds kindly.


    ¡°Yeah, you too. See you guys tomorrow,¡± he says. He continues down the hallway.


    ¡°Where¡¯s he going?¡± Zoe asks me curiously in a low voice. ¡°Classes are already over!¡±


    ¡°None of our business, I suppose,¡± I dismiss. ¡°Let¡¯s not leave our team mascot sitting alone too long.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ can you take him the water?¡± she requests. ¡°I have to pee¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agree. I take the Dixie cup and walk back to the band hall.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    I walk into Ms. Truman¡¯s room once again. She is typing away on her computer, entering grades, but when she sees me come in she gives me a big smile.


    ¡°Why, hello again,¡± she greets me.


    ¡°Hey. My mom usually stays for a while after school, so I have to kill time for a bit,¡± I explain.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll be here for a while myself, stay as long as you need.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say. I set my backpack down on a nearby desk.


    ¡°How are you feeling about¡­ what¡¯s been happening? Still down about it?¡± She asks kindly.


    ¡°Well, no new updates on that,¡± I tell her. ¡°Unless you count this weird conversation I had with a couple of friends during lunch.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What weird conversation?¡± she asks.


    ¡°We went down a bit of a rabbit hole while talking about Coach Everheart,¡± I explain. ¡°There was this question of¡­ what would make someone do something like that? How would they be okay with doing that to a student?¡±


    Ms. Truman heaves a large sigh. ¡°Oh, Kevin¡­ that¡¯s quite a heavy question for someone your age. Have you ever heard the term, ¡®cycle of abuse?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I vaguely remember hearing something like that,¡± I answer.


    ¡°Let me explain it just in case¡­ When someone is abused, whether it be physically, emotionally, or sexually¡­ they have control taken away from them, in a very traumatic way. Sometimes to get that control back, they turn to being abusers themselves. Or sometimes, they really start believing that they¡¯re worth nothing, so they end up in another abusive relationship. A perfect, self-sustaining cycle that continues forever¡­¡±


    I process this disturbing idea for a little bit. Abusing others to get control back¡­ but that¡¯s still not right. The new people they¡¯re hurting are innocent. Could someone be so damaged by trauma that it warps their morality like that?


    ¡°I wonder if something happened to Coach Everheart when he was younger, then,¡± I wonder aloud. ¡°But wait¡­ usually women are the ones who are victims of stuff like that, right?¡±


    She takes her hands off her keyboard and turns around to face me. ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right, Kevin,¡± she tells me. She stands up and smiles at me. ¡°You know, Kevin, I¡¯m really impressed with you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± I ask, confused.


    ¡°These past few days, you¡¯ve worried yourself sick about this¡­ teacher at our school, and what he might try to do. But it was never fear for yourself. You never thought once that you may become a victim. It was always totally selfless¡­ you¡¯re really a very special boy.¡±


    I blush, feeling warm at the unexpected praise. ¡°Oh¡­ well I mean¡­ what if he went after one of my friends? And¡­ I don¡¯t think anyone deserves that¡­¡±


    She slowly walks towards me. ¡°Men like you are rare, Kevin,¡± she continues. ¡°You¡¯re truly one of the best¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t help but to smile myself, though I also feel really embarrassed. Does she really think that highly of me? I never thought I was that special¡­ but it feels nice that someone really believes me. Someone really believes I¡¯m good.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I sit down next to Zoe¡¯s backpack, and when nobody¡¯s looking, I unzip it slightly and set the cup down gently at the bottom. ¡°Zoe thought you might be thirsty,¡± I say. He doesn¡¯t respond verbally, but I can faintly hear small slurping sounds from the backpack.


    And now¡­ I¡¯m by myself for a little bit. This is the first time I¡¯ve really gotten to stop and think about things today.


    So, we now are committed to a theory that Coach Everheart is being framed. This was done by sneaking around his house during the work party last weekend and using his computer, or at least his wi-fi, to send that Tumblr post. There is still a lot we don¡¯t know. We don¡¯t know who it is, although we know it must be someone who was at the party. We don¡¯t have any motive for doing this. We don¡¯t know what the poster is planning, if anything. Was just getting him locked up the endgame, or only step one in a bigger plot?


    Even if the work party theory isn¡¯t true, we know now that Coach Everheart is innocent. Unfortunately, the evidence we have is from the supernatural world, so we can¡¯t use it to clear him. We¡¯re not done yet. Is there still a way it could¡¯ve been him? What exactly did that voice say in the palace again¡­


    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth!¡± Anja yelled. ¡°Show yourself, you rapist monster!¡±


    ¡°Oh? But why should I?¡± the hissing replied. ¡°You already know who I am, don¡¯t you? You watched me get carted out of school just yesterday! Hehehehe!¡±


    ¡°Identify yourself then,¡± Ruth commanded them. ¡°Say something that only Coach Everheart himself would know. For instance, where would you like to go on vacation?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you trust the police?¡± the voice replied.


    The voice was clearly trying to obscure its identity at this point. If it was Coach Everheart hiding himself, it wouldn¡¯t have brought that up as the first response. If it was Coach Everheart trying to confirm our suspicions, it doesn¡¯t make any sense to dodge our questions.


    ¡°Not particularly,¡± I admitted. ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to reveal your true identity that easily, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fucking idiot, Ashley!¡± the hiss said. ¡°If you want to know who I am so badly, how about you come in and find me? I¡¯ll call off my vines and let you come¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not a trap or anything,¡± Nova snarked.


    ¡°But you won¡¯t be able to resist, will you?¡± the voice taunted. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting¡­¡±


    The voice tried to goad us into coming into the jungle¡­ which we refused to do. I frown¡­ something bothers me about this conversation, but I¡¯m not sure what it is. Something they said is just wrong¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fucking idiot, Ashley!¡± the hiss said.


    I freeze when I realize it. The voice called me Ashley. Whoever this is knows my name.


    How could that be¡­ Anja might¡¯ve said my name at some point while we were previously there, but that was months ago. Would they still remember it just from that?


    What if it¡¯s a teacher I have? Let¡¯s think through all of them.


    Ms. Truman, my English teacher¡­ I pull up the list Anja sent to see if she was at the party. She was, so I guess I can consider her a suspect.


    Coach Barrett, my Geometry teacher. He is a coach, like the blog post describes, but that doesn¡¯t really mean anything anymore. He was at the party, making him a suspect.


    Mr. Johnson, my AP Human Geography teacher. He was at the party as well.


    Mr. Castro for band. We can basically totally rule him out at this point, as he wouldn¡¯t have told Anja about the work party if he was trying to cover it up.


    Coach Everheart, of course, was at the party, as it was at his house.


    And finally, Mrs. Harding for Speech. She wasn¡¯t at the party. Moving on.


    So, if we assume that the suspect was at the party, and has me, that narrows it down to three¡­ is there anything suspicious about any of them?


    Mr. Johnson¡­ he¡¯s always seemed very dedicated to his work. Maybe it was a masquerade for his true intentions¡­ but that is just empty speculation. There¡¯s nothing suspicious about him.


    Ms. Truman¡­ I¡¯ve generally imagined this culprit being a man, but I guess it¡¯s technically possible it could be a woman behind this. Ruth suspects that the culprit¡¯s description of themself wasn¡¯t accurate anyway.


    Hmm¡­ yesterday, when I got to class, she was seemingly having a casual conversation with Kevin before school started. I found that odd. It didn¡¯t seem like they were discussing an assignment or anything, their poses were very relaxed. Kevin was sitting comfortably in a seat, so he had been there for a while.


    Speaking of Kevin... where  was  he going just now? I didn¡¯t think about it when Zoe pointed that out earlier, but¡­ well, the direction he was going would¡¯ve led to Ms. Truman¡¯s room. Was he going back there?


    I mean, he is into track, so maybe¡­ no, track practice would¡¯ve gotten cancelled for a while since Everheart was the teacher. But wait¡­ wasn¡¯t the student described by the blog also into athletics? That¡¯s a creepy thought. And the student was also a brunette. And had back luck with boys. I¡¯ve only known Kevin to crush on me, so I guess you could say¡­ he¡¯s had bad luck with girls¡­


    ¡°Ashley¡­ are you okay?¡± Ted¡¯s voice asks in a whisper from Zoe¡¯s backpack.


    ¡°Wha- yes, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t talk out here!¡± I whisper back furiously.


    ¡°Your breathing is funny¡­ I wanted to check on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just¡­ I need to check something. Be right back,¡± I tell him. I jump to my feet and briskly run out of the band hall.


    <hr>


    My heart is pumping surprisingly fast as I arrive in the hallway where Ms. Truman¡¯s classroom is. It¡¯s a hunch, and a weird one at that¡­ but it¡¯s too bizarre of a coincidence to just ignore. I¡¯m going to peek through the window on her door and¡­


    Kevin¡¯s in there. I knew it.


    What¡¯s more, he and Ms. Truman are hugging. Unlike Mason, Kevin¡¯s really not someone who ever struck me as desperately needing a new parental figure.


    Then, Ms. Truman makes eye contact with me over Kevin¡¯s shoulders. For a brief moment, she looks startled to see me. And then, she gets the biggest smile on her face which has more than a fair helping of mischief¡­. No. Worse than that. It¡¯s downright diabolical.


    She slowly puts out her hand, showing a clear expression with her palm;  wait . She reaches her hand into the pocket of her dress. She pulls out her cell phone. She unlocks it. Still holding Kevin; he doesn¡¯t seem to have noticed she¡¯s doing anything. She then turns her phone around to face me. Why? What does she want to show me?


    I squint and look at the screen¡­ There are a few apps on it. There¡¯s one that sticks out¡­ a black and red icon¡­ exactly like the one on mine. The one that takes me to and from the Metaverse.


    My pulse rushes even harder. What the everloving fuck? How? How does she know about that?


    She hovers her finger over the app¡­ as if about to press it. And I know from experience that it¡¯ll pull in whoever is nearby. Meaning that if she pushes it, Kevin will go in with her. And then¡­


    Without thinking, I grab the door handle and slam it open. I¡¯m running towards them, and Kevin is just now noticing something is wrong, saying ¡°Huh? Who¡­¡± when she presses the app, taking the three of us into the palace.

 Chapter 60: Spinning Wheel (December 10 Part 4)

    <Kevin>


    I have to blink my eyes a few times when the scenery around me suddenly flashes green. I look around, dazed. It looks like I¡¯m in the middle of the jungle¡­


    ¡°Huh... when did we get outside?¡± I ask, rubbing my eyes.


    ¡°Step away from him. Now.¡± A girl¡¯s deep voice commands.


    I whirl around. I see Ashley, who is¡­ wearing a suit of armor? And she has a sword, which is drawn¡­ and directed at Ms. Truman¡¯s throat. Ms. Truman is cowering away from her, her hands out in front, eyes wide with fear.


    ¡°Ashley... please,¡± Ms. Truman says, shaking her head. ¡°I- I don''t know what''s going on... I''m scared and confused... I don''t know what you want, but please, just don''t hurt Kevin...¡±


    Hurt me? Suddenly, the full absurdity of the situation hits me.


    ¡°Ashley, what are you doing?¡± I ask her. ¡°Why do you have a sword?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t move her stance but turns her head towards me. She has a look of disgust on her face that makes me wince a little bit. ¡°This woman... she is a despicable creature,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Do not let her get close to you again.¡±


    ¡°Ashley please... I don''t know what I did,¡± Ms. Truman pleads. ¡°Take my money, just please leave me alive...¡±


    ¡°I don''t care about your money, sicko.¡± Ashley responds, turning back to her.


    This is insane! What is she talking about?


    ¡°Ashley, come on! What are you threatening her for? That¡¯s Ms. Truman, our English teacher!¡± I say, trying to reason with her. ¡°Let''s just calm down... we need to figure out what''s going on here.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, I can tell you exactly what''s going on here,¡± Ashley tells me calmly. She drives her sword a little closer to Ms. Truman¡¯s neck, spilling a drop of her blood. ¡°This woman... this wretched, horrible woman... framed Coach Everheart for an act of rape that she was planning to commit. On you, Kevin. Do not trust another word she says.¡±


    I barely have time to process that statement when I hear rustling all around us.


    ¡°Aaaahhhh! Something¡¯s coming... what''s happening?¡± Ms. Truman screams, looking panicked. ¡°What are you doing, Ashley?¡±


    ¡°I''m not doing shit,¡± Ashley responds, starting to drop her sword. ¡°Kevin, get-¡°


    I feel something grab my arms at the same moment that I watch Ashley get immobilized by what look like ropes or vines grabbing her arms and legs, causing her sword to fall out of her grasp. I try to move and find that I¡¯m also tied¡­


    Ms. Truman¡¯s posture relaxes, her shoulders slumping. She takes deep, calming breaths as she looks between Ashley and I.


    ¡°What is this? Where even are we?¡± I ask, starting to panic.


    ¡°Somewhere where nobody will be able to find either of you,¡± she explains. ¡°Except for me, of course.¡±


    ¡°Not nobody,¡± Ashley contests. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay, one way or another.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a plan for what to do with your friends,¡± Ms. Truman gloats. ¡°They will be joining us soon enough¡­ under my terms. Which reminds me.¡± She strolls up to Ashley and starts reaching around her waist area.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me!¡± Ashley growls, trying to yank herself free of the strange vines.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not doing anything like that¡­ yet,¡± she assures her. ¡°I just needed¡­ this.¡± She pulls out Ashley¡¯s cell phone. ¡°We can¡¯t have any escape attempts now.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Truman¡­ are you really doing this?¡± I ask, feeling crestfallen. ¡°Did you frame Coach Everheart?¡±


    ¡°I saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, so I took it,¡± she explains casually, shrugging. ¡°Don¡¯t look so depressed. I think you¡¯re really gonna like what I have planned for you. Stay right here, mommy will be back soon¡­¡±


    She does something with her phone, and then she just¡­ disappears, right in front of our eyes.


    ¡°Kevin, listen to me carefully,¡± Ashley begins as soon as she is gone. ¡°In this world, everyone has the potential to awaken a great power within them, and that includes you. You can use this power to get us out of this.¡±


    ¡°A great power?¡± I question confusedly. ¡°This world? Ashley, I still have no idea what¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in a place called the Metaverse, where those with strong wills can make their very thoughts reality,¡± she explains. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but Ms. Truman has the ability to access it¡­¡±


    I¡¯m trying to wrap my head around this when something appears, emerging from the foliage. It looks like Ms. Truman, but if she were a villain from a comic book or something. The vines which are immobilizing us are coming from her head, the green vines thinning and transitioning into golden blonde hair strands that contrast from her usual brunette. Because of the way the vines are anchored to the floor, she is suspended several yards off the ground, looking down at us with a wicked smile unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen on her face. The feminine features of her body are exaggerated and displayed proudly by a revealing outfit, a green leotard with golden bands around her arms and legs. Normally I would probably find it hot, but I¡¯m too frightened and confounded about what¡¯s going on to appreciate it.


    ¡°Well, isn''t this a lovely surprise,¡± she calls at me. ¡°I was expecting a young boy to play with, but I get a bonus as well!¡±


    ¡°Ashley, what the hell is that?¡± I question in terror.


    ¡° That  is everything Ms. Truman has been hiding,¡± she says matter-of-factly.


    The blonde Ms. Truman giggles. ¡°While my other self gets things ready in the real world, I¡¯m gonna get you guys warmed up. Don¡¯t be afraid, now. I intend on showing you a good time.¡±


    ¡°And I intend on showing  you  my sword going through your heart,¡± Ashley growls.


    ¡°Why the defiance? I thought you¡¯d jump at the opportunity to get with a real woman. I¡¯m just like you, you know.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re  nothing  like me,¡± Ashley bites, starting to go red in the face. ¡°I like girls who are close to my age. You obsess over your own students because you¡¯re a freak.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I wanted this job?¡± Ms. Truman asks, smirking at her. ¡°I think people peak in high school. Old enough to be hungry for love, but young enough to be fresh and passionate.¡±


    ¡°And by that you mean young enough to manipulate and exploit,¡± Ashley retorts. I have a horrible realization; was she only being nice to me this whole time to get to me?


    ¡°There¡¯s something wonderful about the rush of having these feelings for the first time¡­ and definitely something charming about the naivety.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Ashley responds bluntly. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what excuses you have for being a molester. So how about you shut your mouth about it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. We should get started with the fun part now!¡± she turns towards me and grins. ¡°Now, Kevin. I know you have quite a thing for Ashley, right? Ever wondered what she looks like with her clothes off?¡±


    ¡°What? Wait¡­ No, don¡¯t do that!¡± I stammer, feeling very awkward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy! You want to see, do you not?¡±


    ¡°Not like this,¡± I respond, embarrassed. ¡°Never like this.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll change your mind once we get going,¡± she dismisses casually. ¡°Enjoy the show!¡±


    ¡°No, wait¡­¡± But she¡¯s not listening to me. The vines lower Ashley to the ground and hold her down like she¡¯s on an operating table.


    ¡°You know, that armor isn¡¯t very sexy. You¡¯re covering up all your best features.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking for your opinion,¡± Ashley snarks, trying desperately to wriggle free.


    Another vine comes up and covers Ashley¡¯s mouth, stopping her from talking anymore.


    ¡°Other than your bright green eyes, you¡¯re really rather plain¡­ but your figure is another story.¡±


    Ashley¡¯s eyebrows furl at this, and she makes growling noises as she continues to struggle against her constraints.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Please stop doing this!¡± I plead with Ms. Truman. ¡°This isn¡¯t right!¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it,¡± she taunts. ¡°Might as well let your natural instincts take over and enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna go to jail for this!¡± I threaten.


    She laughs hysterically at me. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Nobody will ever believe you over me.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± The embarrassment I felt earlier is turning quickly into rage.


    ¡°When we go back, and Ashley is mysteriously gone¡­ which side of the story do you think people are going to believe? That the cute, unassuming English teacher tried to violate two of her students? Or that an aggressive, hormone-addled little monster was trying to force himself on the girl he liked, who kept turning him down¡­ and the heroic teacher came to her rescue, giving her time to run away¡­¡±


    ¡°How could you say that about me? I¡¯m not like that at all!¡± I¡¯m getting so furious I want to burst into tears¡­


    ¡°Oh,  I  know that you¡¯re a little goody two-shoes,¡± she admits. ¡°But people in this world see what they want to see¡­ or in this case, what  I  want them to see.¡±


    ¡°My friends will believe me,¡± I argue desperately. ¡°They know I would never¡­¡±


    ¡°But your friends don¡¯t matter. The people in charge will listen to me over you. You¡¯ll go rot in juvie. But don¡¯t feel too sad¡­¡± she gives me a sinister grin. ¡°I¡¯m such a kind, forgiving soul that I¡¯ll come visit you¡­ and that¡¯s when the real fun will begin.¡±


    This proclamation hits me like a ton of bricks. In addition to my fury, panic surges through me as well. What if she¡¯s right? What if nobody believes me, just like they never do? I really have no way to win out against her. Unless...


    I look back at Ashley. The vines are circling her, seemingly trying to find a kink in the armor. She makes eye contact with me and gives me a stern look.  In this world, everyone has the potential to awaken a great power within them, and that includes you¡­


    <hr>


    I think I feel it now. In a moment, I picture a man with spiky black hair and a long red cloak, holding a long pistol, standing in front of a backdrop of a dark forest under a red sky. He gives me a toothy grin.


    ¡°You wanna know something?¡± I tell the man. ¡°All my life, I¡¯ve had people assume the worst of me. I¡¯ve had people pin things on me that weren¡¯t my fault. And what she just said, it¡¯s like she¡¯s doing the same thing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be dragged into this weird jungle. I didn¡¯t want to have someone I trusted manipulate and trap me. And I haven¡¯t enjoyed a second watching my¡­ my friend, be tormented right in front of me.¡±


    ¡°She called you a monster, Kevin,¡± the man tells me with a low, haunting voice. ¡°But you know that people like her are the real monsters. And you know how to deal with monsters-¡± he hands me his handgun- ¡°With a silver bullet to the head.¡±


    I take the gun and admire it, the sheen of the moon glistening on the holster.


    ¡°The wheel of fortune will turn for you no more,¡± he concludes. ¡°Now¡¯s the time to show your true self.¡±


    <hr>


    I open my eyes. I take in everything around me. The vines holding my limbs are flung off of me, as my school clothes change into a red longcoat. The same gun is in my hands. As I¡¯m falling to the ground, I take aim and quickly fire at the vines holding down Ashley. It¡¯s so cool¡­ it¡¯s like my reflexes have been cranked up to the max. As I hit the ground, Ms. Truman shrieks, and Ashley struggles free from the vines and chops them off with her sword.


    ¡°Hey, check it out! I got my stand!¡± I shout to Ashley.


    ¡°Your  what ?¡± she asks, frowning.


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited for too long!¡± Ms. Truman grunts, looking frustrated and desperate. ¡°I¡¯m not letting my catch get away from me again!¡±


    ¡°Kevin, let¡¯s go!¡± Ashley calls. ¡°Put some distance between us and Medusa here!¡± She turns away from Ms. Truman and runs into the dense trees, and I follow without thinking twice.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    When I come back to the band hall, I¡¯m surprised to see that Ashley is gone. Both of our backpacks are still sitting where we left them. Where did she go? I look around the hall, and peer into the practice rooms, but I don¡¯t see her anywhere.


    I sit down next to my backpack and softly whisper, ¡°Hey Ted¡­ do you know where Ashley went?¡±


    ¡°She needed to check something,¡± he responds in his own hoarse whisper. ¡°She wasn¡¯t right¡­ breathing was funny. Like she got freaked out at something.¡±


    Freaked out? This makes me worry¡­ Ashley never freaks out about stuff like that. She¡¯s always so calm and collected¡­ whatever it is must be really serious. Could it have to do with our case? I get up and start looking around more intently.


    ¡°Zoe, is everything alright?¡± Yonca asks, startling me. I hadn¡¯t noticed her sitting near the back as I walked by.


    ¡°Did you see where Ashley went? She was supposed to wait here for me,¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh¡­ it was so weird. She was sitting there, still and quiet¡­ and then all of a sudden got up and ran out the door!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not really like her, isn¡¯t it?¡± another voice says, and with a jolt I realize that Terra was sitting next to her. ¡°You better go find out what¡¯s up.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± I agree awkwardly. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m going to go find her¡­ Thanks.¡±


    I get out my phone and start messaging Ashley. Then, when I get no response, I message our group chat.


    Hey guys. Has anyone seen Ashley?


    Anja:


    I thought she was iwth you?


    She ran off.


    Ted said she was freaked out about something.


    I have a feeling it has something to do with our case


    Anja:


    Oh shit. That ain¡¯t good.


    I¡¯m still hanging around, so let¡¯s all meet up and look around for her.


    Uh¡­ I¡¯ll get Nova¡¯s attention, I¡¯m with him by the bus stop.


    You might want to check the orchestra hall for Ruth.


    Okay, will do Anja. Thank you.


    Without further ado I run to the orchestra hall. Sure enough, Ruth is there. She is sitting in the front of the room playing her cello. The song is a pretty piece of mostly eighth notes and many arpeggios. She¡¯s playing with her eyes closed, so I go up to get her attention.


    ¡°Ruth¡­ I¡¯m really sorry to bother you, but¡­ we need your help with something.¡±


    She opens her eyes and stops at once. ¡°Hello again, Zoe,¡± she greets.


    ¡°We think Ashley might be onto something,¡± I explain. ¡°But she ran off, and we have no idea where she went.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. She does strike me as the type to act impulsively,¡± she muses. ¡°She¡¯s very businesslike and to the point¡­¡±


    She sighs deeply and starts putting her instrument back into its case. ¡°Did you get any idea of what it was she found out?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just went back to the band hall, and she was gone¡­ and apparently, she was freaking out about something.¡±


    ¡°That does seem unlike her. Perhaps it is important, then¡­¡± She buckles up her case and hauls it over to her locker, moving quickly.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    ¡°There¡¯s my bus,¡± I say, watching #286 pull into the lot.


    ¡°Hold on. I think shit¡¯s happening,¡± Anja tells me, looking at her phone.


    ¡°Really? Now?¡± I groan. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have happened a few minutes ago?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it! I¡¯ll drive you home!¡± she offers, smiling at me.


    ¡°Oh, uh, thanks.¡± I tell her.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem! It¡¯ll be fun!¡±


    Both of us go back inside and catch Zoe and Ruth walking to the front office. Zoe has her backpack, so that¡¯s everyone in our group but Ashley.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been messaging and calling her, but I haven¡¯t gotten anything!¡± Zoe cries, clearly stressing out.


    ¡°You think she went back to the other side?¡± I question.


    ¡°If that were the case, she should¡¯ve returned by now,¡± Ruth reasons. ¡°Doesn¡¯t time pass much more slowly over there?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be totally surprised if she ran in there on her own, though,¡± Anja comments, sighing in a frustrated way. ¡°Damn her¡­¡±


    We stop talking at the sound of a pair of high heels approaching us. They belong to a teacher, a younger woman with brown hair and heavy lipstick on. She¡¯s looking straight at us, worried about something.


    ¡°I was hoping to run into you four,¡± she tells us.


    ¡°Uh, what?¡± I question. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°This is Ms. Truman, Ashley and I¡¯s English teacher!¡± Zoe introduces.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And you¡¯re all Ashley¡¯s friends, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we sure are,¡± Anja answers. She makes eye contact with Ruth and slowly shakes her head. I don¡¯t know what that means, but Ruth seems to understand.


    ¡°Well, there was an¡­ incident with her just now, and I¡¯m not sure where she went,¡± Ms. Truman explains.


    ¡°An incident?¡± Zoe exclaims. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was between her and Kevin. I¡¯m not exactly sure what happened, but he was mad at her for not going to Homecoming with him¡­ when I left my room to see what the fuss was about, she was screaming and running out the exit door, and he chased after her.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! He was always so nice!¡± Zoe cries, looking distressed.


    ¡°Ashley just screamed and ran away?¡± I ask, snickering. ¡°I thought she would¡¯ve broken the dude¡¯s nose. And this time nobody would¡¯ve blamed her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she panicked because of how sudden it was,¡± Ms. Truman reasons. ¡°I was wondering if one of you could help me find her, I¡¯m worried for her safety¡­ Zoe, you know her best, right? Why don¡¯t you come with me?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help!¡± Zoe agrees. ¡°I¡¯m really worried about her too¡­¡±


    Zoe walks forward, as if to follow Ms. Truman, when Ruth grabs her by the shoulder and stops her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all go,¡± she suggests. ¡°We¡¯re all her friends, and we can cover more ground as a group.¡±


    Ms. Truman thinks about this for a bit, and then says, ¡°Actually¡­ that¡¯s a good idea. We can all split up and try to find her. This way, everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna try texting her too, let¡¯s see if she responds,¡± Anja suggests. ¡°I really think everyone should try that¡­¡± The way she says that sounds like a hint hint, so as we walk down the hall I get out my phone. Anja is sending something in the group chat.


    Anja:


    I think she¡¯s lying.


    Nova¡¯s right. Ashley wouldn¡¯t react like that.


    And Ms. Truman was on the list of people who were at that work party.


    I don¡¯t know what part she¡¯s playing in this, but she knows something.


    She¡¯s trying to throw us off the scent.


    Ruth:


    I absolutely agree. I¡¯ve known Kevin for years and can vouch for his character.


    He held no grudge about being rejected for Homecoming.


    oh yeah, kevin


    anja didn¡¯t we talk to him there


    Anja:


    Right, we did!


    And yeah, he was chill about it.


    Zoe:


    What do we do then?


    Ruth:


    For whatever reason, she is trying to split us up.


    So we should try and stay together.


    Anja:


    Since she knows something, maybe we should try and interrogate her about it¡­


    I think I have an idea. Follow my lead.


    ¡°This is where I saw her last,¡± Ms. Truman tells us. I look up from my phone. We¡¯re in the English hallway, right by the end where the exit is.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Anja says. ¡°You know, the timing of this is kinda freaky. Wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    ¡°You mean with what happened to Coach Everheart?¡± Ms. Truman replies.


    ¡°Yeah, that!¡± Anja agrees.


    ¡°Well, Kevin was on his track team,¡± Ms. Truman explains. ¡°I think he might¡¯ve been  inspired  to follow in his coach¡¯s footsteps¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really crazy, you know¡­ weren¡¯t you just at a work party with him last weekend?¡± Anja asks pointedly.


    For a moment, she looks like Anja just punched her in the face. But then, she relaxes again, and says, ¡°Yeah, I was. And I thought he was being rather suspicious. He kept talking about his female students and their bodies.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t report him?¡± Ruth questions, frowning.


    ¡°Well, you know how it is, being a woman in a man¡¯s world,¡± Ms. Truman says dramatically. ¡°They¡¯ll always just shut you down¡­¡±


    ¡°Too true, sister,¡± Anja responds. ¡°But was there anyone else suspicious at that party? He would¡¯ve had to have posted that blog thing while it was happening¡­ what if it was someone else on his Wi-Fi, hmm?¡±


    The hall goes dead silent. All four of us are looking at Ms. Truman, who goes as white as a ghost. Then, she starts looking angry.


    ¡°Well, you kids must think you¡¯re really smart, do you?¡± she asks spitefully.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty smart,¡± Anja responds, smirking. ¡°Smart enough to do¡­ THIS!¡± She pulls out her phone and¡­ okay, sure. I guess we¡¯re going back into the Metaverse.

 Chapter 61: Cassandra Awakens (December 10 Part 5)

    <Ashley>


    After running for what feels like hours, Kevin and I find a small clearing and decide to take a break. I don¡¯t let my guard down- I circle the clearing, expecting the vines to return at any moment. If I¡¯m being totally honest, the paranoia that I might be grabbed at any moment is taking a mental toll on me¡­ but, there hasn¡¯t been any sign of her for a while. What is she plotting?


    ¡°Um¡­ Ashley, can I ask you something?¡± Kevin says. He sounds very sheepish.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think less of me now after what happened back there, do you?¡±


    I look at him. He looks flushed and embarrassed.


    ¡°Kevin, why on earth would I think less of you after you saved me from being raped?¡± I question incredulously.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I mean before that. Like, when I kinda¡­ admitted I¡­ sometimes think stuff about you.¡± He shies away a little.


    I can¡¯t help but to scoff at this. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that, dude. The chips were down, and you did the right thing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± he asks curiously. ¡°I thought that girls don¡¯t like it when guys think about that stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°I suppose that depends on the girl,¡± I answer. ¡°But do you really think that straight girls never think that stuff about guys? Newsflash: They do. They¡¯re just better about being discreet about it.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± he says. He has this amazed look on his face like I just blew his mind. Well, I suppose he  is  Catholic, so I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    ¡°Really, I should apologize to you, Kevin,¡± I confess, going back to circling the area.


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    ¡°When you asked me to Homecoming, I was really harsh towards you. But, you must¡¯ve not known about Zoe and I then.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± he admits. ¡°I never used to hear about gossip stuff. That is, until Mason and Diana started dating. Now I hear all about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyways. It was wrong for me to react that way. I understand that, from your perspective, there was nothing wrong with what you did. So I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I haven¡¯t been sweating it. I figured you were just having a bad day or something.¡±


    This makes me pause. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Kevin. There are people in this world, who treat everyone else like crap, and they just make excuses for it. You know, like Ms. Truman.¡± I make another sweep of the forest around us, but it¡¯s still quiet for now. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna end up like that. So I¡¯m not making excuses anymore.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to compare yourself to her, Ashley,¡± Kevin consoles me. ¡°You¡¯re a cool person.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Kevin,¡± I respond. I find it really relieving that he still respects me after what happened then. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I think you¡¯ll be good for whoever you end up with,¡± I tell him earnestly. ¡°You¡¯re a good man.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ashley,¡± he replies, blushing. ¡°That means a lot.¡±


    The nice moment is interrupted by something very odd. The gemstone embedded into my chest plate begins glowing brightly. Over the past months, I honestly kind of forgot that I had this.


    Kevin squints at the light. ¡°What¡¯s up with that rock?¡± he asks.


    I try to block it out with my hand so it doesn¡¯t blind him¡­ and then I get a most peculiar sensation. It¡¯s like my stream of thought is being parted¡­


    Ashley? Are you in trouble?  A voice says inside my head.


    Yes. Who am I talking to? Michael?


    No, it¡¯s me, Lucy. Did you mean to touch your gem?


    Oh, does touching my gem summon you? I never tried that before.


    I must¡¯ve forgotten to mention it. The journal that I initially used to contact you has a psychic link to me. And since your pink gem is inside the journal in the real world, I can jump from that to reach you where you are.


    ¡°You okay, Ashley?¡± Kevin asks. ¡°You look-¡°


    I hold out a hand to silence him.  You did forget to mention it. Well, it¡¯s really lucky you did that. I happen to be here without my cell phone right now.


    It¡¯s always good to have contingencies. Anyways, are you in that jungle palace?


    Yes. And I¡¯ve learned who it belongs to. And she has an app too. She can come to the Metaverse.


    I feel a distinct feeling of excitement that is separate from my own thoughts.  You¡¯re not kidding, huh. Well, I figured you were going to stumble into the scheme sooner or later. Very good work.


    I sure as hell didn¡¯t expect this. But, let¡¯s talk about the big picture stuff later. Right now I¡¯m trapped in the palace with a very persistent child molester¡¯s shadow, no backup but a boy who just awakened his Persona, and no way out. Got any hot tips for me?


    I think you might be ready to harness the power of this gem. It¡¯ll be sort of like a second Persona awakening¡­ if you find yourself in a pinch, tap into its power and see what it can do. And I mean that literally, because we don¡¯t know what it does yet.


    Okay. I guess that¡¯s something. Thanks.


    It¡¯s somewhat comforting that I at least have a potential Hail Mary if things go wrong. That said, it would be more comforting if I knew what was going to happen¡­


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    We arrive in the jungle again. Anja, Nova, Zoe and Ted the armadillo all take battle stances and round on Ms. Truman, who is laying on her butt several yards away, seemingly having lost balance during the transition. I expect her to look frightened, but she only looks slightly annoyed. How strange.


    Anja seems quite pleased with herself. ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed. We¡¯re not gonna hurt you,¡± Anja promises. ¡°But, this place we took you to is quite dangerous. So I wouldn¡¯t recommend trying to run for it. We¡¯re your only way out of this. Now, I have a few questions.¡± She pats the holster of her gun threateningly, smiling smugly.


    Ms. Truman stands up, gets out her phone, and then disappears without saying a word.


    ¡°What in tarnation!¡± Ted shouts incredulously.


    ¡°Where the hell did she go?¡± Anja questions, looking around as if expecting to see her dashing into the trees.


    ¡°She just¡­ vanished,¡± Zoe comments, clearly in shock. ¡°Did she leave the Metaverse?¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ hold on,¡± Nova says. ¡°Does she have one of those apps that we use?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Anja responds. ¡°Unless you¡¯re saying that this woman knows Lucy?¡±


    ¡°Either that, or Lucy¡¯s not the only one distributing those,¡± Nova says darkly.


    The next step for us is, at this point, unclear. Zoe gets her phone and starts trying to call Ashley again, presumably checking if she was in the Metaverse. Anja thought that she might¡¯ve come in alone, and if so, it would explain why she didn¡¯t respond to any messages or calls in the real world.


    ¡°No! She¡¯s still not picking up!¡± Zoe says, looking close to tears. ¡°Ashley, where are you?¡±


    ¡°Wherever she is, she must not have her phone,¡± Nova speculates. ¡°Or she¡¯s refusing to answer it, for some reason.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why she¡¯d be ignoring Zoe,¡± I say, mostly thinking out loud. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t have her phone, that means we can¡¯t contact her. It also means that if she is in the Metaverse she cannot leave it, and if she is in the real world, she cannot come here.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think she¡¯s trapped here, do you?¡± Anja questions, looking rather alarmed.


    ¡°Wait¡­ maybe she is!¡± Nova says excitedly. ¡°Think about it¡­ that teacher lady can go back and forth. What if she took Ashley here and left her?¡±


    ¡°The story she gave us about Ashley¡¯s whereabouts was preposterous,¡± I add in agreement. ¡°It does seem as if she was trying to hide something from us. So it¡¯s possible that story could¡¯ve been a wild goose chase to keep us from looking for Ashley in here, which we were considering doing when she walked up.¡±


    ¡°But if she¡¯s in here, how the hell are we going to find her?¡± Zoe asks in a panicked voice. ¡°Everywhere looks the same here! And who knows how big it is?¡±


    ¡°We need like, a satellite map of it or something,¡± Nova comments, picking at the curls in his hair as he thinks. ¡°But I guess nobody really has that ability here¡­¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Ted comments. He gives me a meaningful look. ¡°But we do have someone without a Persona.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but what are the chances of her abilities being that specific thing?¡± Anja questions.


    ¡°Actually, I think I see what Ted is implying,¡± I remark. ¡°Remember that game I showed you this morning? In the game, there was one character of the team who had a different skillset than the rest, known as the navigator. She wouldn¡¯t fight in battles but would instead provide aid through scans of the area and indirect support through stat buffs and analysis of the enemy¡¯s weak points.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to be based on the legends and stuff, right?¡± Nova questions, scratching his head. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you can make yourself into that?¡±


    ¡°I reckon so,¡± Ted confirms. ¡°Think about when the rest of y¡¯all got your abilities. You were cornered by an enemy; you needed power to beat them. But this girl¡­ the whole time she¡¯s been with us, she¡¯s listened, she¡¯s observed¡­ she seeks insight.¡±


    ¡°Why thank you Ted,¡± I agree, smiling at him.


    ¡°I mean, go ahead and give it a shot,¡± Anja suggests, shrugging.


    I sit down on the ground, legs crossed, and close my eyes. I clear my mind of all thoughts and focus only on breathing in and out. I then isolate each sensation I feel in my body. I focus in on my gut, where I feel a steady anxiety about the idea of Ashley being stranded on her own. I release that feeling and let it consume me. My vision swirls, as if I¡¯m entering another world¡­ and then, it comes into focus.


    <hr>


    I am now sitting on a rocky hill. In front of me, in the foreground, is a woman with wild red hair wearing a blue and gold robe. In the background, the city of Troy, surrounded by a moat yet burning to the ground.


    ¡°You are Cassandra,¡± I address the woman, ¡°As depicted by the artist ¡®Evelyn De Morgan.¡¯ A painting I find myself sympathizing with quite often. The Trojan priestess who was gifted with the ability to see the future but cursed to always have her prophecies ignored.¡±


    ¡°They-¡± she gestures at the city behind her- ¡°Do not want truth. They want ease. They want confirmation of what they already believe. They want a status quo. They want predictability. And they will take it, every time. Even if it leads to their city in ruin¡­ or an innocent man in jail.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I agree. ¡°It was quite an odd situation to be in. I had a realization about something. I already know from experience my family would¡¯ve ignored it. And I expect the institutions that are supposed to serve us would¡¯ve as well. My best option was to give my findings to the weird occult kids at my school¡­¡± I laugh at the absurdity of it. ¡°And my risk paid off. They have taken me far further than I could¡¯ve gotten otherwise. But now, I need a greater level of insight¡­¡±


    ¡°You have found this power within you,¡± she tells me. ¡°The one who is ready to receive this gift, shall do so.¡±


    <hr>


    I open my eyes. The others are looking at me expectantly.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Zoe questions eagerly.


    I get to my feet, and as I do, I feel as if I stepped to the other side of a veil. My clothes have changed to a blue blouse. Not all dissimilar from the one I saw on Cassandra, but this one is more modest, covering down my ankles and over my elbows. My hair is neatly tied in a bun and tucked into a hood, which is a look I rarely bother with in real life; yet somehow it causes me no discomfort.


    ¡°Well, her clothes changed,¡± Anja remarks. ¡°That means  something  happened.¡±


    ¡°I was expecting her to get super high-tech glasses or something,¡± Nova comments. ¡°Do you, like, feel any different?¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment to focus,¡± I request. I close my eyes again and take a deep breath. I find, to my surprise, that I can ¡°feel¡± outside my body. My consciousness can pass over my body and out through the air, making it feel rather like a curious wind is blowing through me. Immediately I feel several pressure points right around me emanating a sort of vibrancy. These are Anja, Nova, Zoe, and Ted. I find that, even with my eyes closed, I can gain a sort of outline of them in my head. They are all watching me still, their auras emanating with worry, excitement, interest, skepticism, all mixing together into a sort of soup that envelops the group.


    I nudge my way through the jungle like this, seeing what I can find. There is very little here. However, eventually I come across three other pressure points. One of them emanates a large amount of power and resolution. Focusing on this figure more, I gain a very rough outline of Ashley, who is seemingly walking through the jungle aimlessly. Another one is right next to her, walking alongside her¡­ I¡¯m shocked to find that I recognize it as being Kevin. His energy is similar to that of Ashley and the others in the group, making me think that he also awakened a ¡°Persona.¡± The third one is something that feels very different from everyone else, that I can¡¯t get a clear picture of. But whoever it is seems to be closely following Ashley and Kevin without being seen.


    I open my eyes again and point in the direction where I felt the vibrations. ¡°Ashley is here,¡± I announce. ¡°And, surprisingly, so is my friend Kevin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it made you a psychic!¡± Nova comments, looking impressed. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s cool too!¡±


    ¡°I knew you had it in you,¡± Ted tells me in a fatherly sort of way.


    ¡°Kevin''s in here too?¡± Zoe asks, shocked. ¡°Oh, Ms. Truman did say something about the two of them, that¡¯s right¡­¡±


    ¡°Ashley and Kevin seem to be working together,¡± I elaborate. ¡°But there is some third person, who I can¡¯t identify, following them closely.¡±


    ¡°I bet that¡¯s the shadow form of this palace¡¯s ruler!¡± Anja postulates. ¡°Let¡¯s go after them, they could need our help!¡±


    ¡°Aye. Time¡¯s a wasting!¡± Ted commands.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    I¡¯ve been on plenty of hikes before, but there¡¯s something very dispiriting about the jungle we¡¯re in. Normally, you¡¯ll hear insects (if you¡¯re not being bitten by them,) you¡¯ll see critters running up and down trees. You¡¯ll see benches built by some boy scout troop, and maybe an occasional plaque explaining some landmark. But in this jungle, there¡¯s just nothing. It is so desolate that after long enough of going through, it just makes me feel kind of sad and empty. So I¡¯m really quite relieved when we stumble upon a change of scenery: a single little cottage in the middle of a clearing.


    ¡°Ashley, look!¡± I announce, pointing at the cottage. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s someone there who can help us!¡±


    ¡°No, Kevin. There¡¯s nobody there who can help us,¡± she responds disparagingly. ¡°You don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on here yet. This entire stupid place is a product of Ms. Truman¡¯s mind.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ we¡¯re inside her brain???¡± I ask. ¡°So what do you think is in there, then?¡±


    She sighs. ¡°A trap. But, she hasn¡¯t made any effort to get us the normal way in quite some time. So the radio silence must have been building up to this.¡±


    ¡°So do you think we should just ignore it?¡± I question.


    ¡°Actually, no. Let¡¯s go in. I have an ace up my sleeve I¡¯m gonna hit her with, so we can end this once and for all,¡± Ashley declares. ¡°You ready?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ sure,¡± I say, taken off guard. I start to feel really nervous. What kind of trap is going to be in there?


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± she says. She walks towards the cottage with a quick stride. I take a long, deep breath, and then follow her in.


    Inside the cottage is¡­ a normal sitting room. It has a very old-fashioned feel. The walls and most of the furniture are made from wood, with stone being used for the kitchen. There is a patchy rug covering the floor which looks like it could¡¯ve been home sewn. There¡¯s no TV, no microwave, nothing very modern, although there is an electric light fixture illuminating the room.


    ¡°Okay¡­ never mind then,¡± Ashley remarks. ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t a trap. Just a regular cottage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± I say, letting myself relax.


    ¡°Might be a good time to rest our legs,¡± she suggests. She sits on a bench which is adorned with pillows. I¡¯m about to sit in an armchair across from it, but she gestures to the spot right next to her. I sit beside her on the bench.


    ¡°That was a nice conversation we had earlier,¡± she says.


    ¡°Yeah, it was.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember when I said, ¡®different girls react differently?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I wasn¡¯t willing to admit it at the time, but I actually felt really¡­ flattered when you said that stuff about me. Intrigued, even.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± I question. That is¡­ confusing.


    ¡°Yeah. You know Kevin, just because I¡¯m dating a girl, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not into guys at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. That¡¯s called being bisexual.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And you know, I was thinking¡­ you saved my life. You were my knight in shining armor. I should reward you properly for it.¡±


    ¡°Wait. No. You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    She nods, smiling widely at me. I feel a¡­ uh, mix of emotions. Part of me, the part of me that doesn¡¯t really think, is really excited¡­ but this is also so bizarre that I¡¯m totally befuddled as to what got into her. And on top of that I¡¯m quite nervous¡­


    ¡°Uh¡­ are you feeling okay, Ashley? This is very unlike you.¡±


    She giggles. ¡°It¡¯s just like I told you, Kevin. We girls have wild sides too¡­ we just keep them hidden away.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh. Just go with it, okay?¡±


    She gets to her feet and walks to the center of the room. ¡°Step one is getting this stuffy armor off of me¡­¡± And then, right in front of my eyes, she starts disassembling her armor. I¡¯m initially frightened that she¡¯s going to be totally naked under it, but when her chest plate comes off, I see that she is wearing a sparkly pink dress that glitters every time she moves¡­ it looks incredible on her. For a moment I¡¯m just left in awe¡­


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    To try and get to Ashley and Kevin as soon as possible, we run through the forest, Nova occasionally clearing away some branches in front of us using Mj?lnir. I normally don¡¯t like running very much, but the adrenaline is making me able to run a long way without getting tired. Or maybe that¡¯s just because I¡¯m in this world? I couldn¡¯t say.


    My heart is still pumping hard. I have this dramatic song stuck in my head which I listened to while getting ready for school this morning¡­


    ¡°Guys, stop for a moment,¡± Ruth says.


    The five of us grind to halt. Ruth has her eyes closed again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Nova asks. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I detected something extremely odd. Ashley just¡­ went away.¡±


    ¡°Went away?¡± I question fervently. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like she fell into a hole¡­ but instead of going down, she went¡­ away.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she escaped from here?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°No¡­ because Kevin is still here. And there is some¡­ thing in the place where Ashley was.¡±


    ¡°Some  thing ?¡± Anja asks, sounding as frightened as I feel.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like any of us do¡­ it¡¯s like an empty shell in the shape of a human.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve had spirits and demons tamper with our missions before,¡± Ted mentions. ¡°I¡¯ll bet you one of them got in here¡­¡±


    ¡°We need to get there even faster now!¡± I shout. The others agree, and we take off back in the same direction at a sprinting pace.

 Chapter 62: Part II (December 10 Part 6)

    <Kevin>


    ¡°Well, Kevin? What do you think?¡± she asks, posing in the center of the room and giving me a mischievous smile.


    ¡°You look gorgeous,¡± I say honestly.


    ¡°Well, how sweet of you,¡± she says, giggling in a very not-Ashley way. ¡°So¡­ what do you say about my ¡®reward¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, Ashley¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t know?¡± she asks, the smile vanishing from her face so instantaneously that it¡¯s kind of creepy.


    ¡°I mean¡­ what about Zoe?¡± I ask.


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°You would be betraying her trust. I can¡¯t let you do that to her.¡±


    Ashley hisses with annoyance. ¡°Kevin, you are such a freaking boy scout, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Ashley, I¡¯m serious. Don¡¯t be an adulterer. It¡¯s like, one of the commandments.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Actually, I¡­ Zoe and I are in an open relationship.¡±


    ¡°Open? How is it open?¡±


    ¡°It means that both of us can still see other people, and it¡¯s not cheating!¡±


    ¡°No way. Neither of you seem like the type to do that kind of thing.¡±


    She frowns at me, and then tosses her hair to the side dramatically. ¡°Well, I guess you just don¡¯t know as much about me as you thought. Now, for the love of god, can we just have sex already?¡±


    At that moment, there is a loud knock on the door. A male voice that sounds vaguely familiar says, ¡°Pizza delivery for Ms. Davis and Mr¡­ Kevin.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Ashley hisses under her breath. ¡°Come on, Kevin, let¡¯s take this to another room¡­¡± she starts pulling on my arm urgently.


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute!¡± I question. ¡°Who is that out there?¡±


    The door gets smashed down with a loud bang. Someone walks in who I remember talking to back at the Homecoming dance, except now he¡¯s wearing this fancy looking robe and carrying a large hammer. ¡°I¡¯m sure I got the right house¡­ I have one medium pizza with pepperoni, cheese, and¡­ uh, cum.¡±


    ¡°Nova, that is disgusting,¡± says another voice, and I am shocked but also pleased when Ruth walks into the room behind him.


    ¡°No way, what are you doing here?¡± I ask.


    Nova walks straight up to Ashley and points his hammer at her, which makes her recoil away from me and hold her arms out in front of herself defensively.


    ¡°Sup,  Fake Ashley ?¡± Nova says threateningly.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®fake¡¯?¡± I ask.


    My head is spinning from the sheer amount of weirdness going on, when two more girls walk into the cottage; Zoe, and that one girl who was with Nova at Homecoming.


    ¡°Hey Zoe. Hey, aren¡¯t you that one bisexual girl?¡± I ask them sequentially.


    ¡°Damn right I am!¡± bisexual girl replies proudly.


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Anja,¡± a gruff voice says. ¡°And you¡¯d do well to remember it, laddy.¡±


    I look around for a moment, unable to tell who had said that¡­ and then, I see an armadillo walking around on two legs!


    ¡°Guys, what in the¡­¡± I start to say.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, we know, it¡¯s a talking armadillo,¡± Anja says in a tired voice. ¡°Just get used to it already.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I should get the real Ashley to wear something like that!¡± Zoe says when she lays eyes on the allegedly fake Ashley, her eyes twinkling. ¡°It looks super pretty!¡±


    ¡°I am really pretty, aren¡¯t I?¡± Ashley replies smugly. But then, she signs defeatedly. ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯m not the real Ashley.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no shit,¡± Nova says, poking his hammer at her threateningly. ¡°So what are you, Moloch or some shit?¡±


    ¡°Mo- what?¡± Fake Ashley asks incredulously.


    ¡°I seriously doubt that it is Moloch based on your characterization of them,¡± Ruth says. ¡°You said that Moloch was a very powerful foe, but the power level of this being is extremely weak.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll show you my ¡®power level,¡¯ you fat slut!¡± Fake Ashley growls.


    ¡°Enough with the body shaming!¡± Anja reprimands. ¡°Who are you ACTUALLY?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a figment of Shari¡¯s imagination,¡± she answers simply.


    ¡°Uh¡­  Shari? ¡± Nova questions.


    ¡°That¡¯s Ms. Truman¡¯s first name,¡± Zoe says helpfully.


    ¡°Yes, she lets me call her that because I¡¯m one of her favorites,¡± Fake Ashley says, smirking again. ¡°She makes most of the other kids call her ¡®Mommy.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Wow, thanks so much for sharing that,¡± Anja says sarcastically. ¡°We really weren¡¯t traumatized by this shitty palace enough already, so feel free to keep giving us sickening insights into this teacher¡¯s depraved thoughts.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be so judgmental if you knew what she¡¯s gone through,¡± Fake Ashley snaps back.


    ¡°It hardly matters,¡± Ruth interjects. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any information you could give me that would make me forgive trying to rape multiple of my fellow students and friends. And on that tack, where is the real Ashley?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, her.¡± Fake Ashley starts glancing around the room, until her eyes rest on the light fixture. ¡°Let me ask you guys this. Have you ever heard of Schr?dinger¡¯s Cat?¡±


    ¡°Of course we have,¡± Ruth affirms.


    ¡°Well, Shari has a complex mind. From outside of the cottage, the light could either be on or off. You can''t tell until you go inside. While Kevin walked into this cottage, where the light is on, my doppelganger went into the version where the light is off. I seized that opportunity to take her place.¡±


    ¡°Where is that replica, though?¡± Ruth questions. ¡°I can¡¯t detect her  anywhere .¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s in sort of a pocket dimension on her own.¡±


    ¡°How do we get to her?¡± Zoe pleads.


    ¡°Find the light switch and turn it off,¡± Fake Ashley explains. ¡°Then, come stand close to me, and I can take you there.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ why are you helping us?¡± Anja questions, frowning at her.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t say no to a cute face like that!¡± Fake Ashley answers, winking at Zoe.


    ¡°You better not be bullshitting us,¡± Anja warns, shooting a suspicious glare at her.


    ¡°If she exists as a figment of Ms. Truman¡¯s imagination, I have a hard time imagining that she would have that complex of an agenda,¡± Ruth reasons.


    ¡°Aye, she¡¯s trustworthy,¡± the armadillo man agrees. ¡°Well, on this particular matter, anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°You can just  tell ?¡± I ask, despite myself. ¡°Is it like how dogs can tell when people are evil?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d mighty appreciate it if you didn¡¯t liken me to a pet, thank you very much,¡± the armadillo responds indignantly.


    ¡°Ted  is  good at reading that sort of thing, though,¡± Zoe explains. ¡°When Moloch was pretending to be Ashley, he knew she wasn¡¯t the real one instantly¡­ it was just an instinct.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s settled,¡± Nova says flatly. ¡°Sorry Anja, outvoted.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s fine,¡± Anja concedes, shrugging. ¡°Not like I had any other ideas on how to get into this pocket dimension thingy anyway.¡±


    And with that, the others start looking around the room for a light switch. Anja and Nova start searching along the back wall of the cabin, while Zoe and Ted go back to the entrance. Ruth, meanwhile, offers me a hand to get up, which I take.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Uh, Ruth?¡± I ask. ¡°That¡¯s the real you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes it is,¡± she says, smiling at me. ¡°We first met during a club soccer event in third grade. You threw a banana peel on the ground, expecting it to decompose, to which I explained that it would decompose slowly enough to still constitute being litter.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Good memory!¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ what the hell is going on here?¡± I ask, watching Ted the talking armadillo sniff around the kitchen counter. ¡°Ashley never really explained properly¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll fill you in when there¡¯s a break in the action,¡± she says. ¡°And I want to hear your side of the story, too. I had no idea you would be here with her.¡±


    ¡°I found it!¡± Zoe calls, standing near the doorway. ¡°Should I flip it, everyone?¡± She glances nervously between Anja and Fake Ashley.


    ¡°Yeah, go for it,¡± Anja answers.


    Zoe turns back to the switch, biting her lip. Ultimately, however, her desire to find Ashley wins out over any apprehension she felt, and she flips the switch.


    The cottage goes dark, way darker than I was expecting. As the light goes out, it also suddenly changes to night outside. If that wasn¡¯t odd enough, the house begins shaking back and forth¡­


    I look back at Fake Ashley, who is standing calmly where she was, except now emitting a pearly white glow like a ghost. Ruth and I step towards her, and soon the others close in around us. I swear for a moment I can see a large pair of eyes staring at us from the darkness, when my vision fades.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    However, when I step into the cottage, something is very wrong. Kevin seems to disappear- I thought he was right behind me, but when I turn to see where he went, there¡¯s no sign of him. I try to open the door¡­ and it¡¯s locked.


    I sigh to myself. Well, here we go again. I wonder what traumatic memory I¡¯m going to relive this time.


    I look around. The cottage is dark and dingy. I find a window, and outside is entirely a different scene than what Kevin and I were just walking through. It¡¯s nighttime, and there is a fierce snowstorm blowing. The cottage itself is only lit by a fireplace roaring on the other side of the room. There¡¯s no sign of the jungle, and instead I see a hilly terrain with mountains far in the distance.


    I hear footsteps coming from behind the backdoor. I quickly draw my sword and face whoever is coming. The door flies open, and I¡¯m startled to see that the footsteps belonged to Zoe¡­


    ¡°Ashley! Thank goodness I finally found you!¡± she cries. She starts to run towards me, but I hold out a hand, making her stop a few feet away.


    ¡°Zoe, why are you by yourself?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I¡­ we thought we could find you faster if we split up¡­¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°That was stupid. She¡¯ll be able to get you so much more easily on your own.¡±


    ¡°I was so worried about you!¡± she simpers, looking stressed out. ¡°Can I have a hug, please?¡±


    ¡°Zoe, what was the name of the song you were listening to this morning?¡± I question.


    She cocks her head. ¡°Um, uh¡­ which one?¡±


    ¡°You know the one. It had an ending that went like this¡­


    ¡°Like the moon we borrow our light.


    I am nothing but a shadow in the night,


    So if you let me I will catch fire


    To let your glory and mercy shiiiine¡­¡±


    She still looks lost after listening to my singing. ¡°Uh¡­ I forgot the name, sorry.¡±


    ¡°What band made it, then?¡±


    She stares at me blankly. ¡°Simple Plan?¡±


    I hoist my sword up threateningly, to which she immediately cowers and begs, ¡°No, wait, please!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I figured you wouldn¡¯t be as easy to fool as Kevin,¡± Ms. Truman¡¯s voice says. It comes from every direction at once, just like it did when we first entered the palace, only this time she¡¯s making no attempt to disguise it.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my first rodeo, you know,¡± I say. ¡°So what, were you going to have Zoe seduce me and enjoy watching from the sidelines?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± she admits. ¡°Clearly you kids want nothing to do with  me , so I had to get creative.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s your plan B then? Gonna whip the vines back out?¡± I ask, trying to bait her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve grown bored of these cat and mouse games, if I¡¯m honest. How about I give you an offer you can¡¯t refuse?¡±


    ¡°I certainly can refuse it. Try me.¡±


    She sighs. ¡°Ashley¡­ put aside your pride for a moment, okay? You have an opportunity right now that most teens would kill for, you know.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re really so vain as to believe we all want some creepy lady touching our private parts, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget about me, Ashley. Look in front of you.¡±


    I turn my head straight, where the fake Zoe is standing, grinning at me sweetly.


    ¡°She looks just like your Zoe, doesn¡¯t she? But she¡¯ll do  anything  you want. She¡¯ll be totally obedient. You¡¯ve never gotten to touch her, have you? Are you worried about her naivety? Or perhaps trying to cling to some partially modified rendition of your religion? Well, none of that matters here¡­¡±


    The fake Zoe blinks her eyelids at me slowly. Despite myself, I feel my heart beat a little faster.


    ¡°I can even fix any physical imperfections you want. Want bigger cups? Or maybe even smaller ones? I can will it into existence in an instant¡­ I¡¯ll make you your perfect Zoe. Say the word, Ashley¡­¡±


    Zoe looks up at me, eyes wide and her hands politely crosses in front of her, indeed looking ready to obey any order I might give. I close my eyes and steady myself for a moment.


    ¡°So you expect me to just make love to her, knowing full well that you¡¯re  watching ?¡± I challenge.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, not much of an exhibitionist?¡±


    ¡°No, but that¡¯s not the point¡­ I guess I should quit expecting you to understand basic human emotion.¡±


    The cottage seems to unfold neatly, as if it were made out of paper. I expect the chilling wind to numb my face, but it only feels like a soft breeze. The walls fold down to reveal Ms. Truman in the moonlight, hovering a few yards in the air with her vines, looking the same as usual, but with her hair freely blowing in the breeze. The usual hungry smile she¡¯s had is gone; she now looks very gaunt.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand, Ashley,¡± she says sternly. ¡°What don¡¯t I understand about basic human emotion?¡±


    ¡°Just because  you  see people as fleshy sex dolls doesn¡¯t mean the rest of us do. I¡¯m not stupid, I know that whatever this thing is, it¡¯s not Zoe. It looks like her, but it has nothing to do with her.¡±


    ¡°Which makes her perfect, right?¡± Ms. Truman asks, grinning slyly.


    ¡°No! It makes her nothing!¡± I bite back. ¡°That¡¯s not the Zoe I love¡­ In fact, I¡¯m sure the real Zoe would be rather uncomfortable with how you''re appropriating her image.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you  love  her, don¡¯t you? How sweet. And you probably think your love will last forever, don¡¯t you?¡±


    She lets this sit for a moment. I¡¯ve never really had a chance to think about Zoe and I¡¯s future much¡­ could we really end up married?


    ¡°How long will it last between you and Zoe?¡± she questions, as if she knows what I¡¯m thinking. ¡°Do you know how rare it is for relationships to survive past high school? Don¡¯t you think she¡¯ll betray you someday?¡±


    An unwelcome mental image comes of an Asian girl with a Hello Kitty lunchbox¡­ But no. Zoe wouldn¡¯t do that. Still, the thought makes me uneasy...


    ¡°Take it from me. Once upon a time, when I was your age, I was in love too. I thought he was the most wonderful boy in the world.¡± She chuckles dryly, as if she just remembered a joke a friend had told her. ¡°Until he raped me, that is.¡±


    I had a feeling something like this was coming, but it makes my insides squirm a little nonetheless. Unfortunately, it gets worse after this.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And then he bragged about it to all his friends. He was so proud of how he ¡®got¡¯ me. He and his friends said I was the school slut. And then every boy around wanted to take a pass at me.¡±


    Her expression doesn¡¯t match up with what she¡¯s saying; she¡¯s gazing dreamily in the distance, as if remembering a nice vacation her family had gone on.


    ¡°Oh, how I hated my life. I thought about killing myself, I really did. But the experience made me realize something. It¡¯s just like I said; teenage boys are nothing but horny little monsters. They¡¯ve got so much sexual energy pent up they don¡¯t know what to do with it.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what this is?¡± I ask, feeling utter revulsion at her. ¡°Some twisted revenge plot? You¡¯re blaming every high school boy in existence for your problems?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not really revenge,¡± she says, shaking her head. ¡°I decided to give them what they want. I lived the role I was given. And soon, I became an upperclassman. You know many incoming freshman boys were thrilled to get with a senior girl?¡±


    ¡°And you just never stopped?¡±


    ¡°Not really. But I haven¡¯t gotten my fill in a while¡­ I almost ruined everything during my student teaching. I got caught with a lovely seventh grade boy at my middle school placement¡­¡± She shivers involuntarily at the memory.


    ¡°No, stop. Shut up. I don¡¯t want to hear about this.¡±


    ¡°Come on, be a good audience, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I snap at her, my temper rising fast. ¡°I knew you were going to pull some shit like this. If you want my pity, you can forget it now. You went through it, and you felt how awful it was. And you chose to inflict that on other people.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. All those boys I¡¯ve talked about weren¡¯t depressed, they were  thrilled . And yes, that means my precious little seventh grader too. Although he was less thrilled when I threw him under the bus and told everyone he was acting sexually aggressive¡­¡± She giggles and shakes her head again. ¡°He got suspended for the rest of the year. I got to take a week to recover from my ¡®trauma¡¯, and they tearfully gave me my teaching certificate at the end of the semester.¡± She laughs a high, jubilant laugh. ¡°Thanks, kid.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what you wanted to do to Kevin, too,¡± I spit.


    ¡°Oh, I  will . Future tense, not past, Ashley,¡± she says, smirking. ¡°Nobody¡¯s fooling themselves, they know the truth about teenage boys. When I say that he took inspiration from his stupid coach and kept bothering me before and after class, trying to corner me, they¡¯re going to believe it. Simply put, nobody will ever suspect a cute little lady like me of being a monster.¡±


    ¡°We all saw through you, though,¡± I say, feeling so much fury inside me that I expect it will come bursting out any moment now. ¡°And we will never let you touch a child ever again. You will confess your sins with your own mouth.¡±


    ¡°Big talk. But we already know how easily I can overpower you on your own,¡± she says smugly. She¡¯s surveying me up and down, seemingly quite pleased with how angry she¡¯s made me. But she won¡¯t be pleased for much longer¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s just you and me. I have all the time in the world to utterly break you. And you have nobody to blame but yourself. I gave you a choice. You see, I don¡¯t believe in true love, Ashley. I believe that you should take what is owed to you. Don¡¯t you think that, as long as you stick to other girls, you¡¯ll be safe.¡± She giggles again, loud and shrill like a hyena. ¡°Just ask the younger girls in the sorority I was in during college, after I had risen into the leadership. Just ask my roommates¡­ they drank so much; they were as well as asking for it.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. SHUT UP!¡± I scream at her.


    ¡°So much anger¡­ and pent-up sexual energy, no doubt. I¡¯ll give you one last chance¡­ Why not take it all out on your cute little girlfriend? She¡¯s been waiting so patiently there¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± I snarl.


    Ms. Truman grins manically. ¡°Alright then. Your choice.¡±


    The vines wrap around my arms and legs yet again. She starts to descend on me, her expression resembling that of a starved wolf being offered meat. It¡¯s now or never. I let my fury flow through me, feeling it burn my insides so strongly that I feel like I could be on fire. In fact, I think I actually am on fire¡­ What the hell?


    Ms. Truman screams in shock and drops me, the vines charred from touching me. Just like so long ago, I feel my whole body engulfed with flames¡­ only this time, they only recede partially, keeping around my body like an aura. My outfit changes to something much flashier. My chest plate turns to a burnt shade of orange outlining a black heart, in the center of which the pink gemstone is glowing blindingly. The length of my body is covered with red and black fire patterns, with curved spikes coming adoring my midriff, knees, and elbows. Finally, my hair has been neatly tied into very long pigtails.


    I feel a burning exhilaration, like I¡¯m constantly swooping from the height of a rollercoaster ride. It¡¯s a little overwhelming, if I¡¯m honest. I draw my sword, which bursts into flames as well. Ms. Truman is left in shock and awe, just hovering in front of me, gaping in disbelief.


    I have no words for her. I stretch my body upwards, and feel myself rising off my feet, defying gravity.


    Ms. Truman finally recovers and looks at me sternly. ¡°Very well then. We¡¯ll do this the hard way,¡± she says simply, no trace of her earlier glee remaining.

 Chapter 63: Malague?a (December 10 Part 7)

    <Gregg>


    Multiple missed calls from Zoe; several frantic text messages which say something about Ashley running off unexpectedly; and then, silence. As of right now, Zoe isn¡¯t responding to any attempts to follow-up with her. Ashley is similarly unresponsive. This is not the jolt either Alyssa or I wanted to receive just before arriving at the school to pick them up.


    ¡°They¡¯re not by the band hall,¡± Alyssa points out to me as I pull into the back parking lot where we usually pick them up. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, Gregg. I have a really bad feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± I agree. ¡°While it can be hard to indicate tone when communicating through text, I got the impression that Zoe was quite worried by the unusually large number of typing errors. And there is that teacher at their school who is suspected of planning to molest a student, so maybe that has made her feel¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alyssa shouts, her voice breaking with stress. ¡°Don¡¯t bring that up¡­ oh God¡­¡±


    I likewise find myself highly uneasy about the situation upon remembering those recent events. I decide to pull into the back parking lot and park the car.


    ¡°It would usually not be advisable for us to go inside the school on our own, but¡­ I think that given the circumstances, I¡¯m not willing to sit here and wait on them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go in through the band hall,¡± Alyssa suggests. ¡°Mr. Castro knows us.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± I say.


    Upon entering through the band hall, we learn that Mr. Castro does not know where either of them are either; only that he recently saw Zoe walking around the band hall, and that she looked very worried. We decide that the best next step is to visit the front office and tell them of the situation. Wandering the halls ourselves may raise the wrong kind of alarm.


    Clearly it is an unusual day all around at the school, based on the scene we come across in the office. Nobody is at their usual desks, and instead there is a small group consisting of a couple of administrators, a few teachers, and a police officer surrounding a woman who I recognize as being Ashley¡¯s English teacher, Shari Truman. To the side, another police officer and a school counselor are talking in hushed voices, agony etched into their faces.


    ¡°Huh¡­ is this a bad time?¡± Alyssa questions, speaking to nobody in particular. ¡°What in the hell is going on here?¡±


    Shari catches sight of us, and gasps dramatically. ¡°Oh dear¡­ aren¡¯t you¡­ Ashley¡¯s parents?¡± she asks.


    The others in the group turn towards us, and an administrator whom I can not remember the name of says, ¡°I take it you have heard the news?¡±


    ¡°News? What news?¡± Alyssa asks, starting to sound mildly panicked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them,¡± Shari says. She is visibly in no hurry as she gets to her feet with a deep sigh and walks to the other side of the front desk, looking at the ground in a dejected way. ¡°I was there¡­ I saw it firsthand.¡±


    ¡°Saw  what ?¡± Alyssa demands.


    ¡°Please  do get to the point,¡± I urge her. ¡°Neither Ashley or Zoe are currently responding to any calls or text messages, and we have no idea what is happening with them.¡±


    Shari looks up at us sadly. ¡°Your daughter was¡­ assaulted by another student,¡± she says.


    At these words, my blood feels as if it has turned to ice. Alyssa shouts, ¡°Where is she? Who did this?¡± She is close to losing her head now; her breathing has gone erratic.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know where she went,¡± Shari tells us sadly. ¡°I intervened to give her time to run away, and¡­¡± but she seems unable to finish her sentence. With a loud sniff, she buries her face in her hands.


    ¡°The boy turned and started lewdly assaulting her instead,¡± the one administrator finished. ¡°Please go take a seat Shari, you poor thing¡­¡±


    ¡°And what about Zoe?¡± I question.


    ¡°She and a few friends ran off to go find her,¡± Shari explains through her hands, before breaking a loud sob.


    ¡°WHY DID YOU LET THEM JUST RUN OFF WHEN THERE IS AN AGGRESSIVE KID ON THE LOOSE?¡± Alyssa explodes. ¡°GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND GO TRACK THEM DOWN!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, control your temper or we will have you escorted out of the building!¡± One of the police officers chides her.


    ¡°I rather think she has a point,¡± I say in her defense. ¡°I want your assurance that you are getting a handle on the situation as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Uh, right. I¡¯ll go see if I can find them,¡± the officer concedes. He briskly walks out of the office, getting out his walkie-talkie. The others, talking in low voices, lead Shari out of the room, still wailing.


    The other police officer, the one who was previously talking to the counselor, steps forward. ¡°I¡¯ll help you find them,¡± he tells us. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that it was my son who did this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you!¡± Alyssa says in a hostile tone, seemingly recognizing him. ¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve spent less time pulling people over for minor speed violations and more time raising your son, huh?¡±


    I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Dear, please. This can wait for later. He wants to help us right now, we should let him.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe he¡¯d do this!¡± The counselor cries hysterically. ¡°Kevin was always a troubled boy, but I never dreamed he¡¯d¡­ this is just awful!¡±


    ¡°We will take responsibility for the behavior of our son,¡± the police officer assures us. ¡°We are truly sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Alyssa says, taking slow, deliberate breaths. ¡°Thank you for that¡­ let¡¯s just work on finding them all as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°As a police officer, do you have access to the school¡¯s security camera footage?¡± I ask him. ¡°I think that is the wisest place to start.¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yes, I can do that. Follow me, please.¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I throw the first punch. At last having a clear shot at her with unencumbered limbs, I dive through the air towards her to slash her in half with my sword.


    A vine smacks me across the face, sending me spinning backwards several yards, until I steady myself again, anchoring myself to my mid-air space. In the time this takes, she goes on the attack. No longer daring to try and hold me, she now uses her vines as blunt melee weapons. She jabs me several times in the stomach, making me keel over and groan.


    She moves too fast¡­ time to change my course of action. I put my sword back in its holster, and then refine the energy that is keeping my feet off the ground into a burst. In the blink of an eye, I shoot towards her stupid face and punch her hard enough to make her stumble back several feet. She yelps like a hurt dog, and glares at me with the deepest loathing, making me feel quite pleased with myself.


    A vine wraps around one of my arms and tries to slam me against the ground, but due to the fire she lets go too early and instead just jerks me sideways by a few feet. I get a sudden burst of inspiration and grab the vine. I pull on it with all the force I have. I¡¯m expecting it to be yanked off, but it proves to be sturdier than I thought. She digs her other vines into the ground to pull back against me, looking visibly strained. She also has tears forming in her eyes, possibly because my touch is burning the tip of the vine to a crisp.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I suddenly let go, causing her to stumble backwards from the force she was exerting. I take the opportunity to concentrate my energy again and sock her straight in the stomach, getting her back for earlier. I hear her gasp loudly in a choked sort of way. She is so shaken that the vines propelling her off the ground start to tremble.


    I swoop down, and fly from vine to vine, pulling all the vines together into a bundle in my arms. Her support now entirely gone, Ms. Truman hangs a short distance below me, flailing around frantically. I propel myself another ten feet in the air, and then I swing all the vines at once in a circle. I then release as she is moving down, sending her flying straight into the icy ground. Her whole body gets buried into the snow by several feet, leaving only the vines visible. They continue squirming helplessly, until burrowing themselves into the snow to ice the burns they got from me holding them.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    I feel a cool wind running through my hair and coat. I open my eyes and take in a scene entirely different from the one we just left.


    There is no cottage at all; we are standing on a flat base of wood, but there are no walls or furniture to speak of. The landscape is dark and snowy, with trees and mountains in the distance, although we appear to be in a clearing with only a few hills. The moonlight shows what appears to be two figures fighting while floating in midair. I recognize one of them as the messed-up Ms. Truman with the vines coming from her head, but I can¡¯t identify the other one at first, although I can make out a lot of fire. The other one grabs all her vines and uses them to slam her hard into the snowbank.


    ¡°Hey, who gave her permission to start the ass-kicking without us?¡± Nova grumbles. ¡°And what¡¯s with that crazy outfit?¡±


    ¡°I  think that Ashley went Dark Phoenix on us,¡± Anja observes.


    I look closely at the midair figure¡­ sure enough, it must be Ashley. Now that she is still, I can distinguish her long red hair from the fire. She¡¯s wearing entirely new clothes, which are red and black and make patterns similar to the flames around her.


    ¡°Huh, so that little trinket  did  do something,¡± Ted comments mysteriously. I don¡¯t know what he means by this, and neither do the others, based on their expressions. Zoe, Nova, Anja, Ruth, Zoe, and Fake Ashley all look puzzled. Wait¡­ there are two Zoes?


    ¡°Okay, security check,¡± Anja says commandingly. ¡°Who¡¯s the real Zoe? Tell me, what is the seventh track from the Twenty¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that one,¡± Ruth says simply, pointing at the Zoe standing next to Nova.


    ¡°One P- Oh, right. I forgot you could do that,¡± Anja says, looking slightly foolish.


    The other Zoe blushes. ¡°You brought them here too early,¡± she says anxiously. ¡°She¡¯s going to be really mad¡­¡±


    I¡¯m unsure of who she¡¯s talking to, until Fake Ashley replies with, ¡°You worry too much, my sweet.¡±


    The real Zoe blinks, and then starts running towards the on-fire Ashley, and the rest of us follow suit.


    Ms. Truman is still stuck in the snow, while Ashley is slowly lowering to the ground, the fire dying away. When she touches the ground again, the color seems to fade away from her armor, and it returns to its usual silver.


    ¡°Ashley!¡± Zoe yelps, leaping towards her. However, Ashley grabs her by her shoulders and pushes her back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ touch me¡­¡± Ashley growls, panting in between words.


    ¡°It¡¯s the real one, Ashley! It¡¯s okay!¡± Anja assures her.


    She looks up at the rest of us, having just realized we were here. Then, she sighs with relief, and then wraps Zoe in a big hug.


    ¡°Ooh, you¡¯re still warm!¡± Zoe comments, smiling and snuggling herself into her arms.


    ¡°Yeah, you looked pretty  hot  in that.¡± Anja says, grinning. Ashley doesn¡¯t react, and instead just continues panting over Zoe¡¯s shoulder, causing Anja to look worried. ¡°Oh no, she didn¡¯t yell at me for making a bad pun¡­ Ashley, are you okay?¡±


    Nova grabs a part of one the vines and yanks it sharply, bringing Ms. Truman back to the surface of the snow, where she crumples to the ground on her stomach. She is sniffling and crying shamelessly, her nose bloody.


    ¡°That¡¯s so lame!¡± Nova complains. ¡°We didn¡¯t even get to fight!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down!¡± Ted growls at him. ¡°These people, they do nothing but manipulate¡­ this is all another trick.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Ms. Truman?¡± Zoe asks, gasping. She releases Ashley and goes up to our English teacher, as if she¡¯s not fully believing it. ¡° You  were the one behind all the vines?¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you guys never¡­ pant¡­ figure it out?¡± Ashley asks, a hint of smugness back in her voice. ¡°I had that down like four chapters ago.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were in cahoots with the palace owner!¡± Anja gloats. ¡°Although¡­ admittedly I never put together that you  were  the palace owner¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I long suspected that she was using the blog post to mask her identity,¡± Ruth says. ¡°As it turns out, part of that identity was her gender.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well, women can be pretty evil too,¡± Nova comments darkly. ¡°Y¡¯all would know if you met my mother¡­¡±


    ¡°¡¯Evil¡¯ is right,¡± Ashley grunts, walking up to Ms. Truman and looking down at her with disgust. ¡°This woman¡­ well, let¡¯s just say¡­ this is not even close to her first attempt at this.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Ms. Truman says weakly in between sniffles. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t tell¡­¡±


    Ashley kicks her harshly on the side of the head, causing her to weep loudly and cover her head with both her hands.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Ashley says, with such venom that I recoil a little involuntarily. ¡°You¡¯ve tried to rape half of the people standing here. Forget about getting any forgiveness. You better go confess to this, and to molesting that middle school boy,  and  all the people you abused in college. Or, I can personally see to it that you are burned alive. Your choice.¡±


    ¡° Middle school boy? ¡± Anja repeats, looking about equally vicious as Ashley. ¡°I dunno, maybe we should just burn her.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you choose, I can do the honors,¡± Ted offers, grasping his hand as if ready to make a fireball come from it.


    ¡°No, wait¡­ please¡­¡± Ms. Truman pleads. ¡°I promise¡­ I¡¯ll never bother any of you ever again¡­ but you can¡¯t tell¡­¡±


    ¡°And what about all of our classmates?¡± Ruth questions relentlessly. ¡°We¡¯re not going to let you go only for you to go after some other kids who can¡¯t defend themselves.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t bother them either!¡± she promises. ¡°I¡¯ll live a clean life¡­¡±


    ¡°And what about Coach Everheart?¡± I ask.


    The others turn towards me, and Ms. Truman looks up and makes direct eye contact.


    ¡°Kevin¡­ I¡¯m so¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk to him!¡± Ashley snarls.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ You¡¯re such a good boy, Kevin¡­ Please don¡¯t let them¡­ I made a horrible mistake¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re really sorry, own up to it!¡± Anja chastises her. ¡°You  deserve to be fired and locked away for all you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Ms. Truman simpers. ¡°They¡¯ll kill me¡­¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯ll get the death penalty?¡± Nova questions. ¡°I know Texas does that way more than other states, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­ the men who gave me this app,¡± she explains. The mood around the group changes. Suddenly the others are facing back towards Ms. Truman, listening to her intently.


    ¡°They told me¡­ if I use this app, I can bring a student in here, and do whatever I want with them. And in return, I¡¯d have to do some work for them¡­¡±


    ¡°What work?¡± Ruth asks sharply.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I hadn¡¯t gotten it yet. They were going to give me a week to play around with it¡­¡±


    ¡°And so you started preparing to try it out on Kevin here,¡± Ruth explains, and I feel a chill run down my spine that has nothing to do with the weather. ¡°And while at Coach Everheart¡¯s work party, you created a temporary e-mail address to make a burner Tumblr account. You posted about your plans, but gender swapped yourself and the victim, and made it sound like you were a coach at the school. You engaged a few blogs in the MAP community to ensure the post would be found. Is this correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ms. Truman admits. ¡°That idiot, leaving his personal laptop sitting open¡­¡±


    ¡°So my theory was true,¡± Ruth confirms, cutting her off. ¡°But there is one thing about it that always bugged me. Why go through that effort at all? Why sound the alarm? Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to pull off if it were completely unexpected?¡±


    ¡°They already knew,¡± she says simply. ¡°It was the very day I downloaded that app, and the district knew someone in the school was up to something. At the party, an administrator told us all about it.¡±


    ¡°How did they know that?¡± Zoe asks, her mouth open with horror.


    ¡°It seems like someone in this weird network was on our side,¡± Ashley says. ¡°And now, you¡¯re  going to go tell everyone you faked the post.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she pleads. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?  They will kill me! ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to die than to live the way you are,¡± Ashley responds simply.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not letting this happen!¡± Ms. Truman shouts, defiance finally returning to her voice.


    ¡°Dude, Ashley fucked you up all by herself!¡± Nova taunts. ¡°You really think you¡¯re gonna win against all five¡­ uh, six¡­ how many do we have now?¡±


    Nova¡¯s counting is interrupted by a simultaneous motion that happens all around us. Figures are rising out of the snow¡­ I think of zombies at first, but upon closer inspection they look like normal kids from our school. None of them are dressed for the weather; they¡¯re all dressed like I do when I run every morning. Some of the girls are even in booty shorts. I recognize several of them. There are some of the others from Ashley and I¡¯s English class, a few guys I know from track, and¡­ one of them looks just like me.


    The others seem remarkably unphased by their appearance. Ashley scoffs. ¡°What are you all going to do, throw snowballs at us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not them you should be worried about,¡± Ms. Truman says, getting to her feet. ¡°You didn¡¯t really think I¡¯d go down that easily, right?¡±


    And then, before our eyes, she wraps herself up with her vines so tightly that not an inch of her flesh can be seen. And then, they seem to melt together and crystalize, forming what appears to be a very large cocoon¡­


    ¡°Oh, fuck this!¡± Anja shouts.


    ¡°I thought we were done already!¡± Zoe says worriedly.


    ¡°You will want to stand back,¡± Ruth advises us. ¡°That cocoon is far larger on the inside.¡±


    ¡°What? Larger on the inside?¡± I question, terror beginning to well up inside of me.


    ¡°Yeah, this is the part where she turns into a horrifying monster,¡± Nova tells me nonchalantly. ¡°Let¡¯s see how bad it is this time¡­¡±


    Huge, spindly insect legs emerge from the cocoon, and out comes a monstrously huge, green, insect body with four legs, two bent arms, and a very long and thin thorax. Ms. Truman¡¯s face is horrifyingly imposed over the creatures, with the same blonde hair as her previous form, only now she has larger buggy eyes and antennae coming from her forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯d say pretty bad,¡±  I whine, feeling as if I may wet myself.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s still less horrifying than Pavia¡¯s,¡± Nova explains, still seeming mostly unphased by the transformation. ¡°Although this is freakier than Palmer¡¯s for sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Save the meta-analysis for later,¡± Ashley chides him. ¡°For now, we play pest control.¡±

 Chapter 64: Songe d’une nuit de sabbat (December 10 Part 8)

    <Kevin>


    Okay Kevin, keep it together¡­ So Ms. Truman turned into a large insect, and we are also surrounded by a hoard of fake versions of our classmates. Huh, that¡¯s a sentence I never thought I¡¯d say. It¡¯s dark out here, so it¡¯s a little hard to tell what she¡¯s doing. The only thing I can really figure out is that she isn¡¯t attacking us yet, for whatever reason.


    Before I can figure out what to make of this, I hear a girl¡¯s voice call out from behind me, saying ¡°Hey there cutie!¡± Before I can react, I am roughly yanked to the ground by both of my arms. After a bunch of confused pushing and wrestling, I somehow end up spread eagle on the ground and at the mercy of two girls, one pinning my arms down, and the other laying across me. I recognize them from the girls¡¯ basketball team, although I don¡¯t know their names.


    ¡°Hey, let me go! I¡¯m not falling for this stupid trick again,¡± I tell them bluntly. ¡°I never said I want you to¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it, Kevin, we know,¡± the girl laying across me cuts me off, as her friend giggles mischievously.


    ¡°No¡­ I mean¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± But my heart is racing so hard that words start to fail me.


    ¡°You¡¯re never going to get an opportunity like this again. Ever. Just go with it,¡± she tells me in a sultry voice. ¡°Just forget about everything else and¡­¡± Suddenly, something weird happens to her. Her eyelids begin dropping, and her body language relaxes. Then, she falls face first into the snow. I feel the hands that were holding my arms unclench, and the other girl falls over as well. Zoe walks up to me and starts pulling the first girl off me by her wrist; their sudden passing out must have been her doing.


    ¡°Need a hand?¡± she asks me.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agree. She helps me up to my feet, and as I start to regain my bearings, I realize what they were about to do just then and begin to feel angry and humiliated¡­


    I look around to see how the others are doing, but I do a double take when I see that other version of myself, now dressed up in a red coat identical to mine. He pushes away some girl who was coming onto Nova, saying ¡°I got you, bro!¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks Kevin!¡± Nova tells him appreciatively.


    ¡°Hey buddy, wait,¡± I call out to him. ¡°That¡¯s a fake¡­¡±


    Nova¡¯s head whips towards me. ¡°Huh? Oh no, two Kevins now? Where¡¯s Ruth at?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m over here!¡± Ruth calls from the crowd. I turn towards the direction of her voice to see her wrestling with two boys who I think are on the football team that have her by either arm. I run over and easily push both of them off of her.


    Ruth takes a moment to steady herself, taking a deep breath. ¡°Thanks, Kevin. Uh, Nova, the one by Zoe is the real one¡­¡±


    I turn back towards Nova and see a¡­ very awkward scene of the fake version of me patting his head, which Nova seems to be enjoying a lot. He doesn¡¯t seem to have even heard what Ruth said. I pull my gun on the imposter, which makes him stop and back up a few paces with his hands up.


    ¡°Oh¡­ right,¡± Nova says, coming back to his senses. ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Where did Ashley and Ted run off to?¡± Anja questions as she walks into the circle. I notice that the group of fake students she¡¯s walking away from are blinking and holding their heads, clearly disoriented.


    ¡°They managed to escape from this crowd and go into the woods,¡± Ruth explains. ¡°We better go join them, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    I feel someone grabbing my arm, and a completely different girl, one who¡¯s olive-skinned and might be on the soccer team, has snuck up on me. She flutters her eyelashes at me and asks, ¡°Please don¡¯t leave, the fun is just starting here!¡±


    ¡°Uh, Zoe?¡± I ask. Zoe knows what to do, and the girl who was grabbing me falls to the ground as well, seemingly fast asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for another one of these weirdos to start grabbing me,¡± Nova resolves. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I wrestle a boy off of me, slamming him upside down into the snow. In the confusion, I¡¯ve lost sight of the others. The crowd is now filled with random kids grabbing and pulling on each other, laughing, screaming¡­


    ¡°Where did she go?¡± I ask to nobody in particular. I scan the horizon for a sight of the huge insectoid that Ms. Truman turned into.


    ¡°I can smell her¡­ over yonder!¡± A familiar gruff voice calls out. I shove aside a few people and find Ted being thrown back and forth like a volleyball by a group of three girls, all of them laughing derisively at him. With one stroke of my sword, all of them are sawn in half at the hip, and they scream shrilly and disappear into mist. Ted falls to the ground, but quickly jumps back to his feet and points towards a forest away from the crowd.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this mess and finish this,¡± I tell him. We dart out of the crowd and to the edge of the woods. Before going in, I turn back and check to see if any of the others followed me, but I don¡¯t see any of them.


    ¡°Damn it, the others must be still caught up in that,¡± I bemoan. ¡°We need to go back and¡­¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡± Ted growls. Before I can react, I feel a pair of pincers grab me around the waist and pull me into the snowy woods.


    I am  so  fucking tired of this palace.


    I¡¯m lifted into the air and turned around, and there she is. Ms. Truman¡¯s face is even more revolting up close. Her buggy eyes are what nightmares are made of.


    ¡°We¡¯re not playing this game again,¡± I tell her spitefully. ¡°I will not hesitate to light myself on fire again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not so fast Ashley!¡± she says, her voice shaking with a manic excitement. ¡°You don¡¯t want anything to happen to your darling, do you?¡±


    She pulls another one of her thin appendages out of the woods and holds up Zoe, who is shouting and trying to desperately wriggle free.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to show you both what happens to naughty girls who interfere with my pursuits!¡± she tells us savagely.


    I try to fight her off as well, hating her guts, but the pincers are just as firm as the vines were. I have no choice but to bring back my other form¡­ but what about Zoe? But wait, is this the¡­


    Completely unrelated to anything I did, the arm holding me bursts into flames, causing me to fall and hit the snow with a crunch. Ted has caught up to us, his teeth bared and his eyes wild.


    ¡°Oops, butterfingers!¡± Ms. Truman taunts as she carelessly tosses Zoe through the air. Zoe screams, and I hear crashing branches¡­


    I don¡¯t think. I leap to my feet and sprint into the night in the direction Zoe was thrown. I hurtle past tree after tree, scanning the canopy for signs of her. Then, I hear the loudest crack yet. I turn my head to see that Zoe had flown into a narrower tree with enough force to splinter it. I jump underneath her with my arms out and catch her. However, the tree then falls forward and on top of both of us, knocking us onto the snowy ground.


    It doesn¡¯t hurt too badly, but the tree is heavy enough to where I struggle to push it off me. I turn to see Zoe trapped in a similar predicament.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Zoe, are you okay?¡± I ask.


    Her expression changes to a wide smile and big googly eyes. ¡°Oh Ashley, my hero! You saved me! How about you come and get your complimentary make-out session?¡±


    It¡¯s the fake Zoe. God. Damn it.


    I scream with agitation and punch the tree trunk. It doesn¡¯t really help move it, but I do feel a little better afterwards.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    Soon after entering the woods, we don¡¯t need Ruth¡¯s guidance to find the right spot; the sound of gunshots and the bright glow of fire are more than enough to guide our way. We arrive at a part of the forest where most of the surrounding trees seem to be burning down, and in the middle of them, Ted the armadillo is putting up a vicious fight. Ms. Truman is trying to grab him but seems to be struggling because of his small size. Ted would simply leap out of the way, or burrow rapidly through the snow to pop out behind her, and then use the opportunity to take a shot at her flank.


    ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T KEEP GETTING AWAY FROM ME, YOU LITTLE RODENT!¡± Ms. Truman screeches, more furious than I¡¯ve ever heard her.


    ¡°Hey guys, watch this,¡± Nova says. He starts spinning that hammer around really fast, and then sort of propels himself super-fast right into her side.


    I don¡¯t know what he thought this was going to do, but I don¡¯t think it worked how he planned it. Ms. Truman yelps and scuttles over with her spindly legs, catching herself before falling over. Then, before Nova could hit the ground, she grabs him and pulls him in front of her to look at him.


    ¡°Oh, you remind me of that boy from years ago!¡± she tells him dreamily. ¡°Such lovely dark skin¡­¡±


    ¡°Eurgh! Let go of me!¡± Nova shouts, trying to squirm out of her grasp.


    I jump forward, finding to my own surprise that I¡¯m able to clear many yards with just one jump. I use this newfound agility to leap up onto the arm holding Nova. I shoot the arm near where the pincer is, causing her to drop him to the ground. However, saving him came at a price. The other pincer quickly catches me and hoists me into the air¡­


    ¡°LET HIM GO!¡± Screams an awful female voice that I don¡¯t immediately recognize as being Zoe¡¯s. Then, right next to Ms. Truman¡¯s head, what looks like a mini nuclear warhead explodes, scorching her face with a blinding burst of green light.


    Ms. Truman quickly starts moving through the trees, away from the others¡­ I try to fight myself free, but well, there¡¯s a reason why Nova couldn¡¯t get out on his own.


    ¡°I must have you¡­ you¡¯re mine¡­ mine¡­¡± Ms. Truman says in a low, raspy voice that sort of reminds me of Gollum from  Lord of the Rings .


    But then, I hear more gunshots, and I turn my head down to see that Ted had somehow grabbed onto one of her legs and is holding on for dear life with one hand while randomly firing towards her head with the other.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t letting you get any child again!¡± he booms in his southern drawl.


    ¡°I  ain¡¯t  asking for your permission!¡± Ms. Truman hisses back. She flicks him off with her other hand, sending him hurtling into the trees.


    She brings me up to her face, looking particularly demented now that it is partially burned by Zoe¡¯s attack. Then, to my utter horror, she brings me steadily closer and closer to her mouth. I make a last-ditch attempt to pull myself free or reach my gun, but it¡¯s no good.


    She brings me into her mouth¡­ I¡¯m put into a slimy tube which sends me sliding down. With a thud, I land somewhere which¡­ uh, doesn¡¯t look anything like a stomach.


    I¡¯m in a simple chamber, dimly lit by candles around the walls. A few feet away is what looks like a hot tub. Inside of it is Ms. Truman, back in her previous form, with the blonde hair that turns into vines. But, except for her head and the ends of her knees, she¡¯s entirely underwater, and I realize that¡­


    I turn right around and start scrambling to climb back up the tube, but it is too slippery for me to make any headway. Then, something grabs my ankle and pulls me towards the water.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get you all warmed up, and then we¡¯ll go back and join the party¡­¡± Ms. Truman says.


    ¡°No! Stop it! Don¡¯t do this!¡± I plead. But Ms. Truman just shakes her head at me with a smug, satisfied smile of finally getting what she wants.


    My feet enter the warm water, and I lay there on my front as the vines begin caressing me. ¡°You want to know when I knew you were the one?¡± she muses from behind me. ¡°When you talked about that trip to California¡­ and I realized you¡¯re another one of those boys who nobody would take the word of over mine. Given your history, nobody will even think to challenge my word¡­¡±


    I feel something biting me through my robe, which doesn¡¯t really hurt but instead makes my skin crawl with a thrilling sensation. I whip my head around to find, with utmost horror, that the ends of the vines have turned into snake heads with a yellow and light blue striped pattern.


    To add to the number of insane sensations I¡¯m feeling all at once, I hear a voice in my head that sounds like Ruth¡¯s. It says,  Kevin, can you hear me? We¡¯re going to get you out of there. Are you okay?


    I can¡¯t think of anything to say back. I just scream, trying to kick and punch the snake-vines off me. They start to wrap around my limbs, immobilizing me¡­


    As an insane last resort, I lower my head and sink my teeth into one of the vines, hoping this will make it release me. At first, it doesn¡¯t seem like it did anything. But then, I see a dark, sickly rash start to spread across the vine¡­


    The vines slacken, and I quickly use the opportunity to struggle free. I pull my feet out of the water and stand up. I quickly draw my gun and turn on her.


    However, I don¡¯t think I need to shoot. The rash has quickly spread all across her as she stares at her hands with utter horror. Her skin is turning purple and shriveled in front of our eyes¡­ and then, the walls around us seem to be collapsing, rubble falling from the ceiling.


    I hear a thud behind me and turn to see that Anja has joined us.


    ¡°Kevin! Hold on to my arm, I¡¯m gonna get you out of here!¡± she tells me.


    I trust her and grab hold, and she unleashes a tornado of wind at the ground which quickly propels us up the tube. Soon, we emerge from the mouth again, where I see Nova was single handedly holding it open, the stress of doing so making him go red in the face. When he sees we¡¯ve flown out, he ungracefully lets the mouth go and falls down, landing on his face.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I keep scrambling to drag the tree trunk off me, but I can barely get it to budge. Fake Zoe isn¡¯t really any help. I claw at it for minutes on end, frustrated that I can¡¯t seem to make any impact on it.


    Then, to my shock, a figure emerges from the trees; me, but wearing a sparkly, pink dress. I¡¯m even more shocked when she offers me her hand. I take it, and she slowly pulls me from under the tree, the snow just slippery enough to allow me to budge out.


    I get to my feet and regain my bearings as she pulls out the fake Zoe. Something is different; both fakes have this morose demeanor. I start to wonder if something happened elsewhere in the palace which affected them.


    ¡°If I may ask, why did you help me?¡± I say to her.


    She dislodges the fake Zoe with a final yank, and then says, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be there? When she gets what she deserves?¡±


    I ponder this vague reply. Does this mean that it¡¯s already over?


    ¡°A-Ashley?¡± the fake Zoe asks in a low voice, her face as pale as a ghost. ¡°We¡­ we can¡¯t play along with her games anymore.¡±


    The other me nods solemnly.


    I feel that sensation again¡­ the same one I felt when Lucy talked to me. Only this time, it¡¯s a different familiar voice I hear.


    Ashley, where are you?  Ruth asks.


    I got trapped under a fallen tree, but I¡¯m fine now,  I answer.  How do I find you?


    And then, I feel it¡­ something calling to me from the woods. Knowing this must be Ruth¡¯s doing, I follow it.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Kevin and I land in the snow with a crunch. I quickly scramble to my feet and turn back towards the insect thing, but as it turns out, there was no need.


    The body is melting, changing into bloody, purple goo, all of the limbs and thorax lost to a pile of sludge, which then melts to the ground into a puddle, leaving only one identifiable figure behind. It¡¯s Ms. Truman, but back to normal. Brown hair and work clothes. She doesn¡¯t talk. She doesn¡¯t cry. She doesn¡¯t pout. She only looks at the ground with a blank expression. Nothing but defeat. Her face lit by the light of the burning trees from Ted¡¯s earlier assault.


    I look over at where Nova fell. He¡¯s not moving¡­ I quickly run over to him, feeling a sharp panic rise within me.


    ¡°Nova! Are you okay?¡± I call out. I sink to my knees, grab him, and flip him onto his front. He is unconscious¡­ but, otherwise he looks fine. He must¡¯ve exhausted himself from the effort he was exerting. I put my hand on him, trying to heal him¡­ but the juice I used to blow us out of there must have been all that I had.


    ¡°Kevin, do you have healing moves by any chance?¡± I ask. When I don¡¯t hear a response, I stand back up and turn to him.


    Kevin is conscious, but clearly unwell. He¡¯s sitting on the ground, holding his arms around himself and shivering as if he¡¯s cold.


    I step towards him. ¡°Kevin?¡± I question. I have a flashback to when this nightmare all began, when we first went into the palace¡­ how I felt when I was suspended helplessly¡­


    ¡°Kevin¡­ did she¡­ get you?¡± I ask.


    ¡°K-kinda,¡± he answers meekly.


    Ruth is now running towards him, saying ¡°Oh¡­ oh no¡­ please, don¡¯t¡­ how could¡­¡± She stops in front of him, gritting her teeth, and looking deeply disturbed. Then, for once, she seems to be at a loss for words.


    ¡°Do you need a hand, Kevin?¡± Zoe asks, walking up to him as well. She takes his hand and helps him to his feet. Looking deeply sympathetic, she moves towards Kevin to hug him, but unexpectedly, he flinches away from her.


    ¡°Oh¡­ okay, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she says, looking confused and a little hurt.


    Ashley and Ted both emerge from the trees, Ashley looking so exhausted that I¡¯m worried she might pass out too. Ashley beholds the puddle of sludge with her English teacher sitting in the middle and says, ¡°So, that¡¯s it, then.¡±


    ¡°I know I said I¡¯d do the victory speech next time,¡± I say, ¡°but honestly¡­ I¡¯m not really feeling it.¡±


    I start to hear it then¡­ an unintelligible whispering coming from all around us. I think of Ms. Truman¡¯s hissing voice when we first entered, and I ready my gun¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± a voice says, and I turn to find that it¡¯s Ms. Truman speaking. ¡°They¡¯re not here for you¡­ but you should get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Ruth interjects. ¡°Were you being honest earlier, when you said that the people who gave you that app would kill you?¡±


    ¡°If it gets out how I trapped you all here¡­ yes,¡± she answers simply. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m ready to accept whatever I get.¡±


    Then, something rises out of the pool of sludge. Hands and arms grasp out and grab hold of Ms. Truman. Briefly, we can hear the voices clearly. Disembodied, male and female alike, all crying out in pain.


    ¡°I thought it was all just a bad dream¡­ then I woke up, and I realized it was you¡­¡±


    ¡°You ruined everything for me¡­ you pinned me against the wall, and you took away everything¡­¡±


    ¡°You told me to be a good sister¡­ but I never felt the same again, I never felt safe¡­¡±


    ¡°You said if I told anyone what you did, I¡¯d be outing myself¡­ I was so terrified of what they¡¯d think, so I stayed silent¡­¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t ¡®the luckiest day of my life¡¯¡­ I just don¡¯t feel right¡­ I don¡¯t know if I ever will again¡­¡±


    Ms. Truman¡¯s body was dragged underneath, and the voices went quiet, leaving only the flickering sound of the last few smoldering embers.

 Chapter 65: …Than To Live As You Have (December 10 Part 9)

    <Alyssa>


    We checked the security footage, and it does not match up with that woman¡¯s story at all. The ¡°Kevin¡± boy whom she said had assaulted Ashley had gone to the room first, and Ashley followed a few minutes later. Her behavior was strange; she ran through the hallway, and then peered in through the window on the door for quite a while before abruptly yanking the door open and running inside. I have no idea what might have made her act this way; Ashley is rarely so hyperactive.


    Then, neither student ever came out of the room. Shari left the room very shortly after Ashley entered. So, she left Ashley alone with this boy? She is hiding something about the story, and that makes my blood boil. She is trying to deny responsibility for what happened¡­ or worse, she knew what was going down at this point and ignored it.


    From there, things get even stranger. She seemingly led a group containing Zoe, Ashley¡¯s friends Anja and Nova, and another girl I don¡¯t recognize but is apparently named ¡°Ruth¡± to her room. There is a brief interval where the footage is corrupted and can¡¯t be replayed, and then it cuts to her walking back towards the office, all of the other students gone. I reason they must have gone into her room to help Ashley, but I can¡¯t make heads or tails of Shari¡¯s behavior here.


    Since none of them ever left the room, Kevin¡¯s parents, Gregg and I decide to walk to her room to get them. With a police officer and school employee with us I think we are fine to go, and at this point I wouldn¡¯t care even if we had to go alone. Whatever is happening in that room, we¡¯re ending it now.


    I don¡¯t know what I was expecting to see in there, but I¡¯m taken aback at the sight of all of them; Ashley, Zoe, her friends, Ruth, and Kevin, calmly standing in a circle near the front of the room. I¡¯m flooded with relief to see that Ashley and Zoe are okay, but something is up with Ashley. She looks really tired out, as if she had just run a marathon. I go straight for Ashley and Zoe and wrap them both into my arms.


    ¡°Mom?¡± Ashley asks weakly. ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it true?¡± I press her. ¡°That you were attacked?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was attacked alright¡­¡± Ashley responds.


    I glance over at Kevin, who is being approached by his own parents. ¡°Kevin,¡± his dad says in a stern voice. ¡°You need to explain yourself¡­¡±


    Ruth jumps into the conversation, saying, ¡°I would discredit anything that Ms. Truman told you.¡±


    ¡°What? What does that mean?¡± I question her frantically. ¡°Ashley, did this boy try to attack you?¡±


    Ashley scoffs at this. ¡°Are you kidding? He¡¯s the one who saved me from her.¡±


    ¡°Her? Which her?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Truman,¡± Zoe answers, biting her lip in nervousness. ¡°Our English teacher.¡±


    As the situation starts to dawn at me, I feel my blood pressure rise dangerously high. Gregg steps up to Zoe, putting one arm around her. ¡°Please do tell us what exactly happened,¡± he requests. ¡°I already had a feeling the story she told us was omitting key details¡­¡±


    The group of kids take turn explaining what happened. Kevin came to Shari¡¯s class after school, seemingly out of boredom and to talk about something that had been troubling him. Meanwhile, Ashley and her friends had apparently learned from another teacher that the coach taken into custody yesterday was not guilty, and that he was being set up by someone else. Ashley thought that Shari might have been the one who really did it, so she came to her room. This goes a long way towards explaining her strange behavior in the security footage. At this point in the story, the students go quiet for a moment and make eye contact before continuing. I can¡¯t shake the feeling that they came to some sort of unspoken agreement.


    Ashley saw Shari acting inappropriately towards Kevin and decided to go inside to try and break it up. I think she should have reported this to someone instead, but well, you know how Ashley is. After this, Ms. Truman turned onto Ashley and tried to take off her clothes, hoping that it would entertain Kevin, but Kevin intervened to try and help. However, in whatever scuffle that happened, both Ashley and Kevin were knocked unconscious. Shari then left and found Zoe and her friends and told them a fake story about Ashley being chased by Kevin outside and took them down the hall, saying they should go look for her. However, they instead found both in Shari¡¯s room and went in to help them. Around this time is when Shari went to the front office, which is when we bumped into her. During this time, the other kids were apparently talking to each other to find out what had really happened, and they were about to come report everything to the front office when we walked in.


    There is something strange, however. When Ashley said she had passed out, I checked all around her head for any bruises or signs of injury, but she looks totally fine. Despite this, Ashley still looks close to fainting. Ashley says that she simply passed out from the stress of the situation, but I know my daughter and she is rather unflappable. Between this, and that silent agreement I noticed earlier, I can¡¯t help but to suspect that the kids are concealing some detail in the story as well.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    I talk as little as possible during our telling of the story. The others seem to have edited the story to change anything that happened in the Metaverse. Understandable, since it¡¯s not like anyone would believe it. While I finally got to hear parts of the story I didn¡¯t know, I¡¯m not really interested right now. I just feel kinda empty. Like I¡¯m not really here; I¡¯m in the audience watching this happen to someone else. I don¡¯t know what the right word for it is.


    There is a tense silence when they¡¯re done. While we all agreed on the story, we  are  all kids; are they gonna believe us? My parents would never believe just me, but maybe with all the others on the same page¡­


    ¡°Kevin, why did you get yourself wrapped up in this woman¡¯s games?¡± My mom chastises.


    I don¡¯t immediately process what she said, leaving me to stupidly stammer, ¡°Wh-what? What do¡­¡±


    ¡°Were you trying to help her undress this girl?¡± my dad asks suspiciously. ¡°Or were you just a bystander?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you paying attention?¡± Ashley asks in a harsh voice. ¡°He didn¡¯t help her. He  saved me from her .¡±


    ¡°But she was doing it for his entertainment, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Mom insists. ¡°Even if he got cold feet, I am still¡­¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Mrs. Snyder,¡± Ruth interrupts. ¡°With all due respect. You are wrong. Kevin did not ask her to do that. In fact, he is as much of a victim as Ashley here is. She had been grooming him for a few days and had been planning to corner him to try and pull this.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Dad asks, astonished.


    ¡°She framed Coach Everheart by using his Wi-Fi to post about a planned sexual assault,¡± Ruth explains patiently. ¡°Kevin has been tearing himself apart over the idea that Coach Everheart tried to do such a thing. Ms. Truman then swooped in and started having these deep talks with him¡­¡± However, Ruth stops here, suddenly seeming agitated. She growls in a frustrated way and uses one of her hands to yank on her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve been so stupid!¡± she cries.


    ¡°So that coach was being set up?¡± Ashley¡¯s dad questions. ¡°We need to pass this on to the police or else he could be wrongfully imprisoned.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe all of this?¡± Mom asks incredulously, rounding on Ashley¡¯s parents. ¡°This whole crazy story?¡±


    ¡°It is quite a crazy story,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom admits. ¡°But this lot, at least the ones I know, are good kids. I know they wouldn¡¯t blatantly lie about something like this.¡± She sighs heavily. ¡°Ashley¡­ and Kevin. I understand if this is too hard for you, but do you mind saying¡­ what exactly she did?¡±


    Everyone turns their eyes to me; nobody here knows the truth about what happened in that stomach but me. I gulp and then say, ¡°She¡­ reached under my clothes and touched me there.¡± Which is true. Those snake heads had pierced through my robe with no issue.


    Ashley¡¯s mom gasps, horrified. ¡°Ashley, did¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mine, uh, wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°But it was a close call¡­ she would¡¯ve if she got the chance to.¡±


    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Anja cries out. If she was acting to try and sell my story, it was very convincing. ¡°That is a form of sexual assault! You must know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Dad says, scratching his head and looking deeply disturbed. ¡°Yes, if that¡¯s true she certainly should be charged with some sort of statutory violation.¡±


    ¡°You two, for once, need to trust in your son!¡± Ruth lectures at my parents, angrier than I hardly ever see her. ¡°He is my best friend and I can tell you he is a good man. He was just groomed and assaulted by a teacher and all you can do is buy into her bullshit story!¡±


    ¡°Ruth, sweetie,¡± Mom pants, her face turning pale. ¡°This is just so much to take in¡­¡±


    ¡°Look at him, he¡¯s hardly said a word since it happened, and he looks dead on the inside!¡± Ruth continues. ¡°You have to see the writing on the wall! See past this sexist idea our culture has that women are so weak that they could never hurt anyone, and look at the facts clearly in front of you.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Ashley interjects. ¡°Ms. Truman told me about doing something like this before. Assaulting a boy, and then telling everyone he was the aggressor. She¡¯s totally gotten away with child molestation once before. Will you let it happen again?¡±


    ¡°Dear,¡± Dad says, ¡°I have to say. I¡¯ve been on the scene in rape cases before. And Kevin is acting much more like a victim than that teacher of his was. I think there is something to this.¡±


    My feelings all come back at once, so quickly that I feel like I was just hit by a tsunami. And I start shamelessly crying in front of everyone. My parents rush forward, taking me into their arms.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    I¡¯m not really any good at giving speeches and stuff so I mostly let everyone else talk to the parents. Finally, we get all of them to head back to the office so we can tell the cops and shit what happened.


    Ashley¡¯s parents go in first, and the rest of us hang back behind them. The people still hanging around in the office seem shocked to see all of us here, especially Ashley I bet.


    ¡°Where did Shari go?¡± Ashley¡¯s mom asks.


    ¡°What are you asking for?¡± a police officer questions back.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to kill her.¡±


    The officer frowns. ¡°Ma¡¯am, what¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M GOING TO KILL HER!¡± Ashley¡¯s mom explodes, and she runs forward like she¡¯s going to go right down the hallway, but the officer blocks her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we just want to talk with her,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad says coldly. ¡°She is in that back room, is she not?¡±


    ¡°What is all of this about?¡± Some administrator lady asks. ¡°Hasn¡¯t she gone through enough today?¡±


    ¡°You are being played for fools, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad explains.


    ¡°That woman¡­ that witch¡­ she lied about¡­ what happened to our daughter!¡± Ashley¡¯s mom rants, trying to push past the officer. ¡°She molested that Kevin boy¡­ she would¡¯ve done the same to her¡­ she lied, she pinned that blog post on the coach¡­¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, that story is preposterous!¡± the officer responds, pushing her backwards away from the hall entrance. ¡°Now, where is Officer Snyder?¡±


    ¡°HE IS BACK THERE CONSOLING HIS SON WHO JUST GOT ASSAULTED!¡± Ashley¡¯s mom yells. ¡°IF YOU DON¡¯T BELIEVE US, WHY DON¡¯T YOU GO FUCKING CALL HIM ON YOUR WALKIE TALKIE, AND HE¡¯LL TELL YOU!¡±


    ¡°You need to calm yourself, right now!¡± the officer growls threateningly. ¡°I  will  detain you if you force me to.¡±


    I scoff and lean over to Anja. ¡°Daddy always said you can¡¯t trust a cop,¡± I mutter to her.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± the officer says, zeroing in on me from across the room. ¡°Say that again, boy.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t say nothing,¡± I dismiss.


    ¡°You little liar. How about we get these damn kids out of here. I¡¯m not taking smack from a runt like this!¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re one to talk about staying calm,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad states plainly, pursing his lips.


    I¡¯m wondering if the dude is about to pull a baton out on Ashley¡¯s parents when a door in the back slams open. Ms. Truman stumbles into the hallway, looking dejectedly at the ground as if she can¡¯t bear to make eye contact with any of us.


    ¡°What she said is true. It¡¯s all true,¡± she says quickly. ¡°I lured them into that¡­ place.¡±


    ¡°Shari, what are you talking about?¡± asks the administrator lady.


    ¡°I made that post at the work party. I framed Coach Everheart. I fully intended to have my way with Kevin and any of his friends who happened to wander in after him.¡± She¡¯s talking frantically fast, as if she¡¯s worried she¡¯s going to run out of words soon. ¡°I lied about him assaulting Ashley. And I lied about Enrique, back at my student teaching! And at my college, I used my¡­¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you¡¯d like to¡­ confess to anything else, we can do it at the station,¡± the officer tells her, clearly perplexed by her change of behavior. ¡°Now, can I have you¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Ms. Truman interjects, a crazed look in her eyes. ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone. I collaborated with someone. A network of human traffickers. They gave me an app on my phone which let me access the¡­ the¡­¡±


    ¡°What is she  doing ?¡± Ruth whispers to us, looking horrified. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say¡­¡±


    ¡°The  what ?¡± the officer questions. ¡°Some website which lets you access child pornography, or meet accomplices?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the¡­¡± Ms. Truman stops and starts reaching for her throat, panting heavily. Then, she starts making this awful choking sound. She keels over, coughing uncontrollably. And then, something starts coming from her mouth. A liquid, that splatters onto the floor¡­


    And the liquid is a black, tarlike substance.


    ¡°Call the hospital! She¡¯s horribly ill!¡± The one administrator calls, panicking. There¡¯s a flurry of activity, different school staff coming out of their rooms to see what is going on, some of them screaming¡­


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be watching this,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad tells us darkly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get all of you kids home now.¡± He hurriedly shepherds us out of the office.


    Not like we were all exactly jolly as a roger before, but the atmosphere around the group is noticeably grimmer. Ashley¡¯s mom has a distant look, like she¡¯s having some terrible vision the rest of us can¡¯t see. Zoe looks like she¡¯s going to be sick herself and is clinging to Ashley¡¯s arm. Ruth is agitated, tears streaming down her face as she tries to process something in her head. And Anja¡­ she¡¯s crying loud, ugly sobs, her face red. I put my arms around her, and she puts her head straight in my chest and continues sobbing.


    What about me? Well, I¡¯m in total shock. Not just because of Ms. Truman¡¯s sudden illness. But because I think I know what it means. Maybe you figured it out already too. Especially my fellow gamers out there who might have seen a cutscene like that once.


    It means that Lily was right. In all her insane conspiracies she managed to stumble upon something real. Except, I think she got one part of it wrong. It¡¯s not a poison that kills people; it¡¯s being killed in the Metaverse. Whoever this group is, they swooped in and got her the second she tried to reveal their big secret. And that¡­ is one of the most terrifying thoughts I¡¯ve ever had.


    ~Ending of Movement III: A Wolf In Business Casual~

 Chapter 66: A Warning (December 10 Part 10)

    <Anja>


    Nova and I walk to my car in silence. The student parking lot is mostly empty, the only remaining cars belonging to people in after-school activities. My spot is along the right side, where we would have marching band practice before the season ended a few weeks ago. You see, they want mostly marching band students to park here, so they can move their cars and we don¡¯t have to track down random other students.


    We remain silent as we get into my car. I put my key into the ignition, and the car roars to life. I consider putting on some music, so I don¡¯t have to think about anything.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Nova says simply. I follow his gaze to see that an ambulance pulled in front of the school.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s gonna make it,¡± I tell him. ¡°That was the same thing that happened¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­To your mom, yeah,¡± Nova finishes for me. He squirms nervously in his seat.


    I pull us out of the parking lot. Somehow, as I watch the scenery of the town go by, nothing feels real. Like we never exited the Metaverse and this is all some elaborate trick.


    ¡°I can¡¯t decide if I should feel bad for her or not,¡± Nova comments openly.


    I sigh. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°She was a bad person. But if she¡¯s really gonna die¡­¡± Nova makes an uncomfortable face. ¡°Right after she finally confessed?¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything to this. We pass by the public pool, which is of course closed at this time of year.


    ¡°What do you think she would do if she survives?¡± Nova asks. ¡°I mean, she¡¯d obviously be fired and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Well, I imagine she would go to prison,¡± I speculate. ¡°And people who prey on children do not get treated kindly there. Maybe she¡¯d be killed by the other inmates, while the prison guard looks the other way. This may have only shaved a few measly months off of her life span. But, assuming she survives prison, or avoids it due to a failure of the legal system. If she really felt differently, she would avoid the education sector, or any other job which deals with children. Try and live a peaceful life doing manual labor or something.¡±


    ¡°It would be good to not give her any more temptation, I guess,¡± he says.


    ¡°Yes. That is how people like her should live their lives.¡±


    ¡°I guess that would be the best way to do it. But like, what is wrong with her anyway?¡±


    I take a deep breath. ¡°Multiple things, Nova. Some manageable, some not. The biggest problem she had was just that she did not care about the effect her actions had on other people. That alone makes her the wretched person she was.¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, obviously.¡±


    ¡°And, I think it is fair to say after what we saw in there that she did have a chronic attraction to teenage-aged children. That¡­ can happen to people. Especially ones who go through severe abuse, which it sounds like she did.¡±


    ¡°Yikes,¡± Nova comments.


    ¡°There¡¯s a part of the brain which kind of decides who we find sexually appealing,¡± I explain. ¡°Normally, it adjusts itself as we age. You and I find other high school students hot. But when we¡¯re in we¡¯re 20s we won¡¯t anymore. Maybe if they look really mature for their age or something, but generally we will have moved on. But sometimes¡­ that little part of the brain gets¡­ stuck. No known way to fix it.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. So some people are just¡­ doomed to be like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± I take a moment to pick the right words, as I pull around a local retail store, a sign reading Christmas sale on all home goods: 30% off hung over the front door. ¡°There are some people doomed to have that sort of attraction, but they don¡¯t have to end up like Ms. Truman. If they¡¯re someone who does care about other people, they can still live a good life. They¡¯d try and avoid temptation, kinda like you said. Although it¡¯s not totally agreed upon what the best way to manage that is¡­¡±


    ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t happen to me,¡± Nova says.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I tell him earnestly. Once again, that unwelcome memory intrudes¡­ me, tied by vines, helpless¡­ I quickly try to shake it off, and I turn on the radio.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    ¡°We are just so relieved that you two are okay,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom tells us. Her dad is driving us all back home, Ashley and I in the back seat.


    ¡°Yeah, it was a pretty close call for me,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Thank God Kevin was able to stop her¡­¡±


    ¡°What a strange little scheme that woman was running,¡± her mom comments. ¡°Why go out of her way to find Zoe and your friends, lure them back, and then go back to the office?¡±


    I feel anxiety rising in my stomach¡­ her mom is poking holes in the edited story we told. I intently stare out the window, worried that a look on my face may give us away.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Who knows what that maniac was up to,¡± Ashley responds distastefully. ¡°Probably trying to lock us all in there for a¡­ well, you get the idea.¡±


    ¡°That just doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± her mom says. ¡°The security camera¡¯s footage getting corrupted was so peculiar too.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll never know,¡± Ashley says, shrugging. ¡°I was too out of it to really tell what was happening at that point.¡±


    ¡°Lucky thing you were conscious enough to remember all of the crimes she bizarrely confessed to you,¡± her mom presses. There¡¯s no doubt now: she¡¯s definitely on to us.


    ¡°I¡¯m not making that up, I promise,¡± Ashley says defensively. ¡°She said the same thing as me just before getting sick, so that confirms it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting the accuracy of your claim, don¡¯t worry. But there is something very odd about what happened today, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. There is a lot odd about it.¡±


    ¡°Like, how did you initially know what was going on again?¡±


    ¡°Oh Mom, we already talked about this, don¡¯t you remember? We had heard from one of the teachers- it was Mr. Castro, you can ask him about it and he¡¯ll back us up- that Coach Everheart might¡¯ve had his Wi-fi used at a work party, so there was a chance he was being framed.¡±


    ¡°Kind of irresponsible for him to tell that to a bunch of children instead of taking it straight to the police.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, I don¡¯t think he really meant to do it, it just sort of slipped out.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm. And then, you figured out all by yourself that it was really Ms. Truman who did it?¡±


    ¡°Well, not all by myself. Ruth helped us out a lot. She¡¯s extremely smart.¡±


    ¡°So did the idea to check her room come from Mr. Castro, or from Ruth?¡±


    ¡°Well, a bit of both. I was the one who kind of put two and two together on that. She had been acting weird towards Kevin the past few days, so I had to check and see.¡±


    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you tell your concerns to school staff or a police officer?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? They wouldn¡¯t ever believe me. Remember how we got treated when Zoe was being bullied? They¡¯re useless, the whole lot of them. Remember how that one officer yelled at Nova for basically no reason? Way to single out the only black kid, so typical. Isn¡¯t the police just awful?¡± (Ashley is rambling on and on, talking unusually fast. I get the impression she is trying to change the subject.) ¡°I think that one Hurt guy who came to our house is probably the only guy on the force who knows what he¡¯s doing. Maybe they should¡¯ve sent him, none of this would¡¯ve ever happened. But no, they were just so¡­¡±


    ¡°Ashley¡­ that¡¯s not the point. What you did was reckless. You almost got yourself raped, for Christ¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, Kevin¡¯s my friend, I wasn¡¯t going to leave him in there with that sexual lunatic of a teacher!¡±


    Ashley¡¯s mom sighs. ¡°Never mind¡­ Why did she suddenly do a 180 and confess like that?¡± she asks quickly.


    ¡°Well, I guess someone managed to talk some sense into her.¡±


    ¡°Did they talk some sense into her, or beat some sense into her?¡± I suppress a gasp.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, whatever they did, it worked.¡±


    ¡°And then, just as she was about to out her conspirators, she just starts throwing up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That was crazy.¡±


    ¡°Ashley, did you know that an illness very similar to that is what took Ellen¡¯s life? You know, your friend Anja¡¯s mom?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± For the first time Ashley sounds genuinely startled. ¡°No, I¡­ didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    I tear my gaze away from the window and look between Ashley and her mother. Ashley¡¯s resolve seems to be breaking; I can see her going a little pale. Her mom is looking over the car seat, gaze fixated sternly onto her.


    ¡°Ashley. Zoe. Listen to me very carefully. If you know anything, anything at all, about what this woman was involved with- anything which you and your friends might not have wanted to tell us- you stay out of it. Do not stick a single little toe into it. Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course Mom,¡± Ashley says nervously. ¡°I mean, come on, do you really think I want to get myself tangled up in some trafficking thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± her mom replies emphatically. ¡°And I know that you¡¯re not going to listen to me, because you are so stubborn. But this is not in your jurisdiction. This is dangerous, deadly business. Understand? If you see any more adults acting strange, you don¡¯t just barge into the room and endanger yourself. You tell someone. Come and tell us, and we¡¯ll know what to do.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys going to do? You¡¯re not cops or anything.¡± Ashley argues.


    ¡°Ashley.¡± She says it so sternly that I feel a chill run down my spine. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I get it. Sheesh.¡±


    ¡°And you too, Zoe?¡± she says, turning her gaze to me. Her green eyes, which are just like Ashley¡¯s, seem to pierce my soul.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I say meekly.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    This has undoubtedly been the longest day of my life. And even though it is still mid-afternoon, all I can think of doing when we get home is going to bed. I¡¯ll do my homework in the morning or something.


    Zoe and I take a brief walk to go set Ted back in his habitat, and then go back to our rooms. After we enter the hallway leading to them, I feel Zoe grab my hand. I turn to her as she closes the door behind us.


    ¡°Ashley?¡± she says in a low voice. ¡°Your parents¡­ they suspect us, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I mean, we basically admitted we had been doing some amount of detective work for this. And of course they don¡¯t want us to be involved.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re not going to stop, are you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. Zoe, my mom doesn¡¯t understand the stakes here. We are the only ones with this Metaverse power. The only adults who can help us are Lucy and Ted. It¡¯s our responsibility alone.¡±


    Zoe looks a little bit queasy and doesn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°If you want to back out¡­ I understand,¡± I tell her.


    She shakes her head. ¡°No¡­ you¡¯re right. It¡¯s the Spider Man thing. With great power comes great responsibility. It¡¯s our duty to help anyone who¡¯s suffering from this.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I tell her, feeling a rush of affection for her. We embrace lovingly. Over her shoulder, though, I have nagging thoughts. What if something happens to her on this endeavor? What if she decides I¡¯m too dangerous to be around¡­


    I quickly let go of the hug. ¡°I¡¯m going to lay down in my room,¡± I tell her. ¡°Let me know when dinner¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Okay Ashley,¡± she tells me, looking at me with big, worried blue eyes.


    She goes back out while I stumble into my room. I¡¯m so exhausted that I almost don¡¯t see it.


    On my desk is a sheet of paper. For a brief, foolish moment, I wonder if it¡¯s another note from Ruth. But then, I notice the handwriting, which is sprawled and messy. I read the note.


    I killed her. Keep poking around in our affairs, and someone you care about is next.


    And then, at the exact moment I finish reading the last word, the note dissipates, green sparks running across the page until it vanishes into nonbeing.


    I don¡¯t have the mental capacity to think about this or any implications. I just fall onto the bed and pass out.


    ~Beginning of Movement IV : Diving Into Dark Water ~

 Chapter 67: The Priestess’s Plight (December 11 Part 1)

    <Ruth>


    Having been dropped into the story in the midst of the previous insane day, I never got a chance to properly introduce myself. I¡¯m Ruth Antunez. It technically should be ¡°Ant¨²nez,¡± but since immigrating here we have become accustomed to spelling it without the accent. I am named ¡°Ruth¡± for the Biblical figure of the same name, a woman noted for integrating into Jewish culture despite not being an Israelite ethnically. My parents must have already been planning to come here when they named me. We emigrated here from Cuba, the Caribbean Island which has had a rather rocky relationship with the US for the past fifty years or so.


    After we came here, we had a house with an extra bedroom, so my parents decided they should have one more child after me. To their shock, however, my mom had quintuplets. Now my family faces the challenge of fitting six children into two bedrooms. They are saving up to get a larger house, but that probably won¡¯t happen until I have moved out at this rate. So for now, I have to share a room with my ten-year-old sisters, Mabel and Diane. As a result, it can be quite hard to get any peace and quiet around here, so I¡¯ve gotten into the habit of getting as much work as possible done while I am at school.


    Before we get back to the actual story, I should mention that while at home, my family primarily talks in Spanish. For your convenience I¡¯ll translate our conversations into English, except for a few key words or phrases for the sake of flavor.


    I am reluctant to get out of bed this morning. I was exceptionally fatigued yesterday after school. I was told yesterday morning that awakening one¡¯s ¡°Persona¡± has this effect, although I think the emotional turmoil of yesterday¡¯s events would have done the job on its own. And yet, I am the first to rise, my sisters still sound asleep on the other end of our king-sized bed. I have a good window of time before my bus gets here, so I go to the kitchen to see if my parents left me any  cafe con leche .


    As luck would have it, they did. Greatly appreciated after the day I had yesterday. As my brain starts to properly wake up, I think ahead to what I want to get done today. This morning, I should review some notes for AP World History on the bus, as the midterm test is coming soon. Also, if I have time, I¡¯d like to get my Environmental Systems project done so I don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. I never got to finish my practice session of  Bach¡¯s Cello Suite  yesterday, so I¡¯ll plan to do that after school.


    My dad walks into the kitchen, dressed for work. You know from one look at him that he¡¯s a tough man. His firm eyebrows give him a permanently hard look; he constantly has shadows under his eyes from his grueling work schedule; and to complete the look, he has a narrow scar on his left cheek. My father works as an operator at an oil plant, which is unfortunately a frequent source of conflict between us. He pulls out a slice of toast that had been sitting in the toaster and wolfs it down without a second thought.


    My mom follows him in. She is not dressed for work yet, but she¡¯s clearly been awake for a while. She is a somewhat heavyset woman with thick, frizzy hair just like mine.


    ¡°Buenos d¨ªas, hija mia,¡± she greets me. ¡°Mi amor, I would have buttered that for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Dad responds.


    ¡°Ruth, you¡¯ve heard the news, right?¡± Mom says. ¡°A teacher at your school passed away yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± I reply. ¡°She didn¡¯t seem well last I saw her. Well, that¡¯s what she gets after what she did to Kevin.¡±


    ¡°It was that lady?¡± Mom questions incredulously. I didn¡¯t get too in-depth with my account of yesterday, for obvious reasons. ¡°What a crazy world we live in¡­¡±


    ¡°What about that man they took into prison?¡± Dad asks. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he the one behind it?¡±


    ¡°No. He was framed,¡± I say simply. ¡°He should be clear to go back to teaching now in theory, but I doubt he will. The hasty actions of the police will leave a permanent stain on his reputation.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame this on our police,¡± Mom argues. ¡°They made a reasonable assumption based on the information they had.¡±


    ¡°Could¡¯ve done some deeper digging before dramatically bursting into the school and dragging him away in front of everyone,¡± I say. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to search his house first? Check his online activity in more detail to see what device it came from?  Anything ?¡±


    Dad shakes his head. ¡°Aye aye aye, to be fifteen and to know all there is to know,¡± he comments bitterly. ¡°Perhaps next I¡¯ll have you follow me to work and tell me how to do my job too.¡±


    Hot anger rises within me, and I so badly want to bite back at him. But Mom gives me a ferocious look of warning, so instead I just finish my espresso.


    Soon after this, Dad is off to work, leaving just Mom and I.


    ¡°You have been so mouthy recently,¡± Mom scolds me.


    ¡°Sorry, I forget sometimes that I¡¯m not allowed to have my own opinions.¡±


    ¡°Que lata, hija mia,¡± she tells me, shaking her head. ¡°Go catch your bus now, okay?¡±


    <hr>


    It is a cool and pleasant morning; I don¡¯t even have to wear a coat. Air quality is not the best though; my lungs are not happy. I take a puff from my inhaler when I get on the bus. I¡¯m about to pull out my history book when I feel my phone vibrate. It could be important, so I decide to check it to find that Kevin messaged me on Skype.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Good morning, Ruth. How''s it going today?


    Poorly. How about you?


    I''ve seen better days myself.


    In fact, I wanted to let you know that I don''t think I''ll be at school today.


    I certainly don''t fault you for that.


    Thank you.


    We''re all pretty shaken up by what happened yesterday.


    I''m just glad my parents finally started believing in me.


    Thank you so much for helping me talk to them.


    I just wish my own parents would follow their example.


    I''m curious about something.


    If it is too personal I understand if you don''t want to share.


    What is it?


    None of us saw what happened inside of that beast''s stomach.


    Was it exactly like you said, or did you change what you said to hide anything supernatural?


    What I said is true in spirit.


    She did use something supernatural to do it, though.


    I''m very sorry.


    Please take it easy on your day off.


    Thank you


    I can only imagine you''re suffering some amount of mental anguish.


    You may want to consider talking to a psychiatrist.


    That''s not a terrible idea.


    I have a lot of unpleasant stuff on my mind¡­


    I won''t keep you any more, though.


    Have a good day at school!


    No promises.


    You''re a great friend, Ruth


    ??


    I put my phone away, feeling guilt gnawing at me. However, I simply take a deep breath and make myself feel numb and blank. I pull my history book out of my backpack and crack it open.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    When I walk into the library, I immediately notice something unusual: Ashley is using one of the computers, which I¡¯ve never seen her do before. Well, I need to use a computer too, so I go sit at the one next to her. You see, I have to write an essay about characterization or some shit in a book we were forced to read called  A Separate Peace.  As far as assigned books go, TKAM was alright, but I really don''t get  A Separate Peace . It''s just this dipshit rich kid''s adventures at a boarding school, where he sabotages one of his best friends and then some guy jumps the snow ski division of the army (that¡¯s a thing???) and then goes insane, or something, I already forgot most of it. The biggest thing I like about the book is how the main character is obviously gay and every English teacher in the school vehemently denies this when you bring it up. Like bitch, you''re the one who gave us softcore yaoi as an assigned reading.


    Uh, anyway. Up close, Ashley gives distinctly bad vibes today. She is looking between her computer screen and a piece of paper with narrow eyes, as if contemplating whether to burn it.


    ¡°Morning,¡± I greet her. ¡°What''s wrong? You look constipated or something.¡±


    ¡°There is a lot wrong, Nova,¡± she tells me in a harsh voice. ¡°I am exhausted and stressed. I have received a threat against the life of my loved ones. Phase 2 of all-region band is in 2 days. And I have to do this stupid assignment.¡±


    ¡°What stupid assignment?¡±


    ¡°It''s for Speech. I must do an informative presentation. There is no clear criteria, rubric or structure to follow, so I have no idea where to start.¡±


    ¡°Dude, that project was easy. Just do it about music or something.¡±


    She turns her slanted eyes to me. ¡°What am I supposed to do, teach my entire speech class how to play the french horn?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± I respond, shrugging. ¡°You can think of something, you know about a lot of shit.¡±


    ¡°What did you make yours about?¡± she asks with a hint of what I think is sarcasm. ¡°The subtleties of competitive Pok¨¦mon? How to wavedash in Super Smash Bros. Melee?¡±


    ¡°Huh. Those are both pretty good ideas, I kinda wish I had done that now.¡±


    She huffs at me and turns back to the computer. ¡°Typical.¡±


    ¡°Hey, look. I''d much rather be making a presentation about cool stuff like that than the boring shit we usually do. Like the essay I have to do for English.¡±


    ¡°I technically have an English essay too, but given the circumstances I doubt it will be collected. The class will be almost as great of a mess as it was when my English teacher was still living.¡±


    As dark as that is, it gets a snicker out of me. ¡°Do you think your schedule''s gonna get messed up next semester because of all this?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, I assume they''ll just hire a new teacher and give them the same time slots.¡±


    ¡°Ah, alright. Mine''s gonna be different because my algebra teacher is forcing me to move up to PAP.¡± ¡°Pre-AP¡± is just a fancy word for an advanced class.


    ¡°Good. You''ll do well there, you''re good at math.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. It''s the autism.¡±


    ¡°You''re much better off academically than you were at the start of the year. Good on you,¡± she tells me earnestly.


    ¡°Well, I won''t be much longer if I keep getting these fucking essays. I hate these. It''s like mental torture.¡±


    ¡°If only you could write an essay about Pok¨¦mon or Super Smash Bros.¡±


    ¡°That''s what I''m saying. You have it easy, getting to choose your own topic!¡±


    ¡°At least with your essay you have a clear idea of what to do and where to start.¡±


    ¡°You kidding me? I don''t have a single fucking thing to say about this shit.¡±


    ¡°But you have a subject. That is better than I have. Just start with generic sentences about what you know.¡±


    "Okay, how¡¯s this? ¡®A Separate Peace is a book that exists.¡¯"


    She scoffs at me. ¡°Okay, a little more specific than that, smartass.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m just gonna start writing shit, I guess. I''ll go back and organize it later. I don''t care enough right now.¡±


    ¡°That works.¡±


    ¡°And you? Just think of something you could rant about on your own. Easy as shit.¡±


    ¡°Well, here''s the issue. If I make it about something musical, like you suggested, nobody would care.¡±


    ¡°Da fuck you mean?¡±


    ¡°If they''re not in band themselves, they''ll just tell me I''m bragging,¡± she says bitterly. ¡°So I don''t rant about that stuff on my own anymore.¡±


    ¡°Bro, just write about it in a way that isn''t bragging. You got shit for brains or something? Is acting like a bitch so ingrained into you that you don''t have any other way to express yourself?¡±


    That touched a nerve. She bares her teeth at me and growls, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it. I''ve had enough of you!¡±


    She tries to push me out of my chair. Years of experience with Kat allowed me to quickly react and anchor myself to the desk with one hand, while retaliating with a punch to her shoulder with the other hand.


    ¡°Ow!¡± she yelps, clearly surprised that I actually got her back. She must not have any siblings.


    We glare at each other for a while. I¡¯m ready for another attack from her, but instead, she eventually takes a deep breath, gives me one last scathing look, and starts her presentation.


    Here¡¯s the kicker: She finishes the whole thing in like ten minutes. I catch her putting the finishing touches on it when the bell rings for us to go.

 Chapter 68: Human Nature (December 11 Part 2)

    <Ruth>


    It¡¯s lunch time. I don¡¯t feel particularly hungry. I¡¯m thinking about skipping lunch to finish Environmental Systems, when I bump into Mason as he comes out of the lunch line.


    ¡°Hey Ruth, how¡¯s it going?¡± he greets.


    ¡°Poorly. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s going fine?¡± he responds uncertainly. ¡°Hey¡­ do you know what''s up with Kevin? I haven''t seen him around today.¡±


    ¡°He''s not here today.¡±


    ¡°Dang, really? He never misses school.¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you sit with us today, then?¡± asks Yonca, walking out with her own tray behind him.


    She gives me such a sweet smile that I feel too bad about turning her down, so I oblige and go to sit with them. It¡¯s not a big party; Mason is sitting with his girlfriend Diana, and Yonca is there too. Terra is conspicuously absent. Kevin and I generally prefer to sit by ourselves because, truth be told, their usual conversation topics bore me. But, all of today only one topic of conversation is on everyone¡¯s mind.


    Sure enough, it is not long after I take my seat that Diana is turning to question me. ¡°Weren''t you there yesterday?¡± she asks in a low voice. ¡°There are a bunch of rumors about what happened and we''re not sure what to believe.¡±


    ¡°What have you heard?¡± I ask.


    Diana shifts uncomfortably. Rather than answer my question, she glances around to see if anyone is listening in, and then asks, ¡°First of all, what was going on between Kevin and Ms. Truman? We''ve heard a bunch of conflicting things about it.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Truman had been seeing Kevin privately under the guise of emotionally supporting him,¡± I explain. ¡°However it turned out she was grooming him, which culminated in him being sexually assaulted after school on Wednesday.¡±


    There is a tension in the air, like everyone at the table winced a little on the inside. Then Yonca says, ¡°Wow. Some boys had said that they were secretly dating and they tried to ¡®do it¡¯ in her room after school.¡±


    ¡°That is a gross misunderstanding of what happened. Kevin had no intention of having relations with her like that.¡±


    Mason sighs slightly. ¡°That''s what I''ve been telling people. Kevin''s not a weirdo, he''s not desperate enough to try and get with a teacher. I knew that had to be wrong!¡±


    ¡°So why''s he staying home today?¡± Diana questions. ¡°Is he in trouble?¡±


    ¡°No. The events of this week have taken a toll on him so he''s off for his own mental health.¡±


    ¡°Tell him we''re all hoping he feels better!¡± Yonca says cheerily.


    ¡°So, what happened to Ms. Truman?¡± Diana continues, not to be deterred. ¡°How did she die?¡±


    ¡°While being interrogated, Ms. Truman fell extremely ill. She died of her illness on the way to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°So that part had nothing to do with Kevin?¡± Mason asks nervously.


    ¡°Correct. It was random.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she felt so bad about what she did that she made herself sick?¡± Yonca speculates. She of course has no way of knowing this, but that¡¯s not too far from the truth. But obviously I can not say that.


    ¡°So it wasn''t his fault. If anything he''s a victim,¡± Mason says.


    ¡°He is certainly a victim. And personally, I feel absolutely awful that I couldn''t prevent this from happening to him.¡±


    The others look at each other, surprised. ¡°What? You didn''t have anything to do with it, Ruth.¡± Yonca says.


    ¡°He had told me earlier in the week about how Ms.Truman was acting, and I never gave it proper thought. Had I done so, I could have warned him and prevented all of this. It''s my fault¡±.


    ¡°Come on, you''re not single handedly responsible for every bad thing that happens,¡± Mason argues. ¡°You''re being way too hard on yourself.¡±


    "I had already been investigating the strange blog post. I hoped to stop whoever it was before they could do any harm. But I failed, and my best friend has been hurt.¡±


    ¡°You can''t blame yourself for something that she did!¡± Yonca says emphatically. "You''re innocent.¡±


    ¡°Someone who could have prevented evil, and instead remained a bystander, is guilty of the crime as well.¡±


    Hard to say why, but these words seem to shut Yonca up a bit; she looks very morose afterwards.


    ¡°It''s not really like that,¡± Mason insists. ¡°You didn''t know what she was going to do.¡±


    ¡°But I should have known. I could have figured it out.¡±


    ¡°You''re being way too hard on yourself,¡± Mason repeats.


    ¡°Honestly, yeah. You are,¡± Diana agrees. ¡°I mean... at least you were trying to do the right thing. You weren''t just looking after your own status, or... I guess what I''m trying to say is, you''re much more admirable than... some people.¡±


    I frown at her. ¡°I''m not sure if I follow.¡±


    Diana goes a little pink in the face, and her face falls as if she just saw mold on her sandwich. ¡°Look... I badly hurt my best friend too. But you were trying to do something good, you just¡­ overlooked something. That could happen to anyone. But I was just selfish... I was motivated by a petty grudge, and... I never thought about how it''d hurt her¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I know what you meant about being a bystander,¡± Yonca says, looking at the floor as though ashamed. ¡°But like Mason said, that¡¯s not really what happened here¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you shouldn¡¯t levy praise on someone just because they didn¡¯t actively try to hurt someone,¡± I tell them bluntly. ¡°The road to hell is paved with good intentions. As a moral human being, you must be strong in heart as well as strong in mind. As we know from history, a utopia executed poorly is a living nightmare, no matter how pure the ideals upon which it is founded.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Ruth, this doesn¡¯t have to do with hearts or minds or anything,¡± Diana says, shaking her head. ¡°This didn¡¯t happen because you¡¯re stupid. Everyone knows you are a genius, you¡¯re ranked #1 in your class.¡±


    ¡°I am?¡± I question. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Uh, class rankings for sophomores were released yesterday. Didn¡¯t you see¡­? Okay, whatever. Point is, the only mistake you made was just that you forgot to ask Kevin what was going on. And, I guess the way I work, that¡¯s the first thing I would¡¯ve done. But you¡¯re so smart, I guess you can figure most stuff out all by yourself.¡±


    I look into her eyes. She¡¯s not trying to be flattering; nor is she bitterly sarcastic. What is she trying to get at with that statement?


    ¡°Oh my god, you guys are always so serious,¡± Mason complains. ¡°Lighten up a little, jeez. Only one person did the bad touch to our friend, and she died. No point in playing these mind games trying to figure out someone else to blame. We just gotta move on with life.¡±


    ¡°And we need to be kind to Kevin, and stick up for him,¡± Yonca says softly. ¡°Clearly, people don¡¯t really understand what happened, and they¡¯re saying nasty things about him. About how he wanted to ¡®do it¡¯ with a teacher, or how he somehow caused her to die. We can¡¯t let lies and hate run amok.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yeah. We can¡¯t,¡± Diana responds uncomfortably.


    ¡°I keep telling people, ¡®dude, this is  Kevin  we¡¯re talking about, do you really think he¡¯d do that?¡¯¡± Mason stresses. ¡°They just don¡¯t know him like we do, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll appreciate you three being behind him,¡± I tell them. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Despite their best efforts, however, I still feel recent events weighing on me. Maybe I am being too hard on myself¡­ but the path to morality is one of holding yourself to a higher standard than you hold others. When you pass judgment on someone else, you condemn yourself, because as the judge you are the same as them. I can complain about the police, the school administration, or the reactions of other students all I want, but at the end of the day, I failed my friend, and nothing will ever change that.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Normally, I would spend the time just after jazz band with Zoe, but she got herself a little preoccupied today talking with Diana and Yonca. They seem very excited¡­ what are they talking about? I want to go over and find out, but I don¡¯t think she would like that. I mean, she¡¯s with her friends, she¡¯ll be okay. I don¡¯t need to hold her hand everywhere like she¡¯s a child. But Zoe wants everyone to be friends, right? She¡¯s just like that golden retriever she grew up with. Maybe if I were actually going to join the conversation and try and connect with her friends, she wouldn¡¯t mind that. I just generally don¡¯t have any interest in them¡­


    I decide to take a short walk through the school while I¡¯m waiting. But when I step out of the band hall into the hall, I meet someone I have  negative interest in talking to; Terra. Just leaning against the wall, almost like she was waiting for me. Her eyes instantly find me, locking onto her next victim with heat-seeking intensity.


    ¡°Well well. What do you suppose they''re talking about over there?¡± she asks me in a drawling voice.


    I shrug. ¡°I suppose it''s neither of our business.¡±


    She walks towards me, stopping just a few feet in front me, looking into my eyes as directly as she can given that I am a few inches taller than her. ¡°You know, Yonca hasn''t been as close to me for a while. And I think Diana might be going the same way. She keeps getting mad at me for being ¡®offensive.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Gee, I wonder why.¡±


    ¡°How did you do it, Ashley?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°I feel as if nobody''s really backing me up anymore.¡±


    ¡°Not my problem.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but it is. How did you sway so many people to your side?¡±


    I scoff when I realize what she¡¯s getting at. ¡°You think this whole school is some game of chess between us? You''re delusional. I literally just want everyone to leave me alone.¡±


    She fakes a look of concern, and then says in a dramatic, simpering voice, ¡°Oh yes, I know! I''m the big, bad aggressor going after the poor helpless abcdefg+ minority.¡±


    For a moment, I think about stopping this and just beating the everloving shit out of her. I¡¯d punch her and punch her and punch her, and she¡¯d get a nosebleed, two black eyes, and maybe get a tooth knocked out. She¡¯d run to the office crying, and I¡¯d have to go to the counselor¡¯s again. Mom would be called back to the school. Maybe she¡¯d be more sympathetic, after realizing how hypocritical it¡¯d be to get mad at me after trying to kill one of my teachers yesterday. She¡¯d meet with Mrs. Snyder and say, ¡°Go easy on her, she¡¯s had such a hard time with everything. Also that girl was really mean and nasty, she really actually deserved it.¡± Anja and Zoe and Nova would go back and attest that, yes, she really deserved it. All of this flashes before my eyes, and I feel satisfied¡­.


    But then I look back at her smug, annoying, stupid face. She¡¯s smirking at me; does she know what¡¯s coursing through my head? Why wouldn¡¯t she run away? Because, Ashley, Terra¡¯s a scheming little cunt, she¡¯ll go around telling people afterwards how horrible I was for attacking her¡­ maybe Diana will go crawling back to here. Maybe she¡¯ll start telling people us abcdefg folx are just bullies, and they¡¯ll believe it this time¡­ That¡¯s what she really wants, isn¡¯t it? An excuse to hate people. That¡¯s all she¡¯s ever wanted from me.


    What did Mom say last time? Didn¡¯t she say I should be more like my dad? Well, I think I can do that¡­


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Terra says, suddenly picking at her fingernails as if she¡¯s bored. ¡°No comeback?¡±


    ¡°No, you were right,¡± I tell her. ¡°You  are  a bully who targets downtrodden people.¡±


    Her eyes narrow at me in fury. ¡°All I do is speak the truth. The only one brave enough to preach God¡¯s word in a world that¡¯s become too  seen-se-teev  to want to listen.¡±


    ¡°Go away, evildoer. I never knew you.¡±


    ¡°Oh really. And what do you think He¡¯ll say to you, who flagrantly deny God''s word?¡±


    ¡°You''re so gullible. You don''t know how to read below the surface.


    ¡°There is no ¡®below the surface.¡¯ God''s word is perfect.¡±


    There¡¯s my chance. ¡°But what of the men who transcribed and translated it? What of the powerful men in charge of passing the book down from generation to generation? Does not humanity corrupt that of God''s perfection? Did you learn nothing from Adam and Eve? Because their story carries a lesson, and I don¡¯t mean that you should try and force people to learn your creationist bullshit. An actual lesson.¡±


    She rolls her eyes at me. ¡°Whatever, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°No, listen to me. That levitical law your type always cites, it''s funny. There''s a word there with no clear translation; the wording in Hebrew carries the connotation, which is suspiciously not carried over, that the law is for married men; the word translated to "abomination" throughout the law meant something more similar to ¡®taboo;¡¯ to be short, your whole shitty reactionary argument hinges on a passage which was butchered, probably intentionally, in translation. And Paul can¡¯t save you, from what anyone can tell he hated heterosexuality too. Did you know that gay couples were accepted among the church, until the black plague''s annihilation of Europe''s population gave the clergy some funny ideas? I don''t know why I''m bothering to tell you this, you don''t care. You''d cling to a doctrine which has been chewed up, spit back out, and spoonfed to you by the powers that be. Who needs history? Intellectualism? Research? Honesty? Let the people think and let them learn and they''ll get ideas, and we can''t have that. My God, you are so pathetic.¡±


    While before, Terra had been hanging on my every word, now she laughs aloud. ¡°You''re right, why was I worried?¡± She points at me with a wicked smile. ¡°You''re nothing but a raving lunatic.¡±


    ¡°Go do the research yourself then. But I know you won''t; you''re nothing but a scared little girl.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I''m going to look it up! And I''m gonna find out that all your insanity, if you didn''t make it up on the spot, was invented by some sissy liberal college professor in California, and I''m going to laugh my ass off!¡± By the end of this she is losing her composure, her voice raising into a shout.


    But then, her voice hangs in the air, and she seems to realize what she¡¯s doing. She looks around us, and sees that Zoe had just left the band hall. She¡¯s looking back and forth between us with a wide-eyed, ¡°wtf¡± expression.


    ¡°Until next time,¡± Terra says dramatically. She turns away from me and stomps down the hallway.


    ¡°Ashley? Was she bothering you?¡± Zoe asks.


    ¡°Well, truth be told, she bothers me with her existence. Anyways, Mom here yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    As we cross back across the band hall, I ask Zoe, ¡°So, what were you guys talking about over there? Just curious.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! The three of us want to have a sleepover this weekend!¡±


    ¡°Sounds like fun,¡± I say. I don¡¯t have much thought to spare for her sleepover. Terra¡¯s annoying voice and stupid little smug face are still hanging across my mind.

 Chapter 69: Strange Days (December 12)

    <Kevin>


    I thought it would be painful to go back to school. But to be honest, all I really did yesterday while at home was just dwell and worry about things. I think the best way for me to move on from this will be to just get back into the routine of things. Still, I feel exhausted. I guess it is a good thing that there¡¯s only one more week until Christmas Break. Except I guess that¡¯ll just end up being more time to sit around the house and brood. I need to come up with something to do over the break¡­


    With track practice presumably being suspended for the rest of the year, I don¡¯t bother getting to school quite as early. Still, I am there early enough to have some time before English starts. And as I often do, I end up bumping into Mason. He once again has that red ring on his face, so he must have just been practicing.


    ¡°Hey man. Good to see you,¡± he says as he sees me.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Hey, one week and one day and we''re outta here. I can''t wait.¡±


    He turns his back towards the band hall. ¡°But before that I got region phase 2 tomorrow, and then a band concert.


    ¡°Oh, you have a concert? When is it?¡±


    ¡°The Tuesday of next week, 7 PM.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I''ll go. It''ll be nice to get out of the house for a little bit.¡±


    He smiles approvingly. ¡°Nice, dude. It¡¯s free, you might as well.¡±


    Just then, a couple of other boys come up to us. Not guys I know super well, but they are on the track team with me. One of them greets, ¡°Hey, sup Kevin?¡±


    ¡°Uh, not much?¡±


    Mason scowls at them. ¡°Oh jeez, I knew it. How about you guys buzz off?¡±


    ¡°What''s the matter?¡± responds the other boy indignantly. ¡°We just want to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we just want to say congrats!¡± the other one says, grinning mischievously.


    ¡°Oh, screw you!¡± Mason says, waving at them as if trying to ward off pesky flies.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I ask, dreading what they will say.


    ¡°Good job ¡®getting some.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we''re really impressed. How''d you do it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, do what exactly?¡± I question.


    ¡°You must have some secret charming technique to get to a teacher.¡±


    My stomach clenches. I had a nasty feeling it would be something like this. ¡°That''s not what happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on. Just tell us the story.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to talk about it.¡± I say firmly.


    ¡°You idiots!¡± Mason interjects, rolling his eyes. ¡°Who would  want  to do it with a teacher! Just quit reminding him of it already.¡±


    ¡°Hey, she was still in her 20s,¡± one of the boys argues. ¡°If it had to be a teacher, she''d be a pretty strong candidate.¡±


    ¡°Well, let me tell you something,¡± Mason snaps back, pointing at the pair aggressively. ¡°Unlike you sickos Kevin wouldn''t have ever done that; he was forced to do it. So why don''t you go and kiss a girl- and I mean one who''s your age- and maybe you''ll start to understand some things about real life. How about that?¡±


    Their joyous attitude drops away, and now the boys look mad.


    ¡°What did you just call us?¡± one of them asks sharply.


    ¡°Do you wanna fight, man?¡± the other says, clenching his fists.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll fight you!¡± Mason responds, looking gleeful that he got under their skin. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for acting shitty to my friend!¡±


    ¡°No, we don''t need to fight,¡± I interrupt quickly. Onlookers are starting to stare at us. ¡°Let''s just get out of here, please.¡±


    ¡°Well  you  got nothing to fight about,¡± one of the boys says. ¡°You have to be the luckiest boy in the whole school right now.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°I sure don''t feel like it.¡± I grab Mason by the shoulder and walk him down the hallway.


    ¡°Oh, you should''ve let me beat them up!¡± he complains as I drag him along. ¡°Those perverted kids piss me off.¡±


    ¡°No. We don''t need an incident. I just want everyone to forget about this as soon as possible.¡±


    He pulls my hand off of him, and leans against the wall, now trying to appear indifferent. ¡°Oh well, just forget all of them. Their words mean nothing.¡±


    ¡°It''s gonna be pretty hard to forget them given that they''re in athletics with me. When soccer starts up next semester I''m gonna have to deal with them in the locker rooms. And those conversations were already weird enough.¡±


    Mason grimaces. ¡°Oh wow. Uh, that''s gonna be awkward.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I sigh again, and my spirits sink along with my body as it slumps to the ground. ¡°I was thinking about it yesterday, and I honestly just want to quit.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mason says, startled. ¡°No, you can''t quit! You love that stuff.¡±


    ¡°It''s just too painful. How am I going to go for those jogs around the school after knowing that someone had been watching me, plotting how to trap me in some j- er, her classroom?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I dunno. But you can¡¯t just totally quit sports,¡± Mason insists.


    The bell rings to signal us for class. Still grimacing, Mason tells me, ¡°Look, we¡¯ll talk about this later. Maybe there¡¯s some other way. See you later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, see you,¡± I say.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    I vaguely wonder about what Mason has in mind for me as I amble off to English class. When I arrive, I see Ashley and Zoe seated as usual. They don¡¯t look happy at all. Ashley looks up at me as I enter the classroom. She doesn¡¯t say anything, but her pretty green eyes give a questioning look.


    I know why. I was added to a group chat with Ruth, Ashley, and everyone else who went to that jungle. The people in cahoots with Ms. Truman know about us; Ashley was left a very pointed threatening message. And apparently, a previous group that tried this had all their members killed off or something. Pursuing these people is a path that is clearly dark and dangerous, if not outright deadly.


    Will I continue along with them? Ruth has already agreed to do so. Personally, I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet. It¡¯s hard enough to motivate myself to do the things I  liked  doing before. And as fascinating as that adventure was, it was more than a stone¡¯s throw from what I¡¯d call ¡°fun.¡±


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Now that school¡¯s out for the week, time to do something I¡¯ve been meaning to do since Wednesday. I lay flat on my bed and open Skype to message Lily. I dunno how this is gonna go, but here it goes.


    hey


    hey nova


    how is it going man


    uh, yeah


    about that


    have you heard anything about the batshit week we''ve had


    no, did you find that pedo teacher?


    uh yeah, we found her alright.


    her???


    so ye. long story short, it was this english teacher bitch, and she wrote that post like she was one of the coaches to frame him,and he got arrested but then she started being creepy towards this guy, and well, she kinda got him, partially at least, but me and my friend were there and we explained what happened and then she was gonna get arrested but then she died like with that black slime just like ehat you said about your auntie.


    whoah whoah, slow down


    wait what they got her with that poison? i wonder why


    well she was probably involved with some group


    okay wait first i need to explain something else


    so this whole thing goes kinda deep and is such a conspiracy


    which is why I  need to talk to you


    oh no way, did you find something out?


    well okay, I need to start from the beginning.


    i mean i''m probably not supposed to tell anyone about this stuff.


    we''ve never told anyone so the others might be mad.


    so just don''t repeat this to anyone or tell anyone you got it from me


    okay now i HAVE to know it


    okay


    have you ever heard of these people it''s called the thieves in the night?


    yeah of course that''s like conspiracies 101


    i saw the blameitonjorge video about them


    well they''re real


    no shit they''re real


    there''s tons of evidence


    uh, well


    do you know how they did their stuff


    yeah they knew occult magic and they could cast spells on people


    uh kinda


    but there is more to it


    wait no


    how do you know


    they use this other world where people''s thoughts and shit can form things also i know because i went there


    oh no way I KNEW I overheard you and anja talking about some shit.


    so wait what is that like the field consciousness?


    uhhhh idk what that is we just call it the metaverse


    oh like in the matrix. cool reference


    yeah so basically that''s how the thieves in the night people changed shit and when that custody thing was happening with my mom my friends came and were like hey nova we can use this to make that judge change his mind and then we did it and then we used it on some pastor and that pedo teacher


    oh yeah


    nice going


    can i join the team i have a lot of useful talents


    uhh well we kind of already have a lot of members but you can be like our informant


    cool cool anything for you my homie.


    okay well on that note. when we were beating the pedo teacher lady she said something like i got this app from a group and if i say anything they''ll kill me and then after we changed her heart she started confessing to everything and that''s when she died so my theory is that group was the one who did it but i don''t think it was poison i think it wa s just she got killed using the metaverse


    that would tie everything together


    the government would definitely have access to crazy supernatural stuff like this


    that''s why we invaded iraq to make sure we still have control of the iraqi stargate


    Huh. I have to wonder for a moment if Lily is gonna have the most reliable person to be asking about this stuff. I mean, she always is able to dig up the weirdest shit, and I¡¯m never sure what to believe about it¡­


    uh, right


    sjndjdks


    okay i need to do research into this this is too much info to take it


    i''ll bring out the whiteboard and try and figure this out


    i''ll get back to you if i think i made a breakthrough.


    thanks.


    oh yeah, there''s another thing i wanted to ask you about


    oh another conspiracy?


    no it''s about anja


    what about her


    i have a huge crush on her and idk how she feels about me


    she likes you, obviously


    wait you think so


    yeah she is crazy about you


    holy shit


    how do you know


    i could tell from when you came over


    she never acts that way towards anyone else


    what way


    she was like petting your hair and shit man how retarded are you


    oh yeah


    sorry i don''t understand that girl stuff


    girl stuff???


    yeah that''s why i wanted to ask you


    dude i don''t care about any of that girly shit


    fuck that


    oh i just thought you would know better since you''re a girl


    dude don''t lump me in with other girls i never cared about the stupid shit the talk about


    i would rather hang out with guys like you and nattie


    So she¡¯s still friends with Nattie¡­ he was a mutual friend of ours from New Braunfels. Tall, awkward guy who liked to stare at women¡¯s butts. Fun to play Pok¨¦mon with, though.


    okay sorry


    well whatever. talk to you later


    bye


    I frown. Why did she get so mad about that? She¡¯s being stupid. She really doesn¡¯t like getting lumped with other girls? I mean, she was really never that feminine. I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m not exactly super masculine myself, so it¡¯d be kinda hypocritical to care a lot about gender roles for other people. I just didn¡¯t realize it was such a sore spot with her. I guess I better be careful with that stuff.


    I take a look around my room¡­ Kat is standing in the doorway.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask her.


    She yawns and stretches. ¡°Yeah, I thought you should know. You know that one girl you''re friends with?¡±


    I blush immediately, thinking of Anja. ¡°Uh, which one?¡±


    ¡°The blonde one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean Zoe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, she¡¯s got a little brother who goes to my school. And he¡¯s gay. And he has a gay boyfriend and they¡¯re going to meet up this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. She mentioned something about that once.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And, I¡¯m going with them as the third wheel. I think Collin is worried his parents will be suspicious if he hangs out with just one other boy all the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Are you gonna enjoy the show?¡±


    She snickers loudly. ¡°Maybe. I mean, boys making out  is  pretty hot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    It slipped out without me thinking about it, and I realize my mistake as she points at me jubilantly. ¡°HAHA! I GOT YOU!¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were gay. No straight boy spends that much time hanging around girls.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I hang around guys too. There¡¯s¡­¡± Hmm. Come to think of it, I basically am friends exclusively with girls. I guess there¡¯s like, Kevin and Mason? But I haven¡¯t talked to either of them all that much. And I can¡¯t really use Ted as an example to Kat. ¡°Okay, well by that logic you must be gay because you¡¯re hanging around boys.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m straight,¡± she says confidently. ¡°It¡¯s fun to have a gay best friend. Also, Collin is hilarious.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I got so many hoes cause I¡¯m a real ladies man. They just flock to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why they¡¯re all lesbians. Idiot.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Okay fine. I¡¯m bisexual. Not like it matters.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is that I finally got you to admit it,¡± she says, smirking at me annoyingly.


    ¡°Well, you got what you wanted. Now get out of my room.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. We need to talk about your crush too.¡±


    I frown. Has she been reading my Skype conversations? ¡°How did you know I have a crush?¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE YOU JUST TOLD ME, FOX BOY!¡±


    I chortle at this. ¡°Oh, fuck off.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re  so  easy to manipulate. And by process of elimination, I know that it¡¯s Anja. Am I right, or am I absolutely right?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    ¡°Because, man. You haven¡¯t told her yet. You¡¯re too pussy.¡±


    ¡°You better not do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°How could I? That¡¯s your job.¡±


    I grab my pillow and hurl it at her, causing her to dart away from my room giggling.

 Chapter 70: Second-Chair Princess (December 13 Part 1)

    <Ashley>


    And this morning, it is time for All-Region Band tryouts, Phase 2. Zoe¡¯s usual nerves regarding tests are at their worst, likely due to the ¡°do-or-die¡± nature of having the result be decided by a single audition. (And I¡¯m sure recent events aren¡¯t helping her mood; they sure aren¡¯t helping mine.) On the bus ride up, she has been rocking back and forth with her face in her hands. I don¡¯t immediately say or do anything, mostly because I doubt anything I¡¯d say would help. But after a while, it becomes too pitiful for me to ignore, so I give it a try anyway.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± I ask gently.


    She takes a few deep breaths, and then says, still hiding her face, ¡°Ashleyimjustsonervouswhatisthishappeningidontknowhowitllgoformetodayinthisaudition.¡±


    ¡°Whoah there, slow down. You''ll be fine, Zoe. You''re a good player.¡±


    She pulls her face out of her hands, looking as if she may be sick. ¡°I feel like I''m just going to fall apart because of my nerves. How do you ever get over this?¡±


    ¡°In the life of a musician, you are forced to perform over and over, especially as a professional who does this constantly. So, you get used to it.¡±


    She sniffles loudly. ¡°But I''m not a professional. I''m sure a professional would be able to come in here and just knock it out. Like Duke Ellington! This would be nothing to him.¡±


    ¡°True. But I don''t think Duke Ellington would put much stock in a competition like this. He was a true artist; a true performer. His inventiveness and creativity shaped the landscape of big band jazz. You know Sammy Nestico?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, that was his, uh, friend who was also a composer, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When they first met, Nestico had just written ¡®Take the A Train¡¯ while on the train ride there. Or was it a bus ride? Don''t remember which. Seems like it should be a train, though, because of the song''s title. Anyway, Ellington liked it so much he ended up hiring him to work with his band.¡±


    ¡°Wow, he wrote such a great song on the fly like that. That''s really impressive.¡± Considering this makes a light turn on behind her eyes.


    ¡°The more you do music, the easier it comes to you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess you would know from your parents.¡± She stops for a moment and bites her lip, deep in thought. ¡°It''s like the saying goes. The apple tree that falls over doesn''t go far from... wait, that''s not how it goes.¡±


    I chuckle at her. ¡°Oh Zoe. You¡¯re so pretty.¡±


    She giggles back. ¡°Awh, thank you!¡± She gives me a hug. Don¡¯t worry, she knows that I¡¯m just teasing her. I¡¯m not exactly sure why, but Zoe seems to be in better spirits after this. I guess I¡¯m glad I said something.


    <hr>


    Before long, we get back to Westlake High School. The wait before horn players are called to do our second round is mercifully short. Laura, sitting in a spot around the middle of the room, waves at me, and I decide to sit next to her. She is a familiar face if nothing else.


    ¡°Ashley! How are you feeling?¡± she asks me, smiling at me warmly.


    ¡°Terrible,¡± I tell her honestly.


    ¡°Awh, why so?¡±


    ¡°Rough week. You don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    She frowns at me now, tilting her head. ¡°Oh, I think I understand. I have so much homework, I think I¡¯m just gonna drown. I¡¯m so ready for the holiday.¡±


    I¡¯m not looking forward to the holiday, as it will just give me more time to dwell on being sucked into a human trafficking conspiracy and threatened. I¡¯ve been trying to keep that off my mind for at least a little bit because suffice to say, I¡¯m pretty burnt out on this supernatural bullshit. But obviously I can¡¯t say that to Laura.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m basically in the same boat,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°You know, if we make Area, we¡¯ll have to spend the whole break practicing!¡± she complains, putting her head down on her desk as if she¡¯s ready to drop dead. ¡°I mean, I want it, but I¡¯d also kinda like a break¡­ so I guess whatever happens, I won¡¯t be too upset.¡±


    ¡°You better not be,¡± says a girl in front of us. ¡°Because your chances of making it in are low. You should just give it up now.¡±


    The interrupter is an older girl I recognize from the first round, who gave one of the best performances by far. She¡¯s on the tall side, but is otherwise pretty plain looking, with long brown hair and a blank, cold expression as she looks between Laura and I.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not giving up!¡± Laura responds defensively. ¡°I¡¯m gonna give it my best shot. I owe myself that.¡±


    ¡°But they will only take the top four players to area. It¡¯s cutthroat.¡± she explains.


    ¡°Well, I got fourth in round 1! So all I have to do is maintain that,¡± Laura says proudly.


    ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re a freshman; a tiny little fish in a pond of sharks. Don¡¯t you dare get delusions of grandeur about your chances. You¡¯re nothing. Your previous placement was a fluke; I remember how you played, and I wouldn¡¯t have even put you in the top ten.¡±


    Laura is visibly hurt by this, her face starting to go red. Suddenly, it¡¯s easy for me to picture her seventh grade self, looking up from the audition results at me with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Excuse me. You¡¯re Delaney, aren¡¯t you?¡± I ask the older girl. ¡°I heard others say you made it into All-State three times, which means  you  made it in as a freshman. It¡¯s certainly possible.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve heard of me. I remember you too; I hope you don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to get into All-State just by playing loud if you don¡¯t have any skill.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the judges value musical expression,¡± I reason, shrugging. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you don¡¯t have to interview to get into All-State. With your unlikable personality, nobody would ever want you in their band.¡±


    Delaney furrows her eyebrow at me. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no interview. All that matters is how we play, which means you two little fishies have no chance.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for the opinion of a loser who feels the need to bully players three years her junior.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Try calling me a loser after I¡¯m a  four-time  All-Stater.¡±


    ¡°Think your college professors and future employers will care about that? You stand for nothing but your own ego. And someday you are going to get what¡¯s coming to you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I was just trying to help you guys out by setting your expectations to reasonable levels. If you don¡¯t want my advice, I¡¯ll just ignore you.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    She rolls her eyes at us and turns back to the front. I turn back to Laura, who is giving me an odd look.


    ¡°Um¡­ thanks, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°Funny how some people don¡¯t seem to mature past middle school, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She laughs, and smiles at me with sparkles in her eyes. ¡°Yeah. It really is.¡±


    <hr>


    Consider how poor my mood is, I could¡¯ve played a lot worse. Laura even complimented me on how ferociously I played in the third movement. I feel overall as if it was better than my first performance, which is strange considering how I am just as unsound in mind as I was then. Laura also played pretty well; perhaps our encounter with Delaney served as a sort of negative motivator to do well. It does feel better to have just one concrete thing to focus on when playing.


    Soon enough, it is all over, the round being far shorter due to the reduced number of players. When we get back, I keep Zoe company for a while after Yonca gets called back with the bass clarinets. It¡¯s not long before the results are posted for horns. I wait a few minutes before checking to let the initial crowd disperse, and then go to check. Before I can get close enough to read the paper, however, Laura is on top of me, shouting, ¡°ASHLEY! WE¡¯RE BOTH GOING ON! WE HAVE A SHOT AT STATE!¡±


    ¡°Oh, g- OOF!¡± I get out before she tackles me with an unexpected hug.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s exciting, Ashley!¡± Zoe says, beaming at me. ¡°Um, do you know this girl?¡±


    Laura pulls away from me, and looks at Zoe questioningly. ¡°Yeah, we know each other. We¡¯ve been in the same room for these auditions for the past few years. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ashley¡¯s¡­ uh¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± I interject, putting my arm around Zoe.


    Laura¡¯s eyes briefly flash with something that I don¡¯t catch¡­ But then, she smiles at us and says, ¡°Oh cool! Good for you guys.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯d like to actually see the listing, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± I say.


    I step closer and look. My heart leaps as I see my name at second place. I examine closer to see that the top five are the same top five as round 1, just shuffled around. First is the junior who has made it once before, which I¡¯ve nailed down as being a bespectacled boy named Connor. I¡¯m second, then Laura third; seems as if we¡¯re trading blows now. Fourth is the sophomore who made first last time, a boy named Edgar; I had thought he was a bit weaker today. Still, he¡¯s just barely good enough to still move on to Area. Fifth is Delaney¡­ I briefly marvel at her getting just below the all-area cutoff, trying not to let myself feel too vindictive about it.


    ¡°That is so impressive, Ashley!¡± Zoe tells me, staring at my name in the second place spot. ¡°I bet I won¡¯t even get close to that¡­¡±


    It¡¯s on that ominous note that Zoe leaves me, as they happen to call bassoons shortly after that. I give her a final hug and kiss on the cheek as she leaves, which draws a few stares from students around us, but I don¡¯t mind them. I simply walk to get a drink of water, as I¡¯ve already depleted the bottle of water I brought with me.


    The water fountain is right in between the men¡¯s and women¡¯s restroom. I hear voices from the women¡¯s bathroom, but I can¡¯t really make out what they¡¯re saying. While kneeling over for a drink, I see Laura awkwardly hovering around me. I lift my head and tell her, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize you were following me.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I wasn¡¯t following you,¡± she says. ¡°I just wanted a drink of water too.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t really recommend drinking from here. The water tastes like shit. It is like a mixture of metal and blood.¡±


    Laura pulls a disgusted face. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ll pass then.¡±


    Two girls suddenly shoot from the women¡¯s bathroom, laughing nervously. ¡°What a freak!¡± one of them says.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I question them, bristling unconsciously.


    ¡°It¡¯s that Delaney girl. She¡¯s in there crying,¡± the other girl explains. ¡°And we asked her what was wrong, and she threatened us!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting as far away from her as possible,¡± the other girl declares, still laughing.


    The two girls walk quickly away, still giggling and whispering to each other. Laura and I lock eyes.


    ¡°Uh, wow. You think  we  should go talk to her?¡± Laura asks.


    I consider this. I quite dislike Delaney from our exchange earlier. I think I gave her some pretty good advice back in the room, but she didn¡¯t listen, and she really doesn¡¯t deserve any further attention. But, if Zoe were still here, she¡¯d want me to do it. After all, she forgave Diana, and she''s supposedly actually maturing a little as a person now. Maybe it''s worthwhile to give it a shot.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    We walk into the bathroom, and indeed the sound of Delaney¡¯s sniffling can be heard. I briefly appreciate that her fate is rather karmic. Isn¡¯t it just as I foretold?


    ¡°Um¡­ Delaney?¡± Laura asks, knocking on the door. ¡°Hey, look¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck you. Go away,¡± Delaney replies harshly.


    Laura winces slightly. ¡°We want to help you out. Let''s talk about this, okay?¡±


    ¡°You''ve just come to gloat in my face. I hate your fucking guts.¡±


    I scoff at her. ¡°Geez, what a sore loser.¡±


    ¡°I''ll fucking wring your neck if you don''t leave me alone. GO AWAY.¡±


    ¡°Over a stupid audition? Pull yourself together. You are being pathetic.¡±


    Laura looks at me with a grimace and motions to ¡°cut it out¡± with her hand. No can do, Laura. Some people really need tough love to get what¡¯s wrong with them, and I suspect Delaney is one of those people.


    ¡°My life is over,¡± Delaney whines. ¡°I want to fucking shoot myself. I''m worthless.¡±


    ¡°Whaaat?¡± Laura replies, horrified. ¡°But you already made it three times, that''s so impressive!¡±


    ¡°You don''t get it. I was supposed to make it all four years. Everyone is going to be disappointed in me.¡±


    ¡°Forget about them,¡± I tell her. ¡°Do you really want a few numbers on a page to define your self worth?¡±


    ¡°I just... I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°Who are you doing this for?¡± Laura questions. ¡°Your parents are pressuring you a lot, aren''t they? I know what that¡¯s like.¡±


    ¡°It''s not like that. You wouldn''t get it.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I think  I  do,¡± I interject. ¡°How about you come out of that bathroom stall?¡±


    There¡¯s no response at first. I turn away from the stall and look at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. But then, after about a minute, the door to her stall opens, and through the mirror I look at her face, red, puffy, yet somehow still distinctly haughty.


    ¡°Listen here, Delaney,¡± I say. ¡°Tell me if you¡¯ve heard this story before. You¡¯re not the most popular girl at school. But you found one thing that you¡¯re really good at. And that gets you some prestige. So you pour everything you have into it, because if you¡¯re really good at that thing, maybe people will have no choice but to at least tolerate you. You tell yourself you don¡¯t care what anyone thinks of you, but you do. It¡¯s killing you. You¡¯re lonely and you¡¯re bitter and you don¡¯t know any other way to give yourself the slightest semblance of self-worth than to just keep grinding.¡±


    Delaney turns away from and stares intently at the wall. ¡°And how¡¯s hearing your sob story supposed to make me feel better?¡±


    I turn to her. ¡°Tell me, Delaney. All this stock put into your horn playing. But do you even  like music?¡±


    She sighs, and pensively looks up at me with her head down. ¡°I did once upon a time... that''s how I got so good. But I don''t know anymore. It¡¯s what I plan to major in college, but it¡¯s started to feel like such a chore.¡±


    ¡°Well, you wanna know what I think? Fuck region tryouts. You had to work hard and become such an incredible musician to even get it three times. Enough doing it to please people. Do it for yourself from now on.¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say, second-chair princess,¡± she jabs, turning away from me again. ¡°Oh well. I¡¯ll have more time to work on college admissions, so I guess it could be worse. I''m sorry I snapped at you guys.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve been there before,¡± Laura says, smiling at her. ¡°No hard feelings, okay?¡¯


    ¡°Yeah. Sure thing,¡± she says begrudgingly.


    <hr>


    I go and rejoin the others from my school at the lunch tables. Zoe is still with the bassoons; Yonca got back recently, and is sitting a few seats away from me on her phone; Lionel the trumpet player is playing his 3DS. I vaguely wonder if Anja and Nova have ever played with him.


    Unexpectedly, Mason comes and slams his hands on the table across from me, rudely interrupting my train of thought. ¡°Hey Ashley. Guess what.¡±


    ¡°What???¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to area too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how swell. Should we all start calling you King Mason now?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Keep your day job, you¡¯re not never gonna make it in the comebacks industry.¡±


    Mr. Castro comes up behind him, looking worn out. ¡°Is something wrong over here?¡± he questions.


    ¡°Oh no. I was just sharing the good news!¡± Mason says, suddenly shifting to a chipper manner. ¡°I¡¯m going to go tell, uh, other people now. Bye!¡± He runs away.


    ¡°I owe you a ''congratulations,''¡± Mr. Castro tells me, sitting down next to me, beaming. ¡°I saw your result. What a strong freshman class we have! I''m hopeful for the future of our program.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I bet you¡¯re really proud of Mason.


    ¡°Well, I''m proud of all of you.¡±


    ¡°But Mason especially means a lot to you, doesn''t he?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Yes, I¡¯m a friend of the family.¡±


    There¡¯s an awkward pause. Mr. Castro checks something on his phone, and then sets his arms on the table. ¡°I helped him through a time a few years ago when his parents got divorced, so we have a bond. Of course, I try not to play favorites!¡±


    ¡°I never knew that,¡± I say. I think of Nova¡¯s experience with divorced parents and ask, ¡°What was the divorce over?¡±


    He stiffens a bit. ¡°Oh. Those are personal matters, I can¡¯t discuss that.¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to overstep my boundaries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. I¡¯m going to go check if the clarinet results are posted yet. Hopefully double reeds are finished soon so we can go home by lunch time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hope so too,¡± I say. He departs the table after that, and I¡¯m left to wonder if Mason and/or Mr. Castro are hiding some personal demons of their own.

 Chapter 71: Boys Will Be Boys (December 13 Part 2)

    <Collin>


    Surprise, bitch. It¡¯s me. You were probably wondering what I¡¯ve been doing all this time. Or maybe you weren¡¯t. Did you forget about me? Well I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t forget me again.


    Anyway. If you haven¡¯t figured out the subtle hints dropped up to now yet, I¡¯m gay. Yeah, I know. It¡¯s the saddest shit you¡¯ve ever heard, the influential family in the conservative town has two gay kids. That¡¯s like getting a carton of eggs from the store and having six of them be rotten. Dick Cheney wasn¡¯t so unlucky. And let me just say, I am not as naive as Zoe, so I know better than to let my folks get so much of a whiff of what¡¯s going on.


    Still though. Boys are cute, and I wanted one. I at least need something to keep my mind from crushing on handsome straight boys who would probably beat me up if I tried to ask them out. Statistically my best chances of finding another guy dude at the school were to start with the theater program, because everyone in theater is gay for some reason. It¡¯s funny, they have these little nicknames for different activities. Band people are ¡°band geeks,¡± orchestra peeps are ¡°orch dorks¡± for the rhyme, choir kids are ¡°choir queers,¡± and art students are¡­ ¡°art farts.¡± But if anything, we should be saying the  theater  kids are ¡°theet queers¡± or something, because I¡¯ve  never  met a choir kid who¡¯s gay or trans or anything else under the long-ass acronym.


    What the fuck was I talking about? I don¡¯t remember. Let¡¯s just start the chapter. So basically, Zoe is fifteen now, which means she¡¯s starting the driver¡¯s ed program. So she got to drive me to my ¡°friend¡¯s¡± apartment after getting home from region band tryouts. (Apparently she got into ¡°district,¡± which means she¡¯s a runner up for playing in the band, which is pretty good for a freshman.) Well, not just her. You need to be supervised by an adult, so Ashley¡¯s dad is with her. Uh, he¡¯s nice and all, but I feel a little too weird on the drive up to talk about anything too personal.


    Oh yeah, I forgot, we¡¯re getting Kat first, she doesn¡¯t have a ride. We swing by her apartment, and at my text she comes out and climbs into the car. For some reason, she¡¯s wearing a tee shirt with the coca cola logo on it that looks so faded it looks like she¡¯s had it for ten years. She¡¯s also wearing jeans with (possibly intentional) holes in them and her hair is in a long braid behind her.


    Kat and Jason both live in apartments, but when we arrive at the latter¡¯s place it¡¯s clear that there¡¯s a difference between the two. Kat¡¯s apartment was really- not to be rude- dirty and shit. The pavement in several places of the parking lot was crumbling away, to the point where Zoe was scared going through it of hitting a pothole. Jason¡¯s is totally different. It¡¯s clean, everything looks fairly recently painted and maintained, it¡¯s on a lake, there¡¯s even a playground for children. It¡¯s still an apartment, but it¡¯s clearly a bit upper-scale than Kat¡¯s.


    After parking, Zoe spaces out for a moment. ¡°Hmm,  Lake View.  Isn¡¯t this the apartment that¡­¡± her eyes widen, as if having a horrifying realization about something.


    ¡°The apartment that what?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, nothing. I was thinking out loud.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this apartment? Did someone die here or something?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, nothing!¡± Zoe forces a smile. ¡°I was just thinking about something else. Have a good time with your boyfriend, Collin!¡±


    ¡°Hey! You weren¡¯t supposed to¡­¡± I glance at Ashley¡¯s dad.


    ¡°No worries. I did not hear a single word of what you were talking about,¡± he says plainly. ¡°I had just been doing a harmonic function analysis of Movement VI of the Igor Stravinsky¡¯s  The Firebird Suite.  Did you know that famous jazz saxophone player Charlie Parker carried around the score of that piece with him wherever he went?¡±


    ¡°Charlie Parker? Was he related to you guys?¡± Kat asks Zoe and I.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Zoe thoughtfully. ¡°He was black, for one, and he also died tragically young of heroin, so I don¡¯t think he had any children?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very common name,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad responds. ¡°Anyways, you kids go have fun. We will finish our drive time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, bye,¡± I say, jumping out of the car before anything else awkward can happen.


    ¡°Damn, nice place he¡¯s got here,¡± Kat said, looking around. We were dropped off at a gap in between two buildings, which has a walkway leading to a pier that overlooks the lake.


    ¡°Huh, so there¡¯s the titular  Lake View ,¡± I comment. ¡°I wonder if we¡¯re allowed to swim in it?¡±


    ¡°What number was his apartment again?¡± Kat wonders, as we walk in the direction of the lake.


    ¡°Oh, apartment 69.¡±


    ¡°Haha, very funny. But you can¡¯t fool me; I remember that it was apartment 420.¡±


    Thankfully, we didn¡¯t need to remember the number anyway. As we get to the pier, I see him sitting on a wooden bench. He hasn¡¯t noticed us yet; he¡¯s doing something on his phone. He¡¯s a medium height, skinny boy with light-brown skin and long, jet black hair that goes down to his shoulders. Even though it¡¯s not that cool out, he¡¯s dressed in a black cardigan, with a pair of jean shorts over a pair of leggings. Must just be for style. Man, he is so cute. I always imagined my future husband being more muscular, but you know what? Skinny boys are cute too. I just like boys, in general.


    He sees us. He smiles, and immediately stands up and half-runs off the pier. Without saying anything, he hugs me. We¡¯re close to the same height, so our heads rest on each other¡¯s shoulders.


    Uh. Okay, this is nice, but it¡¯s kinda awkward how we¡¯re not saying anything. Time to make a joke.


    ¡°You enjoying the show over there?¡± I ask Kat.


    We break apart and turn to Kat, who has a shifty grin on her face. ¡°Hey, I get it. I know that you guys only invited me here to be your beard. If you wanna just go by yourselves and eat whipped cream off of each other¡¯s bodies or whatever boys do when they¡¯re bored, go ahead. I can find a way to entertain myself.¡±


    ¡°Nah, his folks are probably home right now,¡± I say.


    Jason¡¯s eyes light up suddenly. ¡°Oh! Idea! I want to introduce you to my mom!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be honored,¡± I say. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    He takes me by the hand and leads me to his apartment. To prevent another awkward silence, I ask, ¡°Okay, just to like, get this out of the way. Are you ¡®out¡¯ to your mom?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I kinda uh, left it ambiguous,¡± he says.


    ¡°Okay, no problem. Ambiguously gay it is,¡± I agree.


    However, when we¡¯re next to his apartment, Jason comes to halt and stares at a fixed point, suddenly stiff. ¡°Uh¡­ um¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kat asks irritatedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want one getting into the house,¡± he answers cryptically.


    I look closer, and then I see it. There¡¯s a wasp hovering around the top of the doorframe.


    ¡°Oh, the wasp? Let¡¯s just kill it and go in,¡± Kat says, leaning down as if preparing to take off her shoe.


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t risk it,¡± I tell her. ¡°It¡¯s one of those red bastards. You don¡¯t wanna fuck with them.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ what do we do then?¡± Jason wonders aloud, putting one hand on his face.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you wanna introduce your new boyfriend to  everyone  in town?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Wearing a salmon suit!¡± Kat finishes, not missing a beat.


    ¡°Uh¡­ honestly I kinda hope we don¡¯t run into anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? Am I embarrassing?¡±


    ¡°N-no! It¡¯s just¡­ well, don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s go this way!¡± Without elaborating, he grabs my hand and starts walking me the other direction.


    He walks us to the playground that I saw coming in. There aren¡¯t many kids hanging out there at the moment. Just a single little boy with sandy hair, who looks strangely dirty, as if he¡¯s been playing outside the whole day. He¡¯s sitting in one of the swings, listlessly gazing off into the distance. That¡¯s unnatural behavior for a child!


    ¡°Hey look, it''s my little buddy!¡± Jason says, smiling as he sees the boy.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re friends with that fucking five year old?¡± I tease.


    ¡°Actually, he''s eight,¡± Jason responds.


    ¡°Like that makes it less embarrassing! Haha!¡± Kat says, poking him in the back.


    Jason shakes his head at us. ¡°I¡¯ll have you both know that I''m good with children. And me and this little guy have a lot in common!¡±


    He walks onto the playground and sits in the swing next to the boy. ¡°Hey buddy! Something wrong?¡± he asks gently.


    The boy just stares into space for a while longer. Then, he looks at Jason and says, ¡°I think that lady¡¯s office is haunted.¡±


    Jason laughs jovially. ¡°Oh Charlie, you got such a big imagination. There¡¯s no such thing as ghosts or spirits. Nothing is ¡®haunted.¡¯ So don¡¯t worry about it!¡±


    ¡°Charlie¡± doesn¡¯t seem convinced. He shifts uncomfortably in the swing and says, ¡°I saw a scary bird.¡±


    ¡°What kinda bird was it?¡± Kat asks. ¡°One of those goose motherfu- er, one of those geese?¡±


    ¡°It was a big, black bird,¡± Charlie says. ¡°And it talked to me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d it say?¡± I ask, curious.


    ¡°Guys, don¡¯t entertain this,¡± Jason says. ¡°He¡¯s just telling us tall tales¡­ you know how kids are.¡±


    The little boy looks to his side, at some point past the three of us. ¡°Ne-ber-mur.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a made-up word,¡± Kat says derisively. ¡°Also, what are you looking at?¡±


    Right on cue to answer her question, a loud voice cries from behind me, ¡°Uh-oh, Jason''s playing with little boys again!¡±


    Jason¡¯s head snaps towards the voice and his face immediately starts turning red. I think I now appreciate why he did not want to run into anyone.


    I turn around to see two annoying-looking boys. Just picture in your head what someone annoying looks like, and you¡¯ve got it. They¡¯re either the same age as us or slightly younger, but don¡¯t think that¡¯ll stop me from beating them up if needed.


    ¡°Who exactly are these dickwads?¡± I ask nobody in particular.


    ¡°Awh, are you one of Jason''s faggot friends?¡± says one of the boys, speaking in a distinct southern accent.


    ¡°Damn right I am,¡± I say. ¡°You got a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°Don''t you  ever  say that word!¡± Jason cries. He jumps off the swing and to his feet, pointing at the boys aggressively. Something about them has made him get madder than I¡¯ve ever seen him before.


    ¡°It''s not a swear word. I''m just saying what you are, why are you being a snowflake about it?¡± the boy defends himself, in his grating redneck voice.


    ¡°It  is  a swear word, it''s one of the worst things you can say!¡± Jason says.


    ¡°Psst¡­ hey buddy,¡± Kat says in a low voice. ¡°I think they''re just trying to wind you up.¡±


    ¡°Nobody asked you, n****r girl,¡± the other boy says, the first boy guffawing at this hilarious ¡°joke.¡±


    Jason is close to spitting mad now. ¡°How dare you! Take it back, now!¡± he shrieks at them.


    ¡°What''s the problem? People say that all the time,¡± is the boy¡¯s weak-ass defense.


    ¡°You can''t say it, EVER!¡± Jason scolds.


    I¡¯ve had enough of this shit, so I say, ¡°Jason, come on. Talking to dumb hicks like these guys is a waste of time. Let''s just not bother.¡±


    I¡¯m pleased to see the boys¡¯ demeanor changes immediately; they suddenly get all angry and mean looking. ¡°What you call us, boy?¡±


    Gleefully, I say, in an intentionally bad southern accent, ¡° Well gosh o¡¯ golly darny dee, all I done just sayin¡¯ is what y¡¯all are, why y¡¯all bein¡¯ such snowflakes ¡®bout, whas goin¡¯ on wid that? Yuk yuk! ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a dead fag!¡± one of them says, both of their faces turning red. I enjoy my triumph for a few seconds before they¡¯re on us. One went after Jason, who isn¡¯t trying to fight back and instead just curled into a ball to try and shield as many hits as possible. The boy named ¡°Charlie¡± flees the scene. Thanks kid, you¡¯re a lot of help. Kat unexpectedly leaps onto the boy who was attacking Jason, hissing like a feral cat and scratching every inch of him she can reach.


    ¡°What in the god damn!¡± the boy cries. ¡°I ain¡¯t fighting no girl!¡±


    Meanwhile, after a confused series of punching and shoving, the other boy gets me on the ground, and starts kicking me repeatedly in the stomach. It hurts, a lot. I try to grab his foot to trip him, but it doesn¡¯t really work because I¡¯m not that strong. After a while, I just take after Jason and cover my face with my arms to protect it. I do  not  need a broken nose from this bitch too.


    But then, I hear the boy who was on me scream suddenly, and then a thud. I uncover my face and look forward to see a flash of dark skin standing over him as he scrambles away. At first I thought it was Kat, but the girl who grabbed him is way taller.


    ¡°Ah! It touched me!¡± the boy says, getting to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, I gotta go take a shower now!¡±


    ¡°Get off of me, freak girl!¡± the other boy says, retreating from Kat with clearly visible red marks on his arms.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, you better run!¡± I taunt, as they both scamper away. ¡°What a couple of losers. White trash, that¡¯s what we call idiots like that. Ha!¡±


    ¡°Hey Collin,¡± Kat says softly from behind me. ¡°You might wanna go help your boyfriend or something¡­¡±


    Uh oh. I sit up and turn to Jason, who I just now noticed is still curled up on the ground, crying. He doesn¡¯t look all that hurt, though. Man, I wish Zoe were here. She¡¯d know what to do.


    ¡°Go give him a hug,¡± the taller girl whispers to me in an alto-range voice. ¡°He¡¯s very affectionate, it¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thank you,¡± I say awkwardly. I crawl over to Jason, trying not to put much pressure on my now aching stomach. I pat his arm at first, before he clings around my lower torso with his arms to finish crying there. I guess that¡¯s fine.


    ¡°You know Jason already?¡± Kat asks the girl.


    I turn again to get a proper look at her. My rescuer is quite tall, like I said, and wearing a frilly yellow shirt with a skirt. Now that I look at them side-by-side, her skin is a bit lighter in tone than Kat¡¯s, although it¡¯s still definitively brown, and she has bright green eyes. She has her hair tied up in a ponytail, and a pink bow skillfully placed in her hair. Despite just breaking up a fight, she looks very serene; as if she just so happened to wander over here by coincidence, and this was all part of her pleasant stroll.


    ¡°Yeah, we go way back,¡± she answers, smiling dreamily. ¡°We¡¯re good friends¡­¡± And then, like a cloud in the wind, she just wanders away without elaborating. What the fuck, was that girl even real? I feel like I¡¯m on another plane of existence right now.


    <hr>


    After we recover from the battle, we mutually decide that we¡¯d rather deal with a wasp than with those asswipes, so we limp back to Jason¡¯s apartment. Thankfully, the wasp is gone anyway.  However, as we approach his apartment, something even worse appears: a landlord!


    The door opens in front of us, and out comes a middle-aged looking woman who also has brown skin. If Jason hadn¡¯t mentioned it immediately after, I never would¡¯ve suspected she¡¯s a landlord; she¡¯s dressed very casually, wearing one of those weird Hawaiian t-shirts, like she¡¯s a chill dad that likes to barbecue or some shit.


    ¡°Oh, hello Jason!¡± she says cheerily. ¡°Oh, are these friends of yours?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know your mom was Indian!¡± I tell Jason.


    ¡°Haha! Oh no, I¡¯m not his mom!¡± she says, amused. ¡°Also, I¡¯m Pakistani! Big mistake!¡±


    ¡°Nice going, dingus,¡± Kat mutters. I retaliate by kicking her shin.


    ¡°This is our landlady, Mrs. Patel,¡± Jason explains, smiling. ¡°Mrs. Patel, these are my friends, Collin and Kat!¡±


    ¡°Charmed to meet you,¡± she says. ¡°I was just talking to your mom, Jason. Don¡¯t worry! She¡¯s not in trouble, haha.¡± She then looks at me and frowns. ¡°Why is your friend holding his stomach? Is he sick?¡±


    ¡°Nah, some dickwads tried to beat us,¡± I explain.


    Jason turns to me and shakes his head. I guess I wasn¡¯t supposed to say that, but I guess the damage is done already.


    ¡°Oh dear! You kids aren¡¯t getting into fights, are you?¡± Mrs. Patel says, putting her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Hell no!¡± Kat says defensively. ¡°They started it! Those guys were just dumb brutes trying to start shit.¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps you should play inside, then,¡± she says.


    ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jason says, putting his head down. This pathetic groveling seems completely unwarranted to me, but he clearly knows something we don¡¯t, so I don¡¯t say anything else. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I didn¡¯t want them to get bored! There¡¯s nothing to do in our apartment.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Jason. I¡¯m not mad at you. Just do better next time, okay?¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I will.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. You kids stay safe.¡± she briskly walks off.


    ¡°What the fuck,¡± I say once she¡¯s out of earshot. ¡°That wasn¡¯t our fault. You shouldn¡¯t have to apologize.¡±


    ¡°I mean, to be fair, you  did  kinda get them mad,¡± Kat points out.


    ¡°But we didn¡¯t start it! They were calling us fags and shit. Fuck those guys!¡±


    Jason winces, as if someone had tried to slap him and pulled back at the last second. ¡°Look¡­ first of all please don¡¯t say that word. It really bothers me.¡±


    ¡°Which one? Fag, shit, or fuck?¡±


    ¡°The first one!¡± he cries out. ¡°Look, we don¡¯t need to get into it right now. I just¡­ don¡¯t like it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I get it. I get called that a lot too,¡± I tell him. ¡°I just try and laugh it off. But uh, sure, I won¡¯t say it around you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Second of all¡­ let¡¯s just try and stay out of shit,¡± Jason continues. ¡°She can make people disappear if they cause too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck, she kills them???¡± Kat asks incredulously.


    ¡°No, but she makes them move out. I don¡¯t know exactly how, but I don¡¯t really wanna find out. And if the kids here aren¡¯t getting into fights with each other, but they are getting into fights with me, it looks bad.¡±


    ¡°What a load of bullshit,¡± I say. ¡°Well, I would invite you over to my place next time, but that would be even worse. My parents would probably get Derrick to spy on us, they¡¯re paranoid as hell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s just head inside.¡± And so we do.


    Jason¡¯s mom, as it turns out, is a very nice Chinese lady who works as a nurse. His dad isn¡¯t anywhere to be seen, but I don¡¯t ask any questions about that. We enjoy the rest of our time hanging out, mostly just watching stupid YouTube videos. The end.

 Chapter 72: The Slumber Party (December 13 Part 3)

    <Zoe>


    ¡°Hey Ashley¡­ can you come in here for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She steps into my room.


    ¡°And¡­ close the door?¡±


    ¡°Uh-oh.¡± She closes it.


    ¡°So, I got to drop Collin off at his new boyfriend¡¯s place.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°And, well¡­ remember that apartment complex which you guys said had a palace in it¡­?¡±


    Ashley sighs. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s where he lives.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is.¡±


    There¡¯s a pause. I zip up the last pouch on my overnight bag and haul it onto the bed.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t put any thought into what we¡¯re going to do next,¡± Ashley admits. ¡°I¡¯m feeling demoralized about it at the moment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡±


    ¡°Zoe, just put it out of your mind and enjoy the sleepover, please. Have a good time. We¡¯ll all talk about that later. Let¡¯s just finish out the semester.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Ashley.¡± I get up and give her a big hug. ¡°Ashley, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Have I ever been okay, really?¡±


    ¡°Ashley¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll be fine. Just have a good time.¡±


    She breaks the hug, and then helps me carry my things out to the car. On the way there, I really can''t help but to worry about her. She hasn¡¯t been normal since getting that strange threat. She barely even seemed happy about getting second in the region.


    <hr>


    What finally takes my mind off her is pulling up to Diana¡¯s house. Although I¡¯ve been here before, it never ceases to impress me. Her house is two stories of red brick, with a large front yard. The angles of the roof, carefully planned landscaping and towering size give the house the impression of a fortress. It reminds me of my aunt and uncle¡¯s place outside of town.


    Her mother lets me in, and I find that Yonca beat me here. She and Diana are sitting in the living room, which has a window showing their in-ground pool out back. I¡¯d love to go swimming if it weren¡¯t December.


    ¡°Hey Zoe!¡± Yonca greets me. ¡°Diana, who else is coming?¡±


    ¡°Uh, just us for today,¡± Diana says. ¡°I wanted to stick with the tried and true bunch for this time.¡±


    ¡°Wait, is Terra coming?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Haha, no. I''m kinda mad at her right now... Don''t mention this to her, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good idea,¡± Yonca says. ¡°She''d probably accuse of us having a big lesbian orgy or something.¡±


    ¡°What''s an orgy?¡± I ask.


    Yonca begins explaining, ¡°It''s when a lot of people get together and¡­¡±


    Diana cuts her off. ¡°Please, let''s not talk about that.¡± She nervously looks around, as if worried her parents might have overheard. I decide not to push the point, and instead make a note to ask Ashley about it later.


    ¡°So, why are you mad at Terra?¡± I ask Diana.


    ¡°Well... she''s been so angry and mean recently. It''s really getting on my nerves.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and she''s so paranoid,¡± Yonca adds. ¡°It''s like she thinks everyone is out to get her.¡±


    I frown. I haven¡¯t been talking to Terra as much since the incident, so I hadn¡¯t heard of this. ¡°What''s happening to her? She used to be so level headed.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know. I wonder if something''s happening in her family. Her parents always seemed really strict.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, yeah.¡± I think of how controlling my parents could be. I always tried to just stay out of anything controversial. But that doesn¡¯t really explain why Terra would be angry all the time, come to think of it.


    ¡°Anyway, now that we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s go to my room,¡± Diana suggests. ¡°My siblings are watching a movie upstairs, so let¡¯s go up quietly so they don¡¯t bother us¡­¡±


    <hr>


    It had been a while since our last get-together, and it feels really good to be having fun with them again. We talk about all sorts of things. TV shows we¡¯ve watched, stuff happening in band, gossip around school¡­ After a while, the conversation turns to male celebrities that Diana and Yonca find attractive. I mostly spectate this part of the conversation, and instead entertain myself by imagining what kinds of pretty ladies these famous men must attract. Diana eventually gets into sort of a weird mood¡­ she¡¯s giggling and blushing a lot.


    Things reach a particularly weird point when Diana turns towards me with a smirk on her face. At this point, she and Yonca are sitting on Diana¡¯s bed, while I¡¯m leaned against some pillows on the floor. She says, ¡°Hey Zoe. I have a slightly weird question for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Since you like girls, tell me... how would you ¡®rank¡¯ me?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You know, how boys always try to rank girls by how hot they are. Like, ¡®oh, she''s a 7/10.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I''ve never done that before.¡±


    Yonca shakes her head. ¡°I''ve always thought that was annoying. I mean, come on, calling us a number is a little demeaning!¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. What I really mean is... how do I look?¡±


    Having her permission, I look at Diana more closely. It¡¯s already late enough to where we¡¯re in our pajamas, and Diana is wearing this cute purple shirt with stars on it and striped leggings. Her dirty blonde hair, usually tied up during the day, is carelessly draping her shoulders. I follow the shape of her body and find that my heart pumps a little faster.


    ¡°I think you''re pretty,¡± I answer.


    ¡°Like, really pretty?¡± she presses hungrily. ¡°Or just kinda pretty?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I start to get nervous, torn between wanting to compliment her in order to not be rude, while also worrying that if I¡¯m  too  nice it¡¯ll be weird.


    ¡°At least you''re pretty enough to get a boyfriend,¡± Yonca interjects. She¡¯s at the end of Diana¡¯s bed, leaning over and looking at the ground dejectedly. ¡°Nobody ever asks me out¡­¡±


    ¡°Awh, don''t say that about yourself!¡± Diana says. ¡°Boys like short girls!¡±


    ¡°They don''t like scrawny girls, though. They want girls like you guys who have big butts and stuff.¡±


    Diana¡¯s eyes suddenly pop wide open at this. ¡°Are you calling me fat?¡± she asks.


    ¡°No, you''re not fat, Diana,¡± I assure her. ¡°You''re a healthy young lady! She''s right, I think boys like girls with big butts.¡± I vaguely recall a conversation between Anja and Nova, where Nova was playing a video game and both of them were enthusiastically saying a girl in the game had a ¡°thick ass.¡±


    ¡°Do you, Zoe?¡± Diana asks curiously.


    ¡°I dunno. I''ve never really stopped to think about what kind of girls I like. I just know that I like girls like Ashley.¡±


    ¡°That is such a lame copout answer!¡± Diana suddenly jumps off the bed, looking at me intensely. ¡°Here, tell me if you think my butt is big enough.¡±


    Yonca giggles at her, and swings her legs around to face me. ¡°What''s gotten into you, Diana? It''s almost like you''re trying to flirt with her.¡±


    Diana immediately blushes deep red. ¡°Wh-what? I''m not flirting! Hey, just because Zoe''s gay and stuff doesn''t mean we can''t talk about girl stuff anymore!¡± she responds, speaking very quickly. She quickly sits down again, cradling herself with her arms defensively.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I giggle a little too. ¡°I''m glad you think that. Most girls always walk fast by me if we''re in the bathroom or anything like that. Like they think I''m just always ready to try something.¡±


    Yonca hums sympathetically. ¡°Awh, that''s mean. We know that you''re not like that, Zoe.¡±


    I feel a glow of happiness. ¡°Thank you. That means a lot.¡±


    My back is starting to get stiff, so I stand up and take a seat on the bed on Diana¡¯s other side. I grab one of her pillows and press it to my body.


    ¡°That does make me wonder,¡± Yonca says. ¡°Did you know you were a lesbian during PE in middle school? You know, when we had to go change in the locker rooms?¡±


    ¡°No. I guess looking back, being around those other girls always made me really nervous. But I never thought about why.¡±


    It¡¯s Diana¡¯s turn to laugh aloud. ¡°You know what, Zoe? You don''t think about stuff a lot, do you?¡± she says teasingly.


    ¡°Hey! I''m not stupid!¡± I respond, but I¡¯m giggling again.


    ¡°It''s not your fault, Zoe. You''re blonde, you can''t help it.¡±


    ¡°You''re blonde too!¡± I playfully chuck my pillow at her, which bounces off her and onto the floor. She immediately grabs one of her own and hits me back right on top of my head. We both fall backwards onto the bed, laughing together. Yonca also lays on her back, joining us. For a while, I just look at Diana¡¯s ceiling, which is decorated with little Christmas lights along the edges. And if you¡¯re wondering, that¡¯s not just because it¡¯s almost Christmas, those are always there.


    Diana breaks the silence after a while, saying, ¡°Haha... You know, I guess it''s a good thing Terra isn''t here. She''d get mad at us for talking about stuff like this. You know, like how... girls aren''t supposed to talk about how to attract boys to make them... uh, like you like that. And that makes you a... you-know-what.¡± By the end of her declaration, her voice sounds sunken and guilty.


    ¡°Hey, you actually have a boyfriend,¡± Yonca points out. ¡°She still doesn''t. Tell us, Diana... Have you and Mason ever, you know. Reached second base?¡±


    I''ve heard a lot about the concept of "bases" before. They''re like stages of a relationship. I think hugging is first base, holding hands is second base, and kissing is third.


    Diana seems really embarrassed by this question. ¡°Yonca, stop! We shouldn''t be talking about this¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you have then. Interesting,¡± Yonca says knowingly.


    ¡°Hey, that''s private!¡± Diana cries, her voice going shrill.


    ¡°Yeah. I suppose it is,¡± Yonca says.


    There¡¯s a strange coldness to Yonca¡¯s voice. I¡¯m not immediately sure why, but the atmosphere in the room feels much different all of a sudden. It feels as if Diana is being put on the spot. And then, I think I realize why. If what a couple does together is private, that would include when Ashley and I kissed under the bleachers. I feel a little anxious. Is bringing up this past drama going to mess up our good time?


    Diana finally breaks the awkward silence. ¡°Zoe... I''m really sorry for what I did. Back in September.¡± Her voice sounds strained. ¡°You know, Mason told me that... I was being creepy. And I realized later that he was right.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure how to respond. I already knew that Diana regretted doing that from when I saw her in that palace, but I guess she had never really apologized in real life before. ¡°Um... thank you, Diana.¡± I tell her.


    ¡°I don''t know what I was thinking. I wasn''t going to send it to anyone. I just... I dunno.¡±


    ¡°You didn''t take it to send it?¡± Yonca questions. ¡°Why would you, then?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know!¡± Her voice is going somewhat shrill again. ¡°But when I was watching it later, Terra saw it, and... I realized how wrong it looked for me to be looking at two girls kissing... so I told her that I wanted to expose Ashley... I was mad at her for some reason, I don''t even remember what it was anymore... but that was a lie. And a bad one, since it caused you so much pain... I¡­¡± she breaks down and starts sniffling.


    I sit up and look down at her. Tears are streaming down her face. She ashamedly covers her face with the pillow she hit me with earlier.


    I realize that I had never really heard Diana¡¯s side of the story before. When Anja confronted her about what she did, her explanation really didn¡¯t make any sense. But she probably felt she couldn¡¯t be totally honest with Terra there.


    ¡°So this whole time... you did it because you were scared?¡± I ask.


    She wipes her eyes on the pillow and pokes her head over it. ¡°I didn''t want anyone to think I was into that, so I distanced myself as much as possible... by the time I realized how horrible this was for you, it was too late... I''m a stupid, bad friend¡­¡±


    Yonca sits up as her, sighing deeply. ¡°Diana, I understand how you felt... I didn''t want anything to do with it. I was a total coward. I''m never going to be a coward like that again. Zoe is more important to me than those bullies.¡± She looks over at me, her eyes glimmering. I feel a strong surge of emotion¡­ all the lingering hurt I felt seems to melt away. My own eyes are watering now, and I feel a wave of gratitude for my friends.


    ¡°You want to know what''s crazy?¡± I say. ¡°I know how you feel too. All of this started because I was worried people would judge me for being friends with Anja. Isn''t it so crazy how all of this horrible stuff happened without any of us even wanting it?¡±


    Yonca nods at me, and then turns her head away from us, a darkness overtaking her face. ¡°I guess it all goes back to Terra. You know, I only just now realized how toxic of an influence she is as a friend. She made us all feel bad about knowing someone who just so happened to like other girls.¡± She looks back down at Diana, addressing her. ¡°Hell, she''s making you feel bad about liking  guys  too! Even though  she likes guys! And yet she makes you feel bad for wanting to be pretty for your own boyfriend! She is as bad as the people from where my parents grew up, who want all women to wear hijabs!¡±


    She¡¯s angry now, her eyebrows turning in a way very rare for her. I reach over and put my hand on her back, gently scratching it. She closes her eyes and seems to decompress.


    ¡°I don''t even think it''s just Terra,¡± I say. ¡°She must have got all of this from her parents, and others at the church.¡± I put my arms back at my side, and Yonca opens her eyes again, locking with mine. Suddenly, I feel moved and emboldened¡­ I break into a speech.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve thought about, something that extends far beyond her. You see, living with Ashley¡¯s parents has made me realize some things about my own parents. They were always trying to teach us to be like Christ, and to follow what the Bible says. But then there were these odd moments, when they thought that none of us were listening. They¡¯d put on the news, and they¡¯d start to talk all¡­ callous. They¡¯d talk on the news about immigrants and refugees wanting to come over here, and my parents would scoff. They¡¯d show footage of homeless people in big cities, and they¡¯d shake their heads. They¡¯d talk about¡­ about, about some law being passed in another state protecting gay or lesbian people, and my parents would get angry, saying it was an attack on their values.


    ¡°And Ashley¡¯s parents are different when they watch the news. They talk about everything like it¡¯s an economic issue. They won¡¯t scowl when they talk about immigrants and refugees, they¡¯ll just talk about what jobs are available and if they¡¯ll be able to find housing in the current market. When they see homeless people, they talk about unemployment and what opportunities they have, and how they think the welfare state is inefficient. And they don¡¯t say anything when gay rights comes up, other than maybe pointing it out to Ashley or I in a joking way. They¡¯re much less emotional; they talk about everything in this individualistic way, like each of those people is responsible for themselves. At least they don¡¯t disparage all those people; they want the best for them in their own way. Still, I always have this nagging feeling, that these are all puzzle pieces in a bigger picture.


    ¡°With Ashley¡¯s parents, the quiet of the living room makes me start thinking and feeling things I never got a chance to before. When  I  see those immigrants and refugees, I think about people like you, and like Ruth, whose families once went through that process. I wonder what made you want to come here; if living in Turkey or Cuba was hard, or if maybe your families just thought they could make a little more money over here. I hear about these people fleeing warfare and poverty, and my heart just breaks. And I wonder how they¡¯ll make it over here, when we have our own homeless people all around the cities, and nobody seems to be able to help them. Why can¡¯t they all have homes, where they can be happy and safe? It all seems controlled by these statistics and numbers that nobody understands.


    ¡°But Jesus never talked about numbers and rates and economies and stuff. He just walked from here to there, healing and feeding people.  That¡¯s  what we¡¯re supposed to live like. Doesn¡¯t it kill you to watch it all happen from your comfy house? And my parents, they just seemed to hate all of those people who were suffering! Weren¡¯t we taught, ¡®what you do to the least of these, you do to Me?¡¯ And all across the country there must be thousands of kids like Ashley and I, who are being bullied, other kids like me who had their parents throw them out because of who they are, and not everyone is lucky enough to have someone take them in, like I was. It¡¯s so scary to think, it could¡¯ve been me. I could¡¯ve been one of those homeless people on the streets of Austin, and my parents would¡¯ve driven past me and just said, ¡®oh, what an eyesore, when¡¯s the city council going to kick them all off the pavement?¡¯


    ¡°And now, I can look back and see that my parents worship politics over God, they take to heart Fox News more than the Bible, they live more like Pharisees than Jesus. And I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m not going to live that way. I¡¯m never going to let politics stop me from loving my neighbor. I¡¯m never going to let politics make me ugly and hateful, so that I stop valuing each individual life as something precious. I¡¯m not going to live in a world where I¡¯m detached from all the suffering around me. I was fortunate enough to have someone there for me when I was weeping on the street; now it¡¯s my job to repay the same to anyone in need. And if I had stayed with my parents, I don''t know if I ever would''ve realized that. Really, Diana, what you did was the best thing that could''ve happened to me. It was horrible while it happened, but now I see that God meant it for good. So thank you, Diana. From the bottom of my heart.¡±


    There¡¯s a long pause. I start to feel a little embarrassed when I realize how long I had been talking. And I bet most of the stuff I said didn¡¯t really make sense. Still, I feel good at the same time¡­ like maybe, when Ashley or Anja or anyone else is talking about these political things, I can have something of my own I can give, instead of just staying quiet and letting it pass me by.


    Yonca smiles at me. ¡°You have a good heart, Zoe,¡± she tells me. Then, she laughs suddenly. ¡°Wow, you not only forgave Diana, but turned around what she did into actually being good for you. That¡¯s a whole other level of ¡®silver lining.¡¯¡±


    Diana, still laying on the bed, shakes her head. ¡°I don''t deserve friends as good as you guys.¡±


    ¡°Awh, don''t say that,¡± I tell her. ¡°We love you, Diana.¡±


    She blushes red again and smiles. She finally sits up, and quickly gives me a hug.


    ¡°I don''t know what to do about Terra, though,¡± Diana says. ¡°Despite everything, I still want to be her friend. I just wish I didn¡¯t have to pick between people.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think I can be anymore.¡± Yonca says darkly. ¡°With the way she''s talking, it''s only a matter of time before she turns on me just for being an immigrant.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can try and be a good influence on Terra,¡± I suggest to Diana. ¡°She listens to you more than she does anyone else. We can help her see how hurtful the way she¡¯s acting is.¡±


    ¡°I can try, yeah¡­¡± Diana responds. However, she looks doubtful. I suppose I can¡¯t blame her; we still don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on with her.


    All in all, the sleepover was a really good time. Don¡¯t worry about all the confessions and crying and stuff; that happens every time. It just feels good to be able to confide in my friends. And with Yonca and Diana at least, it feels more like we¡¯re back to normal now. Maybe sometime later, I can get everyone together; including Ashley and Anja and Nova, and even Ruth and Kevin if they want to come. That would make me happy¡­

 Chapter 73: Bipartisan Issues (December 14)

    <Alyssa>


    I¡¯m wiped today. I¡¯ve been keeping myself busy the last few days, and I had a gig all the way out in Houston which I didn¡¯t get home from until late last night. I don¡¯t even have the energy to channel surf, so Gregg has the remote.  He  didn¡¯t have to do anything except give Zoe driving lessons. He has a series of Christmas concerts to play in right before we go on vacation, so we¡¯re trading off.


    We¡¯re watching a news broadcast detailing the newest spending bill passed by Congress yesterday. My eyes are glazed over, and I¡¯m only taking in bits of information about it here and there. My mind keeps slowly shifting from listening to the news broadcast and listening to Ashley¡¯s french horn. She made all-Area yesterday, meaning that she¡¯s eligible to make the All-State band. Such incredible work she¡¯s put in; I didn¡¯t make it into All-State until my junior year. Still, even by her standards this practice session is pretty intense.


    ¡°She''s been at it for two hours already, and it''s still morning. She''s a real workaholic,¡± I comment to Gregg. ¡°I think all the messed up stuff happening is getting her more than she wants to admit.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense that she¡¯d bury herself in her work. She¡¯s your daughter, after all,¡± Gregg replies.


    ¡°Mmhmm. How could it not get to me? Someone connected to human trafficking working at their school? What hell has been unleashed?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re letting something like this happen. The government should be fighting these malicious groups tooth and nail.¡±


    I blearily look at the TV, which is currently showing footage of one of the Senators from our state making a speech before Congress about why the bill shouldn¡¯t have passed. Something about immigration¡­


    ¡°They should be,¡± I say. ¡°I just don''t know what¡¯s happening to this world anymore.¡±


    I glance over at Gregg. He has that thinking expression again. And behind that, a sort of fire in his eyes.


    ¡°You do realize something, right?¡± he says. ¡°If anyone comes for Ashley and Zoe because of what happened¡­ we will have to intervene directly.¡±


    I let out a long, slow sigh, and feel myself deflate. ¡°They need us as parents too. You remember what happened to the others, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a decision we should make flippantly, of course. All I¡¯m saying is, if they are targeted, our hands will be forced.¡±


    I don¡¯t reply. The truth of what he¡¯s saying slowly settles in¡­ as little as I like it.


    The broadcast changes. A familiar face appears on the TV; a disgustingly pretty newscaster who dominated the airwaves back in California. She¡¯s wearing a red dress, her blonde hair is neatly tied in a ponytail, she¡¯s wearing these ridiculous heart-shaped glasses and gaudy earrings, and she has a cold smile that doesn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, America,¡± the woman says in her stupid, fake cheery voice. ¡°This is Megan O¡¯Hare with our next segment. Across the country, thousands have demonstrated this weekend, protesting the shocking death of Eric Garner at the hands of a white police officer. Our question today is; when is are Southern whites finally going to drop their historic white supremacist ideals?¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I question, anger momentarily rousing me. ¡°Eric Garner was killed in New York City! That¡¯s just misleadingly worded!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Typical of her to blame anyone and everyone but the institutions responsible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just change the channel, please, I can¡¯t stand the sound of her stupid voice any longer.¡±


    He unexpectedly gets to his feet, and places the remote in my lap. ¡°Here''s the remote. I have an errand to run, now that you''ve reminded me.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? And what is that?¡±


    ¡°I want to find our state representative''s take on these events,¡± he explains as he grabs his car keys off the counter. ¡°I¡¯ll be back by lunch.¡±


    <hr>


    <Gregg>


    His office is small and tidy; just a few armchairs and a table with some magazines on it. In the back, there is a small window, behind which his secretary is sorting papers. I walk up and say, ¡°Good afternoon. Is Mr. Casey in the office right now?¡±


    ¡°He is, but he is currently on the phone,¡± she answers in a bored voice. ¡°If you could wait here for a moment, I''ll call you back there when he''s ready.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°If I may ask, what is the occasion?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wish I could say I wanted a friendly chat. I don''t suppose you''ve heard about what happened at my daughter''s school?¡±


    ¡°You mean that teacher who got into a fight with some students and died shortly after?¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°It was not so much a fight as it was the teacher preying on the students. But yes, we are probably thinking of the same incident.¡±


    ¡°That''s just what I had heard. The official report was scant on details, so I had to go off word of mouth.¡±


    ¡°I am a primary source; I was there the day that it happened. My daughter was one of the students targeted. It seems as if there are some mild misconceptions going around..¡±


    ¡°If I had to take a guess, people are disbelieving that a sweet little lady like her could be guilty of such a thing. The culprit dying also shrouds the case in uncertainty, as there was never a chance to put her on trial and determine a motive.¡±


    I hear the door open behind me. A rough-looking middle aged man with a short beard walks in and takes a seat.


    ¡°Well that is certainly true,¡± I say. ¡°Most troubling to me are her comments shortly before we left. It seems there were co-conspirators involved. Which brings us back to why I have come here. I want to express my utmost concern that the matter is being investigated. I am very concerned that things were allowed to get to this point.¡±


    ¡°You may share your concerns with the representative shortly. You have my deepest condolences that your daughter was caught up in the situation.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, ma''am. I do appreciate it.¡±


    The man sitting behind me speaks up suddenly. ¡°Yeah, that just goes to show why you shouldn''t let that sort work as teachers.¡±


    I turn to him. ¡°Yes, we shouldn''t let pedophiles become teachers. That goes without saying.¡±


    ¡°And yet the liberals are pushing all sorts of anti-discrimination bullshit to try and get homosexuals and other deviants hired at schools. It''s sick.¡±


    I repress the urge to roll my eyes. ¡°This has no connection to the gay rights issue.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. They let a lesbian work as a teacher, and she starts making moves on the female students. Who could¡¯ve seen that coming,¡± he says sarcastically.


    ¡°You''re misinformed about what happened. The teacher was primarily targeting a male student, so we can reasonably assume she is not a lesbian. While there were a couple of female students caught up in the situation- including my daughter, I''ll have you know©\ they got involved trying to prevent it on behalf of the male student.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well, I''m sure a depraved person like that will go after any child who gets in their sights.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. Isn''t it just as wrong of an act regardless of what gender is targeted or responsible? So now you see my point that this isn''t related to gay rights.¡±


    ¡°It still is. People who accept unnatural sexual behaviors in one form are bound to push for even more ¡®inclusion.¡¯ Soon we will be called bigots for being against the hiring of open pedophiles and zoophiles.¡±


    I had heard this argument before and was never particularly impressed by it. I decide to switch my tactics. ¡°I''ll have you know that my daughter, one of the victims of this occurence, is gay herself. You are plainly showing that you aren''t concerned with the safety of children, only with having someone to pick on.¡±


    ¡°You might want to consider homeschooling your daughter, for the sake of all the rest of our kids.¡±


    The nerve of this man. ¡°She''s no danger to them. The only disciplinary problem she''s had is a fight with a student who was bullying her girlfriend. And that is a problem with people like you who spread this misinformation.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± the secretary interjects firmly.


    ¡°Maybe you should think about why all the students in the school can''t stand them,¡± the man continues, ignoring her. ¡°How detestable does someone have to be if we have to be banned from criticizing them?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± the secretary interrupts again.


    ¡°So that''s it, then?¡± I argue anyway. ¡°The tyranny of the majority rules? What about individual rights?¡±


    ¡°This is a waiting room, not a debate stage,¡± the secretary says in a raised voice. ¡°If you have an issue please take it outside.¡±


    I take a deep breath. ¡°That''s quite okay. I don''t think anything will come of this conversation, so let us cease.¡± The other man doesn¡¯t say anything; he just scowls and looks at the ceiling disdainfully.


    <hr>


    After a while, I am called back to the office. Mr. Casey is a young man about my age (well, that¡¯s young by political standards.) He has an easy smile and a reassuring air of charisma.


    We begin by recapping what I told the receptionist, the details of the incident. I want to make sure any misconceptions that he may have heard are dispelled right off the bat. I then express my concern that the teacher¡¯s co-conspirators are still at large and my confidence that the state government is doing whatever it can to investigate them and any other human trafficking operations.


    ¡°You''re certainly justified in your concerns,¡± he tells me when I¡¯m finished. ¡°I was not made aware of the totality of this situation, so I appreciate your input.¡±


    I find this odd. The receptionist I understand, but how could a state official be unaware of reports of human trafficking in his own district?


    He continues. ¡°You''re in luck. Governor Schneider, before becoming governor, was a state prosecutor, and then attorney general. It was during that time he made a name for himself in busting sex trafficking. We are in capable hands. I will schedule a conference with him and some of my other colleagues to discuss. Protecting children is a bipartisan issue, and once Congress is back in session we will give the matter our closest attention.¡±


    ¡°Great to hear. I do have a few more words of warning, however. First of all, the gentleman scheduled to see you after me seems set on blaming the gay and lesbian community for the actions of these people. Do not fall for this rhetoric. There are straight men who target little girls, are there not? Aren''t they equally as large of a concern?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. We will target all sex trafficking without bias. I see no reason to drag culture wars into such a universally reviled issue.¡±


    I feel a faint sense of relief. ¡°Thank you. That is very respectable of you to put this issue ahead of pandering to the party base.¡±


    ¡°Of course. As I said, this is a time for country over party.¡±


    I nod in agreement. ¡°And finally, my impression is that the police performed a rushed and sloppy investigation, pinning the blame on a different teacher who turned out to be innocent. Perhaps if they had not wasted time on him, the real culprit could''ve been caught sooner.


    ¡°Hmm. Well, you know that I don''t have any direct control over the police, right?¡±


    ¡°I''m telling you because I find the behavior suspicious. I wonder if there is a chance someone on the force was paid off.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. It''s important that we stand by our men and women in blue in this trying time.¡±


    ¡°Well, unless they are corrupt. I have no proof that they are; just a suspicion. It might be worth an internal investigation.¡±


    ¡°We can do that if any proof does come forward; but for the time being, let''s not risk spending so much time investigating the police that they don''t have space to do their jobs.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I say curtly. ¡°That''s all I have. Thank you for all of your work.¡±


    ¡°It''s my duty and pleasure. Good to speak with you as always.¡±


    I leave the office reasonably satisfied. I hadn¡¯t really expected to make headway on that last point anyway; it was a stretch goal. I suppose we¡¯ll just have to see how the situation shapes up, and if any action follows these promises. Of course, it  is  politics, so that¡¯s rather up in the air¡­

 Chapter 74: Christmas Cheer (December 16)

    <Charlotte>


    Oopsie, looks like I¡¯m awake again! I find myself on my bed, still in my school clothes, my phone awkwardly lying on my chest. How long did I pass out? Is it morning now??? Fuck. Let me check my phone. Let¡¯s see. Oh, it¡¯s 5 AM. Yeah, it¡¯s basically just morning. Well, I might as well get breakfast. I fell asleep while I was going down a rabbit hole looking up paintings from the Harlem Renaissance. Ooh, it gave me a really good idea for a new piece. I should do a little drawing before school.


    Okay, breakfast first though. I don¡¯t want a repeat of last Thursday. I go to the kitchen of our apartment. Toaster strudel time! I like toaster strudel, it¡¯s my favorite. I don¡¯t know what to draw with the icing today, so I just draw a little hippo. His name is Fred. I ate him, now he¡¯s gone.


    ¡°Girl, what are you doing up so early this morning?¡± My dad asks me, emerging from the shadows. My dad is my black half. He¡¯s got this kinda messed up short hair, no facial hair, and a slightly pointed chin. Man, am I glad he doesn¡¯t get facial hair.


    ¡°I woke up,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Naahh, really? Why aren''t you going back to bed? You''re missing out on an hour of sleep."


    ¡°I think I wanna draw a little before school. I''m feeling inspired!¡±


    ¡°This is why you''re always falling asleep in class. I better not hear from your teachers about that again!¡± he says in a mock scolding voice.


    ¡°Oh shit, did they really call home about that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess they want you to learn in their classes or something. I dunno.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. How am I supposed to do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, being awake is a good start. Just don¡¯t get yourself in detention again, please.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I''ll see what I can do.¡±


    Dad works as a plumber. Shitty job, but it pays well enough to get us a reasonably good apartment, so I¡¯m not complaining. Which reminds me, I¡¯m early enough to see my mom get home from work.


    My mom? Uh, well. For most of my life they weren¡¯t really straight with me about what her occupation is. They just told me she works at a ¡°restaurant.¡± I¡¯m old enough now to figure out what¡¯s really going on, though. It¡¯s cool and all, but I try not to think about it. Since, you know, it¡¯s my mom. Ew.


    Indeed, my mom comes in just as I¡¯m finishing breakfast. She¡¯s my white half, being (what I objectively acknowledge to be) very pretty. She has a smooth, pale face with a smattering of freckles on each cheek, long bright red hair and green eyes (the latter of which I inherited.)


    Something¡¯s wrong today, though. She looks depressed and a little scared when she comes in.


    ¡°Hi Mom,¡± I greet her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Charlotte¡­ Well, Mommy needs to look for a new job, it seems¡­¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Dad exclaims. ¡°You  quit ?¡±


    ¡°N-no, I was¡­ let¡¯s talk about it in our room, please.¡±


    And then they go back to our room. I¡¯m puzzled. Mom wouldn¡¯t just get fired like that. I mean, I guess she¡¯s getting a little old for that stuff, but it barely shows. Why¡¯d they turn on her like that?


    I never really get a good explanation. All I know is something I heard my dad muttering later. You see, he has this tic, where if he gets really upset about something, he kind of mutters it to himself under his breath again and again. And I just so happened to hear him muttering, ¡°Those bastards should be in jail. Those bastards should be in jail. Those bastards should be in jail¡­¡±


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    I stay true to my word to Mason and attend the band¡¯s Christmas concert. All the schools in the district come together for one concert, so there are a couple of middle school bands that play before they get to the high school. It¡¯s nice to relax and listen to Christmas music, albeit played with varying levels of skill. I got Ruth to come along with me too. After the high school¡¯s top band finishes playing, we go to greet Mr. Castro, as he¡¯s a friend from church.


    ¡° Buenas noches , Mr. Castro,¡± Ruth greets him.


    ¡°Ah, Ruth.  Boa tarde  to you too!¡± He laughs heartily. ¡°And Kevin! Thanks for coming out tonight.¡±


    ¡°You did a great job with them,¡± I tell him. ¡°I needed a little Christmas cheer.¡±


    ¡°I think we all do right now,¡± he says. From there, he gets whisked away to talk to another family.


    ¡°Oh yeah, Ruth. Can I ask a weird question?¡± I say.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Does it ever make you feel weird that¡­ you know, he has the same last name as the dictator of your home country?¡±


    She chuckles lowly. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s a fairly common name in Latin America.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Sorry, had to ask. Anyway, let¡¯s go pester some of our friends who are up on stage.¡±


    ¡°You go ahead. I don¡¯t really like crowds, so I think I¡¯m going to go get some air. Let me know when you¡¯re about to leave.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    I climb onto the stage, and see that Anja is already in the process of annoying Ashley. I join in. Both are wearing their black concert dresses, which look really nice. Ashley and Anja indeed look about as tired as I feel. Anja looks like she¡¯s about to pass out, and Ashley is looking vaguely off into space, still holding her french horn in her lap.


    ¡°Hey guys. Really great concert you put on tonight!¡± I say.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°Hey Kevin,¡± Anja greets, before yawning loudly.


    ¡°You look really tired out,¡± I comment.


    ¡°Yeah, well. I haven''t been sleeping particularly well.¡±


    ¡°You too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I guess it hasn¡¯t really been easy for any of us. I did decide to take Ruth¡¯s advice and sign up for therapy, which Anja helped with. But that doesn¡¯t start until after the break. Not sure what I¡¯m going to do until then¡­


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Got any plans for the next couple weeks?¡± I ask. ¡°We''re sticking around town.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, mostly the same here,¡± Anja answers. ¡°We''ll go see my grandparents in New Braunfels on Christmas Day, though. What about you, Ashley?¡±


    ¡°We''re going to visit my dad''s family in California for the first week,¡± she says.


    ¡°Okay, nice. Is Zoe going with?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Got anything fun planned?¡±


    ¡°Not particularly.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of getting my hair dyed,¡± Anja says, combing her hair with her fingers absentmindedly. ¡°Haven''t decided which color yet, though.¡±


    ¡°What''s your favorite color?¡± I ask Anja.


    ¡°Green. But uh, I don''t want to have green hair. That''s too attention-seeking even for me. What do you think, Ashley?¡±


    ¡°My favorite color is pink,¡± she answers.


    ¡°Huh, really? That''s kinda surprising.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. You''re kinda tomboy-ish.


    ¡°Am I?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you don''t exactly dress up much for school.¡±


    ¡°Well, why would I? I don''t care about impressing anyone.¡±


    ¡°Well, wearing cute clothes makes you feel confident!¡±


    ¡°Does it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Express yourself, Ashley. Show the world the real you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that tends to not go over well.¡±


    ¡°I think Ashley has enough confidence on her own, honestly,¡± I interject into the conversation.


    ¡°Thanks, Kevin,¡± Ashley says dryly. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I still need to put my instrument away.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Shall we make our way to the hall, then?¡± Anja asks me.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    We step off of the stage, walk down the aisle, and then end up in the main front hall of the high school. Many parents and students are gathered here, chattering away. We approach what must be Zoe¡¯s family, as Zoe is talking to a middle-aged woman who looks like her, a middle-aged man who looks less like her but has her nose, and two boys who also look like her, one of whom I recognize as being named Derrick Parker, and the other one I don¡¯t recognize but looks a little younger than her.


    The man who I presume is Zoe¡¯s dad is saying, ¡°I always said that Mr. Castro does a fine job with this program. That was a mighty fine job you kids did.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Zoe replies cheerily. ¡°I agree, I really like him.¡±


    ¡°You keep working hard on your instrument, honey,¡± her mom says, smiling and brushing a strand of Zoe¡¯s hair to the side. ¡°It''s great for gaining skills for later in life!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is! Hi Anja! Hi Kevin!¡±


    ¡°Sup,¡± Anja greets. ¡°Oh hey, Collin. What''s going on?¡± she says to Zoe¡¯s younger brother.


    Collin shoots her an insulted look. ¡°Uh, who are you?¡±


    ¡°Come on, we met once, didn''t we? I''m Anja.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, Zoe''s mentioned you. Wow, you really are short.¡±


    Anja hisses. ¡°Wow, you really are predictable!¡± She storms off.


    Two other slightly younger students I don¡¯t recognize come up to Collin. ¡°Nice going, dipshit. You just insulted Nova''s crush,¡± says a dark-skinned girl. The other one, a skinny boy with long, black hair, simply sighs at him.


    ¡°Oh shit. I didn¡¯t know! Oh wait, I don¡¯t actually care,¡± Collin retorts grouchily.


    Zoe turns towards the girl, looking excited. ¡°Oh, so you know about Nova''s crush?


    ¡°Yeah. You know too?¡± she replies.


    ¡°He told me about it. I think they''d be so cute together!¡±


    ¡°That little bitch will never tell her, though.¡± The girl rolls her eyes. ¡°He''s just gonna spend months, years even, prattling around. I know my brother.¡±


    ¡°Awh¡­ Oh, maybe we could help him out!¡±


    Nova¡¯s sister gets a devious look on her face. ¡°You know what? Fuck it. Let''s do it. Where is he at?¡±


    ¡°I think I saw him back there!¡± Zoe says. The two girls quickly start to make their way through the crowd.


    Zoe¡¯s mom turns to see where Zoe went, and then catches sight of the dark-haired boy standing at Collin¡¯s side. ¡°Oh, is this boy a friend of yours, Collin?¡± she asks.


    Collin turns pink, looking strangely uncomfortable. ¡°Uh, yeeeah. He¡¯s my friend!¡±


    It¡¯s around that time that I realize that I don¡¯t actually know any of the people I¡¯m still standing near, so I decide to make for somewhere else. Before long, I bump into Mason. His face has a red ring from all the playing he just did at the concert.


    ¡°Hey man,¡± he greets. ¡°Good to see you here, thanks for coming.¡±


    ¡°Good to be here,¡± I reply, as we shake hands.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been thinking. Why don''t you just go back to club soccer? At least there''d be no locker rooms.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I''ve thought about that.¡±


    ¡°You should go for div II. We''ll go out on the weekends, just you and me. The school field will be open. And we''ll make sure you stay in good condition.¡± ¡°Div. II¡± refers to a higher level of club soccer play, in which you have to formally try out for a team.


    ¡°It would be easier with a friend. Thanks a lot.¡± From there, our conversation trails off into planning out our regiment.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    I probably shouldn¡¯t have blown up on Collin like that. But after the shitty past week I¡¯ve had I¡¯m not as light-hearted as usual. All I want to do is fall asleep and never wake up. I really don¡¯t feel like talking to anyone else, so I find my dad, and we¡¯re about to head out when I realize that I left my backpack in the band hall.


    The hallway by the band room is mostly empty, but by some stupid luck Ruth is there. She must¡¯ve come to watch the concert. I tried to act like I didn¡¯t see her, but it turns out to be futile when she greets me with, ¡°Good evening, Anja.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Good concert. I enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to privately talk to you about something. Is now a good time?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± I say, trying to keep my irritation out of my voice and failing.


    ¡°Okay. When would be a good time, then? You''ve been cold with me since I joined the team and I want to get it resolved.¡±


    I don¡¯t even try this time. ¡°Well, gee. I wonder why that would be. HMMMMM.¡±


    ¡°Let''s please get to the point.¡±


    An ugly anger is starting to rise within me. ¡°Well, let''s see¡­ Oh yeah. I never quite got over how you abandoned me!¡±


    ¡°Abandoned you? What are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°Come off it!¡± I snap at her. ¡°You know how hard it''s been for me these past year? After we broke up, I had nobody for a long time. My only other friend left a note on my locker calling me a slur. And then I just got to be lonely for three whole years. Until the beginning of this year when I met Nova and Ashley.¡±


    ¡°But we mutually decided to break up. It wasn''t abandonment, we were just done dating.¡±


    ¡°But you never stuck up for me!¡±


    ¡°I was never around when you were being picked on. If I had been, I would''ve.¡±


    The first tear starts coming down my face, as I vividly picture the day we broke up. ¡°But then why did you tell that girl I wasn''t your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°We weren''t. We had just broken up.¡±


    ¡°But that''s not how everyone took it. You hung me out to dry!¡±


    ¡°That wasn''t my intention.¡±


    Her defensive attitude just makes me madder. ¡°You never checked on me!¡± I said, my voice getting louder than it honestly should.


    ¡°I thought you would need space.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t want to date anymore, but that doesn''t mean I never wanted to speak to you again!¡±


    ¡°You were free to reach out to me.¡±


    ¡°God damn it, Ruth!¡± I snap. ¡°I wasn''t going to do that when I thought you had turned your back on me!¡±


    ¡°Well... I should¡¯ve made myself more clear then.¡±


    I take a deep breath, and look at her face. A downcast expression is just now starting to form on her. Even though it seems like she actually just didn¡¯t know, I can¡¯t help but to remain  a little  mad at her.


    ¡°Ruth, I''m not rich or pretty or smart or talented at anything,¡± I say after a moment. ¡°I don''t have any worth to most people here. I don''t think you understand how bad it was after we were done.¡±


    "Anja... I''m sorry.¡± She tells me. After this, she suddenly gets more upset, her face scrunching up. Then, I¡¯m slightly alarmed to see her start yanking on her hair as she begins to tear up.


    ¡°...Ruth?¡± I ask uncertainly.


    Suddenly, from the end of the hallway, I hear Zoe¡¯s voice call, ¡°Hey Anja! Are you in here?¡±


    I turn to see a sight I¡¯d normally find amusing; Nova being dragged into the hallway by Zoe and Kat, each of whom have one of his arms.


    ¡°No, please stop. It''s okay,¡± Nova pleads, blushing and looking highly uncomfortable.


    ¡°Can it, wuss!¡± Kat jeers.


    ¡°Hey Anja!¡± Zoe says. ¡°I''m so glad I found you! Nova has to... tell you something. Oh... I''m sorry, is this¡­¡±


    She slows to a halt and awkwardly stands there, looking back and forth between Ruth and I with great concern.


    ¡°I better take off,¡± Ruth says quickly. ¡°I am sorry, Anja, and I''m going to reflect on this.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ alright then,¡± I say.


    ¡°Uh, we really shouldn''t be interrupting this,¡± Nova says. ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°No it''s okay, we were just done talking,¡± I tell him. ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°Uh, don''t worry. You look like you''re upset, so we should save it for later.¡±


    ¡°Don''t wriggle out of this, you little worm,¡± Kat mocks gleefully. ¡°Tell her!¡±


    ¡°Nova, I''m okay. You can talk to me,¡± I tell him.


    Nova blushes even harder and refuses to meet my eyes, instead staring intently at his feet. ¡°I, uh, do... sjjbsbdoabvdjchdbe¡±


    ¡°Use your words!¡± Kat says.


    ¡°Shut up, Kat. Okay¡­¡± Nova sharply inhales. ¡°Anjadoyouwanttogooutwithme.¡±


    I process what he said for a few seconds. Slowly, I feel a small little bubble of joy form inside me, and my mouth forms a smile. ¡°Well, yeah. I would like that a lot.¡±


    Nova looks dumbstruck. ¡°Wait, really?¡± He suddenly turns away and puts his hands in his pockets. ¡°I mean, not tonight. Cause you know, it''s late and we''re tired and¡­¡±


    ¡°How about Friday?¡± I suggest. ¡°We''ll celebrate being out for the break.¡±


    He nods, his eyes wide. ¡°Yeah, yeah. That... sounds good.¡±


    I give him a quick hug. ¡°Good night, Nova.¡±


    ¡°Uh, good night, Anja.¡± He¡¯s physically shaking from nervousness, but also manages to give me a smile before I leave him to Zoe and Kat¡¯s giggling and teasing.

 Chapter 75: His Mistake (December 19)

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <Ashley>


    Now that school is out for Christmas Break, it is a convenient time for me to finally check in with Lucy. As usual, I go to the Methodist church, and call Lucy while in the Metaverse with Ted present.


    I told her how we found out who owned the palace and cleared it out. She was particularly interested in the part about me transforming into the flame princess form, and pressed me for every small detail. Then, I explained how Ms. Truman fell ill and passed away shortly after confessing, and the alarming note I received right after that.


    ¡°Things have been slow since then,¡± I conclude. ¡°We have a faint idea about what that gothic mansion palace might be about, though. Zoe''s brother''s new boyfriend lives there, and seems to think that the landlord ¡®makes people disappear.¡¯ I haven''t mustered the will to look into it further, but I plan to after the break.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems as if we have multiple things going on at once now,¡± Lucy responds. ¡°But let¡¯s discuss the most important thing first. If you recall, I had encouraged you to go after these shady figures in hopes that you would inevitably come across the greater scheme going on. And you have now taken your first step in unraveling it.¡±


    ¡°The human trafficking company that Ms. Truman was involved with?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If it is the group I''m thinking of, they''ve been around for a long, long time. Their longevity is impressive... and suspicious.¡± Ted, who has been silently listening in, looks back towards me with a steely look.


    ¡°They must be able to hide more easily because of access to the Metaverse,¡± I speculate.


    ¡°Well, I''m sure that''s part of it. But I suspect that they have friends in high places who have been enticed to turn a blind eye.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. So it''s all coming together.¡±


    ¡°It is indeed. This is why you can''t trust the justice system, Ashley. With enough power, money and influence, you can get away with pretty much anything for a long, long time.¡±


    ¡°So, what specifically is going on here?¡±


    ¡°From what I can tell, it''s somewhat of a pyramid scheme. They draw people in who are interested in things of a more illicit nature. It can be drugs, a lot of money, hired hits on enemies, highly dangerous weapons not usually allowed for civilian use, or in your late teacher''s case, child exploitation. They give them the power to get what they want, to give them a taste. Once they get hooked on it, they''re forced to do the organization''s dirty work, which mostly consists of transporting ¡®goods¡¯ and keeping everything quiet.¡±


    ¡°So it''s like the dark web, if the dark web were also a cult.¡±


    ¡°Sort of. They get away with it through a combination of bribes, secrecy, and intimidation. Anyone who speaks out publicly against them is silenced¡­ as you learned first hand. In the past few years, their activity has become disturbingly prolific. The queen of the shadows draws her power from the suffering they cause, and I fear she may become too powerful to stop if things continue to progress as they have.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like Moloch. Drawing power from pain and misery.¡±


    ¡°She is nothing more than a branch of the same deadly plant.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see why you called her a ''seed'' now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ashley. I''m very thematically consistent, thank you for noticing.¡±


    There is a short pause before Ted speaks for the first time. "Been around these parts for a while, eh?"


    "Yes," I say, realizing what he''s thinking about. "Do you think it''s been around for... I dunno, 40 years?¡±


    "Maybe," Lucy answers. "What spurred the question?"


    Ted and I briefly summarize the story about his death.


    "Well, what do you know," Lucy comments when we''re finished. "Maybe that  was  some early version of our bad guys. Perhaps it truly was fate which brought him to you."


    ¡°Does this group have a name?" I ask. "Just calling them ''the organization'' is getting a little awkward."


    Ted growls lowly. "They call themselves ''La Murga.''"


    "Is that Spanish for something?" I wonder.


    "It don''t mean anything as far as I know," Ted answers. "That''d be a question for your priestess friend."


    My priestess friend...? Oh. He must mean Ruth.


    "I don¡¯t know of any meaning behind it either," Lucy admits. "I do know that this group operates across the western hemisphere, so it''s possible that it originated somewhere in Latin America."


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "There''s another thing bothering me," I say. "Ms. Truman said that the school already knew about her plans before she had made the blog post. We thought she was being stupid, but it was really rather clever, redirecting attention to someone else so they''d forget about it quickly.


    "Huh. You got me there," Lucy admitted. "I don''t know how they would''ve already known."


    "Perhaps someone in La Murga turned spy for us."


    "Possible. But doubtful. Moloch often monitors the thoughts of the people working for them to catch anyone with cold feet."


    "But he can''t do much to someone with a Persona. The most he could do to me was give me a bad dream. Someone else who has one could''ve hidden."


    "Goodness, Ashley. Their workers aren''t allowed to have Personas! They''re given special weapons in case they run into Persona users, but not allowed ones themselves. Remember the dark trooper? She relies on that weapon to attack. She''s only even given the green gem because she''s Moloch''s top soldier."


    Ah. I never connected the dots that they were something different. I suppose I never saw any ghostly apparitions around her, come to think of it.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s the one who left me that note,¡± I say. ¡°I saw some green sparks when it disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Then yes, that would be her. It¡¯s unusually kind of her to give you a warning instead of just wiping you out then and there. I take it you and your friends will not be intimidated?¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± I say. ¡°Making threats is how they¡¯ve gone on for so long. Somebody has to break the cycle.¡± I decide not to mention the insecurities and unease I¡¯ve felt about endangering Zoe. That¡¯s not Lucy¡¯s problem.


    "On that note," I say. "What about that apartment complex?


    "Go ahead and clear it out. It might be connected to La Murga, or it might not be. Either way, pruning evil is always worth the time."


    "Alright. We''ll get on that soon then. Bye."


    "Goodbye."


    I hang up the phone. Ted and I don¡¯t exchange many words after that, but there¡¯s a mutual understanding between us. At this point, the fight is personal for both of us. With that reality weighing on me, I head back home to finish packing for our Christmas break trip.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Anja and I¡¯s first date is nice, if a little understated. We decide to see Big Hero 6, because it''s still in theaters. Anja had already seen it, but I never got to. It was fun, I guess. Baymax was pretty funny.


    It¡¯s already dark when we get out. We get into the car, and Anja starts driving around while talking about the movie. She isn¡¯t going back to my place, so I don¡¯t know where we¡¯re headed¡­


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s a really important message for me,¡± she¡¯s saying. ¡°I¡¯ve had some¡­ hard times in my life. Like losing my mom. And those times can bring out the worst in you, or the best.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what?¡± I say, realizing that I had missed the last part of her rambling. ¡°You lost me somewhere there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about how in the movie, both the hero and the villain go through a huge trauma, losing someone close to them. But they process this grief in totally different ways. Hiro responds by using the gifts that Tadashi left him and becoming a¡­ well, hero. But Callahan lets his grief turn him into a murderous monster¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, true.¡± I get reminded of the conversation we had right after Ms. Truman died. And then I realize that I really don¡¯t want to be thinking about that, so I change the subject.


    ¡°Anja¡­ I just can¡¯t get over it. Why?¡±


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why do you like me, of all people? I honestly thought no girl would ever want to date me.¡±


    She laughs aloud. ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself. You¡¯re such a sweetheart. You¡¯re so dear to me, Nova.¡±


    There¡¯s a pause after this. I feel emotions well up inside me, which I can¡¯t make any sense of at first. I just feel overwhelmed.


    During this, she pulls into the parking lot of a local park. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone around.


    ¡°Hey¡­ do you want to sit with me in the backseat for a little bit?¡± Anja says softly. ¡°I¡¯m not quite ready to go home yet.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Sure.¡±


    We both go out the side doors and enter the backseat. I wonder vaguely why she¡¯s having us do this. After I sit down, she gets very close to me, her legs draped over mine, and her arms wrapped around me. She puts one hand on my head and starts gently patting me. She slowly kisses me on my cheek. The longer we sit there like that, the more overwhelming those emotions feel. Before too long, there are tears running down my face that I can¡¯t stop. She pulls her head back slightly from me, and looks into my eyes, her own wide. It¡¯s so dark that someone outside the car probably couldn¡¯t see us, but I still make out the brown in her eyes. It¡¯s like a¡­ I can¡¯t think of a pretentious metaphor. They¡¯re brown, and I love them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I tell her, sniffling. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she whispers.


    ¡°I have so many feelings right now. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. I feel like I should be happy. And I am happy. But I¡¯m also really sad. What¡¯s my problem? I''m dating a sexy gamer girl. Why am I sad?¡±


    She briefly smiles at my joke, before going back to looking serious. ¡°What¡¯s making you sad?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s like¡­ I feel you here, and I feel like there¡¯s something empty inside me. And it¡¯s so sad. I don¡¯t know. I think I¡¯m just retarded.¡±


    ¡°Nova,¡± she says firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You probably just aren¡¯t used to being this close to someone.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. True,¡± I say. ¡°Like, I never really got that emotional with my friends at my old school. My dad is always busy. Kat just¡­ isn¡¯t really like that. My mom¡­ well, you know.¡±


    ¡°If you never talked about feelings with your friends, what did you do when you got upset?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I just played video games until I forgot about it.¡±


    Anja purses her lips. ¡°Well, that means that all those feelings you had are bottled up. They''re only just now coming out.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I guess so.¡±


    ¡°You can always talk to me, Nova,¡± she says sweetly. ¡°Or just cry on me. Whatever you need.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I know,¡± I say, realizing something. ¡°You always just let me¡­ be myself, I guess. I think that¡¯s why I like you so much.¡±


    ¡°I kinda feel the same way,¡± she says. ¡°I feel so accepted around you. I don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re looking down on me for not being some perfect traditional girl. You know, it¡¯s rare to meet someone who knows how to look below the surface of someone. But I guess it¡¯s because maybe you and I don¡¯t really belong anywhere. I only really feel like I belong with you.¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to date some traditional girl?¡± I question. ¡°That sounds boring.¡±


    She smirks at me. ¡°Why would you indeed, Nova. Hey¡­ I have an idea. Do you want to go for a walk with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, sure.¡±


    ¡°I want to hear about some of the other feelings you might have, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I say. I don¡¯t feel sad anymore. I feel content now. She pulls me out of the car, and takes me by the hand as we walk through the dark, empty park. Although it¡¯s late, she doesn¡¯t seem tired yet. I wonder how long we¡¯re going to be out here?

 Chapter 76: Caught In The Web (December 21 Part 1)

    <Charlotte>


    Ah, the first day of Christmas Break. We really don¡¯t have any plans, so I¡¯m gonna take these two weeks to do things that make me happy and not have to worry about school. I¡¯m trying to motivate myself to draw something, but at the moment I¡¯m feeling discouraged. I feel like most of my drawings could be a lot better, and so trying to make the next one my best yet is a really daunting prospect. So I end up just curling up in my bean bag listening to music and spacing out.


    I¡¯m listening to an album called ¡°Tubular Bells¡± by Mike Oldfield. It¡¯s not exactly a normal album: it¡¯s more like a carefully produced work of modern classical music. It¡¯s forty five minutes of nearly uninterrupted sound; no track divisions, it just seamlessly transitions from one musical landscape to the next. There are (almost) no vocals, and it uses all sorts of weird musical instruments you don¡¯t hear in most music. I like to listen to this album when I have a slow day, because if you just put it on, and close your eyes and sit somewhere, it lets my soul leave my body and fly away. I see fantastical worlds of strange and eerie colors. With music like this, who even needs drugs?


    And I never would have even learned this album exists, had it not been for a girl I met at school once. She was a red-head who was really intense and stiff¡­ what was her name again? It started with an A. I think it was Abby? That sounds about right. Man, she has good taste in music.


    Around the time as the music takes its one and only pause (the silence in between part 1 and part 2), there¡¯s a sharp knocking on the door. I pause the music on my phone; I want to be able to enjoy the second part properly without people talking in the background, so I¡¯m going to wait to start it until they go away.


    The door opens, and my mom greets the visitor with, ¡°Oh, hello.¡±


    ¡°Well hiiii!¡± responds a female voice, who I recognize as being our landlady, Ms. Patel. ¡°How are y''all?¡±


    Mom sighs. ¡°Not the best, I''m afraid. I was fired from my job, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry. I know all about that already.¡±


    ¡°Y-you do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I was hoping to speak with you about that. Husband at work?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±


    ¡°I figured. May I step inside?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I hear the door closing. I¡¯m getting a somewhat ominous vibe from this, so I scooch a little closer to the door and listen in.


    There¡¯s a tense pause. Then, Ms. Patel says, ¡°I suppose you will have trouble making rent with you out of a job, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for another job,¡± Mom responds pleadingly. ¡°All we need is a little time.¡±


    ¡°The thing is, Faye... between you and me, it may be in your best interests to get you and your, um, daughter out of town.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well... you see, your actions have upset some people. Some people we¡¯d call¡­ unscrupulous. Given your¡­ unique talents, shall we say, I have a nasty feeling they will want some debts repaid.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mom says firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not working with them anymore. We¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Well, my worry is¡­ that they won¡¯t give you a chance. And I¡¯m also worried for your daughter. These people have no standards, and they may revel in the opportunity to fill a niche interest in their clientele.¡±


    ¡°Then you need to protect us!¡± Mom pleads. ¡°We tried to report what they¡¯re doing to the police, but we got blown off. You need to help us!¡±


    ¡°Honey, what am I supposed to do to help? I have no horse in this race.¡±


    ¡°Hire security! Connect us to a lawyer! Back up our story! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll listen to someone with more status than us.¡±


    Ms. Patel laughs coldly. ¡°I have no responsibility here. It is yours to keep yourself and your family safe. Which is why I came to warn you. Move away from the Austin metro area, somewhere where they won¡¯t track you. You¡¯ll have no issue finding work in your field. This could be a new beginning for you! I¡¯d consider trying the internet, it¡¯s all the rage these days.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your advice,¡± Mom says harshly. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to help, get the fuck out of my house.¡±


    ¡°It''s NOT your house, Faye. It''s mine. And I''m only warning you. Don''t shoot the messenger.¡± Ms. Patel sighs heavily. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I get for trying to help someone. Goodbye, Faye.¡±


    The door opens, and is slammed shut. The apartment is silent after that, other than the sound of my mom softly sobbing.


    <hr>


    <Collin>


    Now that we¡¯re done with school, I plan to visit Jason¡¯s a lot more, starting today. I have Kat come with me again so that it doesn¡¯t look suspicious. It¡¯s just so much easier to say I¡¯m hanging out with ¡°a few friends.¡± And, I know that Jason doesn¡¯t want to run into the hick guys again, but I get kinda bored of just lounging around the apartment all day. Jason decides to go take us to meet his best friend. Well, we kinda already met her last time when she saved us from the bullies. But like, formally this time.


    It¡¯s a pretty short walk to get there; she only lives on the other side of the row that he¡¯s in. Jason knocks on the door. It takes a while, but eventually she answers the door. Charlotte is wearing a pink sweater that wraps around her shoulders and a bright red skirt, which is oddly dressed up for someone who was just laying around the house doing nothing.


    ¡°Oh, hello there Jason!¡± she greets happily. ¡°And hello, you two strangers!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Charlotte,¡± Jason says. ¡°Is it okay if we visit? We were bored.¡±


    ¡°No problem! I sure wasn¡¯t doing anything.¡± Jason and Charlotte share a hug, and then the three of us step into the apartment.


    The apartment seems to be kept fairly clean. I don¡¯t see any parents or siblings around, but there is a take out bag from McDonalds sitting on the counter. Charlotte takes us to a sitting area just to the right of the door.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s it going Jason?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I''m fine, I guess,¡± Jason replies broodily.


    She doesn¡¯t respond to this. In fact, she¡¯s doing something odd; she¡¯s staring at me.


    ¡°Uh, hi?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I like your hair,¡± she says.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say uncertainly.


    ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡±


    She puts her hands on my head and starts messing with my hair. It would be weird, but you¡¯d be surprised how many random people at school want to touch my hair, so I¡¯m kinda used to it by now.


    ¡°It¡¯s so curly,¡± she comments. ¡°Do you have any siblings?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say. ¡°An older sister and two older brothers.¡±


    She takes her hands off my head and stares into space. ¡°Hmm¡­ Hrmm¡­¡±


    Her eyes turn to Kat. ¡°You look familiar too.¡±


    ¡°We just saw each other a few days ago," Kat retorts.


    "No, not from then. You remind me of someone."


    "Do you know my brother, Nova?"


    Charlotte''s eyes light up. "Yeah, that boy! From my speech class! Yeah, we did a project together one day."


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "Oh, so maybe you know my sister, Zoe!" I say.


    "Hmm... nope. I don''t know any Zoes."


    "Huh? Then why''d you ask if I had any siblings?"


    She tilts her head the other way. "There''s a girl who walks past the art room every day with hair just like yours..."


    "Yeah! That''s Zoe, dumbass!"


    "Collin!" Jason scolds. "Be nice to her!"


    "I think that''s like asking the sun not to shine," Kat comments snidely.


    Charlotte, far from being offended, starts laughing at our argument.


    ¡°So wait, you don¡¯t know anyone else in that friend group, then?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Charlotte says.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that, I only know her-¡± I point my thumb at Kat- ¡°because our siblings are friends. This bitch came up to me and was like, ¡®your sister and my brother are friends. I guess that means we should be friends too.¡¯ Pretty shitty logic if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    ¡°Well fuck you,¡± Kat hits back. ¡°You just looked so lonely, I felt bad for you.


    ¡°I got lots of friends!¡±


    ¡°You got lots of people who laugh at your stupid ass jokes. But can you truly call them friends?¡±


    ¡°God damn, asking the hard hitting questions today.¡±


    Charlotte laughs even harder. Next to me, Jason sighs, but I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s from relief or exacerbation.


    ¡°Wow, you too are so funny!¡± Charlotte finally says. ¡°Who are they, Jason?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes,¡± Jason says. ¡°Charlotte... this is Collin, my new boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Oooh! Stand next to each other!¡± Charlotte requests eagerly.


    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± I say.


    Jason and I stand right alongside each other. Charlotte smiles warmly at us, and tilts her head a few times, as if trying to see us from multiple angles. ¡°So cute!¡± she says.


    ¡°And, uh, that¡¯s Kat,¡± Jason finishes. ¡°She¡¯s a mutual friend of ours.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m their beard,¡± Kat explains.


    "Hey, you guys want some french fries?" Charlotte offers out of the blue. "I don''t think Mom ate hers."


    "I want french fries!" I say quickly.


    She grabs a bag of fries from the bag on the counter and hands it to me. I waste no time in shoving them in my mouth. I love the french fries from McDonald''s. They''re so salty!


    "Did your mom not feel like making lunch today?" Jason asks.


    "No, she''s been really down recently," Charlotte explains. "Ever since she got fired..."


    "What! No way!" Jason exclaims. "Why would she get fired?"


    "I don''t know," Charlotte says. "But... I''m worried we may have to move soon."


    "NO!" Jason shouts. In an instant, his composure has entirely changed, his face scrunching up with sadness. "Charlotte¡­ why?" He buries his face in his hands and starts crying.


    "You mean because you can''t pay rent?" Kat inquires. "Or are you being ¡®disappeared¡¯ by that Patel lady?"


    "Well, about that," Charlotte says, staring off into space again. "She came by this morning and talked to my mom. I didn''t really understand a lot of what they were saying, but she somehow knows that my mom was fired, and says that she needs to get out of town."


    ¡°What?¡± I say, swallowing the last french fry so fast that I almost gag on it. ¡°Bleauhcch! Uh, sorry. Why do you have to leave town, did she do something illegal?¡±


    ¡°I have no clue,¡± Charlotte says. ¡°All I could make out is that someone is mad at her, and they might somehow seek revenge.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I had no idea your life was a gangster movie,¡± Kat says, sounding clearly skeptical.


    Jason reaches out and buries himself into Charlotte, crying uncontrollably. ¡°You can¡¯t leave!¡± he sobs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, buddy,¡± Charlotte says soothingly, patting him on the back. ¡°Hey, if I have to leave, we¡¯ll keep in touch on Skype, okay? I promise.¡±


    Jason is utterly distraught by this. I feel bad for him, but I also really don¡¯t know what to do about it. After a while of trying to console him, we decide to go for a walk and let him try to talk his feelings through with us.


    ¡°Charlotte is my only friend in this complex," Jason says after we¡¯ve been walking for a while. ¡°We''re the only queer kids, so we had to stick together to survive. It''s gonna be so much worse around here without her¡­¡±


    ¡°We''ll try and come visit a lot,¡± Kat promises. ¡°We¡¯re still here for you, Jason.¡±


    ¡°God, this reminds me of when Zoe had to move out,¡± I say. ¡°Things have been pretty shit at my house since then¡­¡±


    Kat sighs wistfully. ¡°Sometimes, people have to move. Nova and I had to mostly start over when we came here. I was NOT looking forward to going back to mom, though. Thank god that fell through at the last minute.¡±


    ¡°Ah, your parents are split?¡± Jason asks, wiping a tear from his eye.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Kat confirms.


    Jason smiles weakly, finally seeming to calm down a little bit. ¡°I''m glad I still have you guys, at least.¡± He hugs both of us at once, wrapping one arm around each of our waists.


    We¡¯re on the opposite side of the complex now, away from where Jason and Charlotte¡¯s apartments are. We mostly have privacy, but I notice someone nearby: a girl who looks to be somewhat younger than us. She¡¯s a white girl with her brown hair tied into two buns in the back of her head parallel to two hair loopies in the front.


    ¡°Oh, hey Bella,¡± Jason says when he sees her. I assume this must be another one of his child friends.


    ¡°Hi Jason,¡± she greets.


    ¡°Who''s this bitch?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Charlie''s older sister,¡± Jason explains.


    ¡°Oh yeah, that cowardly little shit from last time,¡± I say, remembering.


    ¡°What are you doing out here, Bella?¡± Jason asks.


    ¡°Mommy and Daddy are mad again,¡± she says. ¡°Charlie''s been bad.¡±


    Now that she says this, I can clearly hear raised voices coming from the apartment next to us.


    ¡°God, I hate it when parents get like that,¡± I say. ¡°Like jeez, just chill the fuck out.¡±


    ¡°You say a lot of bad words,¡± Bella comments innocently.


    ¡°Yeah, and?¡± I say.


    There¡¯s an awkward pause. I turn to Jason and Kat, to see both of them spacing out with pained, distant looks on their faces.


    ¡°Uh, you two good?¡± I ask. I grab Jason¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Huh? Oh yeah. Sorry,¡± Jason says, jolting back to awareness.


    ¡°Well, they seem almost as nice as my mother,¡± Kat comments.


    ¡°They don''t like Charlie. They want to give him away,¡± Bella comments.


    I frown at this. ¡°What? Give him away? That¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°He was going to be taken to live with a lady in town,¡± Bella explains. ¡°But they had to leave him when she died.¡±


    ¡°Poor kid,¡± Jason croons, tears starting to roll down his face again. ¡°Not wanted by his own family!¡±


    ¡°Ah, damn it! This was supposed to be helping him feel better!¡± I say in exasperation. ¡°Let''s just go back to the apartment.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry I''m¡­ sniff¡­ so emotional,¡± Jason says in between sobs. ¡°My parents are split, just like Kat''s. And it happened because¡­ because¡­ my dad was hitting my mom and cheating on her.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a real scumbug,¡± I say.


    ¡°My dad was always ashamed of me,¡± Jason continues, his voice rising higher and higher into a whine. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the son he wanted. And he always told me that. He would hit me, and call me bad words. He likes my step siblings much more¡­¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re better off without him, then,¡± Kat says. ¡°Some people don¡¯t deserve to have opinions, Jason. Forget about your dad.¡±


    This doesn¡¯t really make him feel better, though. Jason collapses back into tears, and is pretty much unintelligible while we walk him back to his apartment. I honestly feel really bad for him. The more we walk, the more I get angry at his dad, and at the stupid landlady, and at the hick bullies, and at the parents of that Charlie kid, and at¡­ my parents! It builds up inside of me until I burst when we¡¯re almost back, and I start ranting.


    ¡°Nothing you can ever do is good enough for him, huh?¡± I begin. ¡°Yeah, I think I know how that is. My parents, I feel like they¡¯re always just waiting for me to slip up. I never told them about you, Jason, or being gay, but I think they already know on some level that something¡¯s ¡®wrong¡¯ with me. That I¡¯m not a ¡®real man¡¯ in their eyes.¡± I scoff.


    ¡°That¡¯s what he¡¯d always tell me too,¡± Jason says, slumping along and looking sadly at the ground. ¡°That I¡¯m not man enough¡­ because I don¡¯t like sports, I¡¯m not tall enough, I¡¯m not strong enough, I¡¯m sensitive and cry a lot¡­¡± He puts his head in his hands. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to be a man? I just feel this repulsion to it now. I wish a lot that I wasn¡¯t one!¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, for me, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like being a guy,¡± I explain. ¡°You can be a guy and be gay, and not be interested in that stuff. It¡¯s just this shitty complex that older people have. Everyone in society has to be one personality type. It¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°Well, if the only male figure in your life is that,¡± Kat observes, ¡°I guess that kinda explains why you grow your hair all long and dress like a girl.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t dress like a girl,¡± I argue. ¡°He¡¯s just stylish.¡±


    ¡°Collin, how many guys do you know who wear cardigans?¡±


    ¡°Who cares?¡± I say defiantly. ¡°Women get to hog all the good shit. Guys just get to wear the same suit over and over again. It¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°Collin, are you saying that you want to dress like a girl too?¡± Kat asks teasingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I want the option to. If I feel like it,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯re in America, the land of the free, Kat! We should all wear whatever the fuck we want!¡±


    ¡°Well, you got a point there,¡± Kat concurs, grinning.


    ¡°You know¡­ I didn¡¯t tell you this about her before,¡± Jason explains, ¡°but Charlotte? The one you met today? She was born as a guy. She only looks like a girl now because she took a bunch of hormones and stuff from the doctor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was wondering how she was so tall!¡± Kat says. ¡°I was like, damn girl! Do you have giant blood or something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it doesn¡¯t change your bones much, unfortunately,¡± Jason says. ¡°We¡¯ve talked a lot about that transitioning process, and¡­ it¡¯s not like I think I¡¯m a girl, like she is. I¡¯m still like, guy-adjacent, if that makes any sense. I just¡­ really, really hate having all of that pushed onto me. I¡¯m so sick of it. I just want to be myself.¡±


    ¡°Well you do that, Jason!¡± I say defiantly. ¡°Fuck all them haters!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Collin,¡± he says, finally smiling a little again. ¡°Man¡­ this Christmas break has sucked so far. But¡­ thanks for being here for me, guys. It means a lot.¡±


    We go back inside, and the rest of the day goes about the same as last time; dumb YouTube videos. Man, poor Jason though. And something¡¯s not right about that other family living here. Still, I don¡¯t really worry about it. I just hope Zoe¡¯s having a better break than me.

 Chapter 77: When It Rains (December 21 Part 2)

    <div>


    <Zoe>


    We leave early in the morning for our flight. We get to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at around 7 AM. It¡¯s raining a bit; we walk underneath cover to the baggage check.


    Being as early as it is, the airport isn¡¯t too busy yet. When we get inside, Ashley¡¯s dad turns to me and asks, ¡°Zoe, I should¡¯ve asked earlier. Have you ever gone through an airport before? It¡¯s quite a process.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have. Lots of times,¡± I say. ¡°We went on trips a lot.¡±


    ¡°Then this should go pretty smoothly,¡± her dad says. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Ashley¡¯s parents are both fairly energetic this morning. They got us going at around 5 to wake up, get breakfast and load up the car. Thankfully the drive to the airport is not too far, so we are making decent time. We are all dressed for the cool weather. I¡¯m wearing my favorite sweater, a white and lacy one I got for Christmas last year. Ashley is wearing a pale pink hoodie with  Blue Devils  written on the front, and a strange little  B  symbol over her back right shoulder. Ashley and I both took a medium-sized suitcase containing clothes and toiletries. Ashley also took her french horn and all of her all-region music. I didn¡¯t bring any instruments; I figured I can just air finger scales or something.


    Before too long, we are through security, and waiting in the terminal to board our flight. Neither Ashley or I are very talkative. I¡¯m listening to music on the music player that Anja got me. Ashley is humming something that sounds horribly like her region music. She really never gives it a rest¡­


    We¡¯re boarding our flight shortly after. When we get to ours, Ashley¡¯s dad turns to Ashley and offers, ¡°Here, I¡¯ll get that for you.¡± She hands him her french horn, and he carefully sets it into the overhead compartment.


    ¡°How about you two sit together in another row?¡± Ashley¡¯s mom offers us. ¡°There¡¯s only three in a row, and we would never want to break you two up.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Ashley agrees.


    I sit in the window seat, and Ashley takes the middle seat. I look out the window and watch the rain roll down the side of the plane.


    ¡°Are you going to try and sleep a little on the plane?¡± she asks. ¡°We¡¯ll have a few hours.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say. ¡°I can never sleep unless I¡¯m in a bed. I guess I¡¯m sort of a diva.¡±


    ¡°Are you nervous about meeting my family?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Not too much,¡± I say. ¡°Are they nice?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re weird,¡± she says. ¡°But you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    There are a few beeping sounds from overhead, and then a voice comes from the speakers. ¡°Good morning, Austin. It¡¯s a mild morning, about 62 degrees and clear skies. We¡¯ll be departing for Sacramento in about five minutes. If this is your first time flying, here¡¯s a rundown of the safety procedures¡­¡±


    I stop listening here, and instead start skipping through songs on the music player. Nothing really feels right today, for some reason. Finally, I find one which I like, and I put my head back and listen with my eyes closed.


    <hr>


    We touch down after several hours. After getting our bags, we¡¯re picked up from the airport by Ashley¡¯s aunt and uncle.


    I¡¯m taken aback when her Uncle Carl comes up to me, and leans down a few inches to my height. He has dirty blonde hair that is cut very short, like a buzz cut, a tall nose, a few freckles, and blue eyes that seem to twinkle behind his glasses. He¡¯s looking at me with an intense, serious expression. He says, ¡°What are you doing with my niece? Did you teach her this unnatural behavior?¡±


    For a moment, I just stand there stupidly, totally shocked. I tug at the sleeve of my sweater nervously. I thought Ashley said it¡¯d be fine¡­ I wasn¡¯t prepared for this!


    But then, his face suddenly relaxes, a huge smile spreading across it. He begins laughing heartily. ¡°Ohoh, she thought I was being serious! I am merely joking. Welcome to our family, Zoe!¡±


    I laugh nervously too, unsure what to think of this.


    Back at the car, Ashley¡¯s Aunt Layla is looking straight at me. ¡°Greggory¡­ I hate to be the one to break this news to you,¡± she says, her voice deep and having a rough-sounding accent. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid your wife is cheating on you with a man who has curly blonde hair.¡± She looks pretty similar to Ashley¡¯s dad; same hazel eyes and nose. She¡¯s even wearing glasses just like her husband and brother, although she also has sunglasses on over them. Her straight brown hair is all neatly swept back behind her head, held in place by a blue hair clip.


    ¡°That¡¯s very funny, Layla,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad says flatly. ¡°Good joke.¡±


    Soon, we load our luggage into the trunk of their black minivan, and Ashley and I sit in the very back. While Ashley has two cousins, neither of them came with, so I suppose I¡¯ll be meeting them when we get there. The house is about a two-hour drive from the airport. I watch the rain pour down the windshield as we drive. For the beginning of the trip, I listen to what the adults are talking about.


    ¡°So, Republicans won big in Congress in 2014, eh?¡± Uncle Carl says. ¡°Have any hopes? Or any fears?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve stopped caring at this point,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says bitterly. ¡°They won big in 2010, and our deficits still just keep getting higher. It¡¯s all a scam.¡±


    ¡°If they want to keep deficits down,¡± Aunt Layla observes, ¡°why keep cutting taxes for the rich? It is a contradiction.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve been stupid about this,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad comments. ¡°It¡¯s like John B. Anderson said. You can not balance the budget, raise military spending, and cut taxes for the rich all at once. It¡¯s a fairy tale. Forty years later and we still have yet to learn that lesson.¡±


    ¡°I really wish Ron Paul had won,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says. ¡°Or Gary Johnson. They were the only ones who could put their money where their mouth is.¡±


    ¡°Ah, those crackpots?¡± jeers Uncle Carl, laughing. ¡°They¡¯ll cut money from our social security. Not to mention allow abortions and marijuana to be legal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that over bankrupting us so we can bomb hospitals and schools halfway across the world,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad rebuts harshly.


    ¡°Marijuana should be a state''s rights issue anyway,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom adds. ¡°They oughtta just repeal the federal ban on it and let states make their own if they want.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m tired of the constant fear mongering about immigrants and refugees,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad continues. ¡°I say, anyone who wants to work for a better life, let them come.¡±


    ¡°But American citizens need to work too,¡± Aunt Layla counters. ¡°And there are only so many jobs.¡±


    ¡°Most Americans don¡¯t want to work manual labor, though,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says. ¡°We¡¯re all too cushy and spoiled. We need more hard workers!¡±


    ¡°Ah, and yet you two work as musicians!¡± Uncle Carl says, laughing.


    ¡°Freelance music is very hard work,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad says defensively.


    ¡°I know. I have to joke, I have to,¡± Uncle Carl says. ¡°You know we respect what you do.¡±


    ¡°It sounds as if you two are ready to go third party,¡± Aunt Layla says mockingly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see who gets nominated in 2016,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll learn our lesson and pick someone decent.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I haven¡¯t been tempted by a third party in a long time,¡± Uncle Carl says nostalgically. ¡°Not since old Ross Perot¡­ they don¡¯t make ¡®em like that anymore.¡±


    Ashley is quiet throughout the trip, seemingly not having any interest in weighing in. I lose track of the conversation and entertain myself by watching the scenery we drive past. We pass through a small city named ¡°Davis,¡± and I jokingly ask if it was named after one of their ancestors. I try to keep track of which businesses I recognize and which ones don¡¯t look familiar. Surprisingly, we pass by a Texas Roadhouse. I thought that it was a Texas chain because, you know, the name has ¡°Texas¡± in it. In the city of ¡°Vallejo,¡± we pass by a Six Flags. We¡¯re supposed to go to the one in Dallas in spring for a band trip. We then cross the Napa River and drive along the San Pablo Bay. There are so many Spanish names here, which I think is because California used to be a part of Mexico. I guess that¡¯s something it has in common with Texas. I even see signs for a city named ¡°San Antonio,¡± the same name as a really big city not far from where we live.


    We arrive at their house in Santa Rosa. The house is fairly small like Ashley¡¯s, only being one story. The yard has a few well-trimmed bushes and a couple of small trees. Inside the house, I get to meet Ashley¡¯s cousins. They both have dirty blonde hair like their father and glasses like everyone else. The older cousin, Erin, is about the same age as us. She has facial features and eyes like her mother¡¯s, and her hair is straight and about medium length. The younger cousin, Finn, takes more after his father with his features. His hair is short but fluffy, his eyes are hazel like his sister¡¯s but have that sparkle their dad¡¯s has, and he has bandage over his left cheek.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Hi Ashley. Hi other girl,¡± Erin greets us. She doesn¡¯t seem the most friendly, giving us a very halfhearted wave and not showing any excitement.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Zoe,¡± I greet. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you! You must be Erin.¡±


    ¡°Where did you come from?¡± Finn asks curiously. ¡°I thought Ashley was the only cousin.¡±


    ¡°Were you not paying attention to Mom and Dad?¡± Erin questions angrily. ¡°They explained everything already.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t really make any sense,¡± Finn said. ¡°Why is she here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not our problem that you¡¯re too stupid to understand a basic explanation!¡± Erin bites at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to ask questions, Erin!¡± he argues, pushing her. Erin retaliates by punching him in the ribs, and just like that, they¡¯re in a full blown fight.


    ¡°HEY!¡± Aunt Layla yells. ¡°KNOCK IT OFF!¡± She quickly marches to them and pulls them apart. ¡°Enough fighting! We have company here for God¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°Can I take Zoe to my room?¡± Erin asks. ¡° He¡¯s  just going to annoy her. And me, come to think of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, she just got here,¡± Aunt Layla responds. ¡°Do you want to traumatize her so soon?¡± Uncle Carl laughs from across the room.


    ¡°I want to go with Erin,¡± Ashley says quickly. ¡°Come on, Zoe.¡± Ashley grabs my hand, seeming eager to get away from the rest of the family.


    Erin leads us to her room, which is a short walk from the living room and down a hallway. She opens her door, and I only have a few seconds to take in the absolute pigsty Erin has for a room, before I scream and nearly faint at what¡¯s sitting on her dresser; a large, disgusting cockroach!


    ¡°You probably should have warned her,¡± Ashley says to Erin.


    ¡°Everything okay back there?¡± Ashley¡¯s mom calls from the other room.


    ¡°THERE¡¯S A BUG!¡± I cry.


    ¡°Oh, be quiet!¡± Erin berates me. ¡°She¡¯s supposed to be there!¡±


    After looking closer, I notice that this cockroach is in a small mesh cage.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say. ¡°I panicked¡­¡±


    Erin shoots me a dirty look, like I disrespected her cockroach, and then closes the door behind us. She pushes a bunch of clothes that were on her bed onto the floor and then sits on one end, motioning for Ashley and I to sit next to her. I sit down cautiously, looking around to make sure there aren¡¯t any more bugs in here.


    ¡°Her name is Ophelia,¡± Erin explains. ¡°I caught her about an hour ago, and I¡¯m trying to find a bigger thing to put her in so I can study her.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to feed¡­ her?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°Well, they eat basically everything,¡± Erin says. ¡°That¡¯s the easy part. They eat human food¡­ paper¡­ dead bodies of other insects¡­ skin flakes¡­¡±


    I space out as she continues to say facts about cockroaches, and I watch the thing in its cage with a fascinated disgust. It seems to look right at me, and it sits there wiggling its antennae back and forth. It reminds me of a time when I was young when we went down to Rockport, Texas for a vacation, and stayed in a home where cockroaches were everywhere. They kept getting into my room, and I eventually gave up on sleeping there and tried to hide in the living room. Just the memory of finding a cockroach on my bed makes me grip my sweater tight to steady myself. My brothers just told me to ¡°get over it,¡± but I really never did. As bad as this memory was, I then start thinking about Ms. Truman¡¯s giant insect form, and how we fought it in that forest, and¡­


    ¡°Erin, cut it out already!¡± Ashley cuts across her suddenly. ¡°Zoe looks like she¡¯s about to be sick. I don¡¯t think she likes bugs very much.¡±


    ¡°N-no, not really,¡± I admit.


    Erin sighs sadly. ¡°No girl ever does.¡±


    ¡°Zoe¡­ let me give you a little context,¡± Ashley says helpfully. ¡°My aunt and uncle, similar to my parents, are a little all over the board when it comes to political beliefs. But one thing they totally side with Republicans on is the issue of abortion. They take the view that starting when the sperm fertilizes the egg, that counts as a full human life, and terminating the pregnancy is the same as murder. Erin here decided to apply that same reasoning to non-human creatures. If a tiny little clump of cells is a full human life, why not also fight for the lives of bugs?¡±


    ¡°What, do you think I''m wrong?¡± Erin challenges.


    ¡°Yes. Firstly, I don''t agree with the thesis of the so-called ¡®pro-life¡¯ argument to begin with. I think it is dangerous to give the government authority over things that are within your own body. Would you be okay with feds coming in and taking out your organs? Second, it is unenforceable, especially when you extend that to non-human life. Are you going to put everyone who steps on an ant on trial for manslaughter? You think that mass incarceration is bad now, just wait for Erin to get in charge of things.¡±


    Erin snorts disdainfully. ¡°Oh, come on Ashley! Have I ever said I want to chuck everyone in prison? I just think that it should be a much bigger deal. We should care about what happens to animals, didn''t God create all of them too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, He did,¡± I say. ¡°She¡¯s got a point there.¡± Erin smiles at me.


    ¡°I''m just saying, you''re taking the idea to a ridiculous extreme,¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°I think it''s sad that you think it''s ¡®extreme¡¯ to protect life!¡± Erin sasses.


    ¡°It is when you apply the concept to tiny clumps of cells.¡±


    ¡°It''s still a human life! Isn''t there inherently something worth protecting?¡±


    ¡°Well, why stop at fertilized eggs then? The sperm cell is already a ¡®human life.¡¯ Why not round up every teenage boy shooting loads into his sock?¡±


    ¡°Ew! Ashley!¡±


    ¡°I''m just saying.¡±


    ¡°Stop making me sound insane. I don''t care about people jerking off! That''s different, it''s not a human life yet.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I ask, feeling lost about where the conservation went.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about abortion,¡± Ashley says. ¡°It¡¯s when a wo-¡±


    ¡°No no no,¡± I say. ¡°I know what that is, my parents always talked about it. What¡¯s this about ¡®shooting loads¡¯ and ¡®jerking off?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Those are slang terms for masturbation,¡± Ashley says simply.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I say, feeling nervous.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s this gross thing men do when they don''t have a girlfriend,¡± Erin says with a sneer. ¡°The less said, the better.¡±


    ¡°Well, women do it too,¡± Ashley adds. ¡°Sort of. It''s different for us.¡±


    ¡°I don''t,¡± Erin says.


    Ashley looks at her skeptically. ¡°Really? You don''t have to hide anything, I''m not afraid to admit I do it sometimes.¡±


    Erin covers her face with her hands. ¡°Ew, Ashley! I didn''t wanna know.¡±


    My eyes pop wide open. ¡°Wait... Ashley,  you  do that?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Zoe,¡± Ashley says defensively. ¡°I know your parents are fundamentalist wackos, but do you mean to tell me they never even gave you the sex talk?¡±


    ¡°Well, I know some things,¡± I say, trying and probably failing to not seem stupid. ¡°They show us those videos at school sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Well, those don''t tell you nearly everything you need to know. Zoe, what do you think ¡®sex¡¯ is? No judgment.¡±


    ¡°Um... it''s something men and women do to make a baby.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what specifically do you do? What''s the process?¡±


    ¡°I''m not... totally... sure?¡±


    Ashley nods at me. ¡°Well, here''s what it is.¡± She describes it.


    ¡°Blech!¡± Erin spits.


    I try to picture this in my head. ¡°Oh... people just, do that? That''s really weird.¡±


    ¡°Well Zoe, I know how you feel. You and I aren¡¯t attracted to men, are we? So nothing about that really seems appealing. Us lesbians have our own ways of doing things. They won¡¯t get anyone pregnant, but they still feel really awesome.¡±


    Erin grumbles under her breath. ¡°Look, sorry I grossed out your girlfriend with the cockroach thing. You can cut it out now, you¡¯ve had your revenge.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. We don¡¯t have to talk about this right now,¡± Ashley says. ¡°But it is important for Zoe to learn about. It''s part of growing older and becoming an adult.¡±


    ¡°Well, not for us,¡± Erin says. ¡°You said it yourself, if you¡¯re not attracted to men¡­¡±


    She stops suddenly mid sentence, looking scared. ¡°Um¡­ here, let me move this¡­¡± she hastily picks up Ophelia the cockroach and moves her to another part of the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re including yourself in that?¡± Ashley asks. ¡°This is news to me.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ well¡­¡± she stammers nervously.


    ¡°Anything you want to share, it won¡¯t leave this room,¡± Ashley says seriously. ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ look,¡± Erin says. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like what you guys have. Well, I don¡¯t know, maybe. I¡¯ve just always found sex stuff kinda gross, and I don¡¯t get why everyone else is so obsessed with it now.¡±


    ¡°This isn''t a ¡®sin¡¯ thing for you, is it?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°We''re always told as Christian girls, ¡®don''t have sex, don''t think about it, don''t talk about, just be perfect pure little angels forever,¡¯ It''s psychotic.¡±


    ¡°Ashley, I''m not putting on some act to be holier-than-thou here, I promise. I really do just find that stuff gross. I mean, I assume that for  you guys, you still have those¡­ urges, just for girls. Right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Ashley states.


    ¡°Um¡­ you don''t think we are dishonoring God by talking about this stuff, right?¡± I ask timidly.


    ¡°No, Zoe,¡± Ashley says exasperatedly. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s just a part of life. Although Saint Paul is probably rolling in his grave right now.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d be proud of  me , though!¡± Erin says, smirking.


    It feels warm in Erin¡¯s room, so I take off my sweater and put it carefully on her dresser. I¡¯m reminded of our sleepover, when Diana wanted to talk about boys, but suddenly started acting guilty, and then Yonca went on that rant about¡­ uh, something about women being forced to wear certain clothing? And I realized¡­ a lot of things, but one of those was that I never really got a chance to think about how I feel about things sexually. Wow¡­ just thinking the word ¡°sexually¡± feels a little bit dirty.


    ¡°Why do they try to make girls feel like we can''t talk about any of this stuff?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just girls, although we definitely get it the worst,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Older people just have this idea in their heads that sex is inherently evil and that all children should be raised to suppress their feelings about it. Despite the fact that the adults also have those feelings and once upon a time they were crazy, horny teenagers too, and our parents had to do it for us to be born.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Ashley,¡± Erin says. ¡°I think they just don''t want us going out and getting pregnant and having to drop out of high school. They got really crazy when they were younger, and they don¡¯t want us to repeat those mistakes. Not like that''s a concern with any of us. I bet your parents were secretly a little relieved when they found out about Zoe.¡±


    ¡°Well obviously you gotta be smart about it,¡± Ashley responds. ¡°But that¡¯s no reason to go so far with it. Zoe and I have a friend named Anja who¡¯s very outspoken about her sexuality, and she''s not pregnant. Because she''s not a dumbass, she knows how to handle herself. So come on, you gotta admit the whole thought police thing is really excessive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ashley,¡± Erin says, shrugging. ¡°You do you, it¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    I sift through all that they¡¯ve talked about in my head. I guess they have a good point that Ashley and I have no chance of becoming pregnant. But if that¡¯s the reason why we¡¯re discouraged from thinking about sexual stuff, then being mad at us for being gay makes even less sense. That can¡¯t be all there is to it. Ashley just keeps writing it off as an ¡°old people¡± problem, but how did this even start?


    ¡°Oh, Ashley? Remember Kimmie from church camp?¡± Erin says, breaking the silence. ¡°She just came out as ¡®bisexual¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That... doesn''t surprise me too much, actually,¡± Ashley replies dryly. ¡°How''d Tasha take it?¡±


    ¡°Better than I thought she would,¡± Erin says. Ashley grunts under her breath bitterly.


    ¡°I don''t think anyone would date me whatever my sexuality was,¡± Erin continues, sighing wistfully. ¡°Nobody understands my fascination for bugs.¡±


    ¡°Awh. I hope someday you meet someone perfect for you, Erin!¡± I say encouragingly.


    Erin smiles at me. ¡°Thank you, Zoe. You know, Ashley, I like her. You chose well.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± Ashley responds plainly. She stands up from the bed, adjusting her Blue Devils jacket. ¡°I think I am going to get my practice in before it gets too late.¡±


    ¡°You sure love playing that french horn or whatever, don¡¯t you?¡± Erin teases.


    ¡°I have all-area auditions after the break,¡± Ashley says matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Aren''t you tired from flying, Ashley?¡± I say, disappointed that she¡¯s already leaving.


    ¡°I''m fine. I don¡¯t want to skip a day,¡± Ashley says, walking to the door. ¡°If you''ll excuse me.¡±


    She leaves the room, and goes wherever she put her horn after getting here. I feel inexplicably lonely and sad now that she¡¯s gone. I lay down on Erin¡¯s bed on my front and stare out the window, where the rain is now coming down even harder than it has all day.

 Chapter 78: Storge And Eros, Part 1 (December 25 Part 1)

    <Nova>


    Depressingly, my dad has to go to work on Christmas Day. This would normally make for a very boring day for me, but Anja came to my rescue. I¡¯ll be spending the day with her family at Lily¡¯s house in New Braunfels instead, and then at around 7 PM she¡¯s going to drive me back so I can meet Dad when he gets home and spend the rest of the evening with him and Kat.


    Anja¡¯s dad is apparently interested in meeting her new boyfriend. I feel like the stereotypical dad thing is to Jack Bauer interrogate the new boyfriend, but he goes really easy on me. Just asks me what kinda stuff I¡¯m interested in and how Anja and I met. Lily declared confidently that introducing me to her was the worst decision she¡¯s ever made in her life. Anja and Lily¡¯s grandparents give him the good word about me, saying that I¡¯d been a good influence on Lily. Apparently.


    Later in the day, Lily insists on taking Anja and I out to the backyard. Stepping onto the back patio brings back memories. It¡¯s hard to believe it was only a year and a half ago that we came back here to play video games. I can¡¯t believe that broken down hot tub is still sitting there. I¡¯m pretty sure nobody uses it. I guess it¡¯s hard for stuff to get done when the only people who live at the house are two old people and Lily. Anyways, she doesn¡¯t want to sit on the porch today. She takes us behind the porch, past a rusty old grill, and around an area which sometimes has an above-ground pool, but currently is just a bunch of mud.


    In the back corner of the yard is a small sitting area that is behind some unkempt shrubs. There¡¯s a rusty metal chair, and a tiny Fisher Price plastic table, the kind that little kids would use for picnics. Lily sits down in the metal chair, saying, ¡°You guys can take the table, my fat ass would probably break that thing.¡±


    ¡°Such hospitality,¡± Anja remarks sarcastically. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just use the porch? The chairs there were, you know, adult sized.¡±


    ¡°Nobody will hear us back here,¡± Lily reasons. ¡°And what I¡¯m going to tell you needs to stay between us.¡±


    ¡°And what is it this time?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°A dangerous threat. One sitting right in your city.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Just like last time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And guess what, bitch, I was right last time. That pedo teacher was real, wasn¡¯t she? So I don¡¯t want to hear any shit from you, Anja. I¡¯m really trying to help you guys out.¡±


    Oh shit, is what she¡¯s going to tell us about¡­ the other side? I, uh, never told Anja and that told Lily about that. I hope she isn¡¯t mad at me.


    ¡°Well, given that it¡¯s Christmas Day, I was hoping we could¡­ you know, have a good time today,¡± Anja says, sounding a bit irritated.


    ¡°Well, when else am I supposed to talk to you guys about this?¡±


    ¡°You could tell us whatever it is on Skype tomorrow,¡± I suggest, trying to be helpful.


    ¡°Dude, do you really think the government isn¡¯t reading all of our Skype conversations?¡± Lily retorts. ¡°This is the only way.¡±


    ¡°The government reads our Skype conversations?¡± I ask, shocked. I look at Anja nervously. ¡°Are they¡­ you know, looking at the pictures we send to each other too?¡±


    ¡°...Why do you ask?¡± Lily asks suspiciously.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not reading our Skype conversations, Nova¡± Anja interrupts, sighing. ¡°But how about we just get this over with anyway. I know she¡¯s not going to drop it. And to be fair, she was right about the last one.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Lily says triumphantly.


    ¡°Is this¡­ um¡­ about what we talked about?¡± I ask nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s related,¡± Lily says. ¡°You said that the pedo teacher was connected to some larger organization who silenced her when she tried to speak out. I think I have a clue as to who that may be.¡±


    She gets out her phone and starts looking for something on it. ¡°I found something on 4chan which I think you¡¯ll find very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Ew, 4chan?¡± I question. ¡°That site with all the incels and nazis on it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just that,¡± Lily says. ¡°I personally frequent /x/, the paranormal board. And while it leads to a lot of degeneracy, the site¡¯s hands-off nature means that sometimes leaks can be posted here without being covered up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hardly consider it a reliable source of information, though,¡± Anja says. ¡°When literally anyone can post anything anonymously, there¡¯s no way to verify the validity of the claim. I¡¯d expect about 97% of what¡¯s on there to be completely made up to troll people.¡±


    ¡°True. But there¡¯s always that other 3%,¡± Lily reasons. ¡°And from what I can tell this one seems legit.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Alright. Hit us with it then,¡± Anja says.


    ¡°It¡¯s a story from someone who used to live in an apartment complex in your city,¡± Lily explains. ¡°He says that he suffers from insomnia, and sometimes would notice suspicious people in the complex late at night. They would come by and knock on people¡¯s doors. He thought they were just common drug dealers, until he realized that everyone they visited had some commonalities. All of them were the apartments of families, for one. If they were selling drugs, wouldn¡¯t they be mostly selling to single people? And on top of that, the guy knew one of the families they visited. He says they had been struggling to pay rent, and had even been given an eviction notice. Then, he saw the night men visit the place, and they never actually had to move out. When he asked them about it later, they just gave some bullshit answer about the strange man being a salesman. He got so creeped out that he decided to move out of the place and share his story on the internet.¡±


    ¡°Uh, wow, that¡¯s pretty weird,¡± I say. ¡°So if they didn¡¯t move out after that, the ¡®night men¡¯ must have been giving them money.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Lily says. ¡°But nobody just hands out money for free. They were getting something in return.¡±


    ¡°Most likely, they were pimps,¡± Anja reasons. ¡°You know, people who try and get young women to sell their bodies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re close,¡± Lily says. ¡°But, think about it. Why would they only visit the houses of families then? He didn¡¯t say anything about the night men visiting attractive young women.¡±


    Anja sighs. ¡°Ah, I see. So that¡¯s how you think it¡¯s connected to Ms. Truman?¡±


    ¡°Oh god!¡± I say, the realization hitting me like a semi truck. ¡°No! No way!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really shitty, I agree,¡± Lily replies calmly. ¡°But, we already know stuff like that¡¯s happening around the state.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Anja says. ¡°I saw on the news that human trafficking has been a huge problem here.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ are you saying¡­ they were giving away their children?¡± I ask. I¡¯m surprised to find myself crying, although I¡¯m honestly not sure why. Anja notices and starts holding me tightly.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it does happen,¡± Lily explains. ¡°Trashy people will give their children up for money. It¡¯s sick and twisted.


    ¡°What place was it at?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Lake View Apartments¡¯ or something,¡± Lily says nonchalantly.


    ¡°SHIT!¡± I shout. ¡°THAT¡¯S THE PLACE MY SISTER¡¯S BEEN GOING!¡±


    ¡°Keep it down, man!¡± Lily scolds me. ¡°Well, you might want to warn her not to go out at night, then.¡±


    Anja and I make meaningful eye contact, and I know we¡¯re thinking about the same thing. That¡¯s the apartment complex that looks all gothic and shit in the Metaverse. Zoe had mentioned something about that in the group chat. That can¡¯t be a coincidence.


    ¡°Lily, Anja and Nova? Are you out here?¡± A voice calls from the porch. I look over the shrubs and see the voice is Anja and Lily¡¯s grandma.


    ¡°Look what you did, man!¡± Lily says in a low voice. ¡°YEAH, WHAT?¡± she shouts back.


    ¡°Your mother is here to visit,¡± her grandma says.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lily responds stupidly, taken aback. ¡°BE RIGHT THERE!¡±


    ¡°Aunt Kierstyn is here?¡± Anja says, looking emotional. ¡°We¡­ can finish this discussion later, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Lily agrees. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s basically all I wanted to say anyway.¡± We quickly return to the house.


    Anja¡¯s aunt is this punk-looking woman who I¡¯ve never met before. Anja is really happy to see her, but Lily is strangely distant. She¡¯s barely here for any time at all before she has to leave again, saying that she¡¯s super busy with work. I don¡¯t get too strong of an impression of her, but there¡¯s one weird thing about her that keeps bothering me. Right as she¡¯s leaving, I swear, she looks straight at Anja and I, and says rather pointedly to stay out of trouble. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    We do something a little bit different for Christmas evening. Ashley¡¯s trumpet teacher, Sarah, is holding a party at her house, and she invited the four of us to come. I stand anxiously near the doorway along with Ashley¡¯s mom, ready to go. Ashley is not ready yet, and her dad is in the living room with Erin¡¯s side of the family, who are staying home. We thought it¡¯d be good to dress a little nicer, so I¡¯m wearing my periwinkle dress from Homecoming. Ashley brought a glittery pink dress for the occasion.


    ¡°Jeez, I¡¯m gonna have to check on her if this takes much longer,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom comments.


    I don¡¯t respond. Ashley didn¡¯t seem all that excited about doing this, so I¡¯m not surprised that she¡¯s taking her time.


    ¡°How have you been doing, Zoe?¡± Ashley¡¯s mom asks me. ¡°You''ve been very quiet this trip.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I respond. ¡°I''ve just felt a little off.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to hear that,¡± she says sympathetically.


    ¡°Ashley¡¯s been quiet too,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ve barely gotten to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she replies. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure recent events have been hard on you two. I¡¯ve been worried sick about it myself. And when something is wrong, people tend to react in different ways depending on their personality. Some people seek out others to talk to, but others, they do the opposite and isolate themselves.¡± She glances back down the hallway to where Ashley is getting ready. ¡°You seem like you¡¯re the first type, Zoe. Why don¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    I take a deep breath, trying to figure out what exactly is weighing on me. Of course, I haven¡¯t been happy about Ms. Truman¡¯s fate, or the looming danger. And Ashley ignoring me makes everything worse. But I think there¡¯s something even deeper down than that. Something to do with the fact that it¡¯s even Christmas at all.


    ¡°I don''t know,¡± I say. ¡°I think it''s just, in my family, we had a big Christmas celebration every year. Everyone in the family comes. And... it''s weird not being there. I know it''s stupid.¡±


    ¡°It''s not stupid,¡± she says consolingly.


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± I sniff loudly, noticing a few tears running down my face. ¡°Every time I remember it''s Christmas, I also remember that they don''t want me. Not the way I am. They only wanted a¡­ flawless trophy daughter.¡±


    She pulls a tissue from a nearby box and hands it to me, and I use it to wipe my eyes and nose. ¡°Well Zoe, I don''t think any child should ever feel that way. You''re welcome with us, Zoe, just as you are. We''re not perfect, or normal, but you have a home in our family.¡±


    I nod, feeling warm inside at her words. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say. ¡°That really means a lot.¡± I blow my nose loudly. ¡°May I ask something?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I always think of you guys as ¡®Ashley''s mom¡¯ and ¡®Ashley''s dad.¡¯ Would it be weird if I just said... ¡®Mom¡¯ and ¡®Dad?¡¯¡±


    She gasps, and then smiles widely. ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t be weird, Zoe. You¡­ may.¡± She comes over to me and gives me a big hug, which I return happily.

 Chapter 79: Storge And Eros, Part 2 (December 25 Part 2)

    <Zoe>


    It¡¯s about an hour of driving to get to Sarah¡¯s house in Oakland. She lives at a pretty nice place in a neighborhood called Cleveland Heights. Her house is two stories, and there is a fine red brick staircase up to the front door flanked by two magnificent trees, one birch and one oak. (I see some squirrels climbing up and down the oak, and vaguely wonder how Ted is doing back at home. We couldn¡¯t take him with us on the airplane, for obvious reasons.) There are many cars parked along the side of the road, and we have to go to the next block to find a good place to park.


    The front door leads us straight to a large entrance hall, with a fine tile floor and a table with an expensive looking vase. There must be about two dozen people over, who are scattered through the house chattering. Right when we come inside, we¡¯re greeted by an incredibly beautiful woman. She has long blonde hair that perfectly flows from her hair down her back. She has a calm and detached demeanor, and is wearing a dress that is blue like mine, only fancier.


    She smiles serenely at us, and shakes each of our hands as she greets us. ¡°Gregg, my old friend. Good to see you again. Alyssa, I hope you¡¯ve been well. Ashley, nice to see you in the real world for a change. And you must be Zoe. I¡¯ve been looking forward to getting to meet you.¡±


    I can¡¯t help myself from blushing a little as I shake her hand. She¡¯s so pretty, just looking at her makes my heart beat a little faster. I think that¡¯s called being ¡°horny.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for having us over,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad¡­ I mean, Dad, says.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. I was hoping to get the opportunity to catch up,¡± Sarah says. ¡°You may come to the kitchen for drinks. We have soda for the kids, of course.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get something, dear,¡± Dad suggests. ¡°One of my ex-girlfriends is nearby and I¡¯d rather avoid bumping into her.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is this the communist, or the one who cheated on you?¡± Mom asks.


    ¡°The one who cheated on me.¡±


    Mom smiles grimly, and both of them leave for the kitchen with Sarah.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you something,¡± Ashley offers. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Diet Coke if they have it, please.¡±


    She nods, and follows her parents.


    I look in the direction that Ashley¡¯s¡­ our? parents were looking, where there¡¯s a black woman with wavy hair talking to one of the other guests. Is that Dad¡¯s ex-girlfriend? Next to her are two boys. One of them seems to be slightly older than me. He is tall, tough and muscular, with dark skin like (who I¡¯m assuming is) his mom¡¯s. He has a tall nose and hair on his chin, making what appears to be the start of a goatee. The other boy is much younger, but has similar features. He¡¯s nervously hanging behind his mom.


    The older boy notices I¡¯m looking at him and says, ¡°Good evening.¡± Given his tough appearance, I¡¯m surprised by how gentle his voice sounds.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± I say back. ¡°Uh, I mean, evening. Oops!¡±


    I¡¯m trying to think of something else to say, when a different boy walks up to us. He has a lean build and long, dirty blonde hair. Most girls would probably find him attractive. I notice a few facial similarities between him and Sarah, so I guess that he¡¯s related to her. The long-haired boy goes straight up to the older black boy and cuffs him on the shoulder, smiling and seeming to be in good spirits.


    ¡°Hey Freddy, how¡¯s it going, man?¡± He turns and sees me, and his eyes narrow mischievously. ¡°Hello there. My name¡¯s Edward.¡± He reaches his hand out to me, and I shake it uncertainly.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Zoe,¡± I say.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Edward says approvingly. ¡°Hey Zoe, you have such lovely hair. Are those curls natural?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yes, they are.¡±


    ¡°I love hair like that. So, you from around here?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°I live in Texas.¡±


    ¡°Whoah! You sure came a long way. I¡¯m from out of state too. Post Falls, Idaho, specifically. But I¡¯ve been thinking about going to college here.¡±


    He gasps suddenly, and grabs Freddy by the shoulder. ¡°Dude! Freddy!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Freddy asks, somewhat annoyed.


    ¡°We should start a band together! You play drums, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Freddy replies calmly. ¡°But we need more than two people to make a proper group.¡±


    ¡°Ah bullshit, no we don¡¯t! We can be like that one band. There¡¯s only two guys in it. What¡¯s the name?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Twenty-One Pilots?¡± I suggest.


    ¡°YES!¡± Edward affirms. ¡°See, the lady knows.¡±


    ¡°Well, can you sing?¡± Freddy asks. ¡°I thought you only knew how to play piano.¡±


    ¡°Sure! I can sing  and play keys!¡±


    ¡°Can you do that  well? ¡±


    ¡°Of course, man.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lying,¡± says a female voice from behind me.


    I turn to find a beautiful blonde girl who must be another relative of Sarah¡¯s. She looks a couple of years older than me, and like Sarah in many ways, except her hair is a little rowdier, she¡¯s wearing a black choker around her neck, and she¡¯s grinning carelessly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard him sing. He¡¯s certainly no Tyler Joseph,¡± she states.


    ¡°Hey, butt out of this, Nicky!¡± Edward says, waving his arm at her as though batting away a fly.


    ¡°I do hope my idiot brother hasn¡¯t been bothering you,¡± the girl says to me. ¡°My name is Nicola. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± She smiles at me. I know I should respond, but she has such a natural charisma in the way she speaks and emotes that I¡¯m left momentarily speechless.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not bothering her,¡± Edward says defensively. ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re an incurable flirt,¡± she says bluntly.


    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to flirt. What¡¯s so wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Well, just then you were trying to flirt with a lesbian,¡± she says matter-of-factly. ¡°So I¡¯d say your princess is in another castle.¡± Freddy chuckles and gives Edward a light punch on the shoulder.


    ¡°Wait¡­ how did you know that?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m a people person,¡± she says simply, winking at me.


    Ashley returns just then, holding a bottle of Diet Coke. She hands it to me, puts her arm firmly around me, and asks, ¡°Are these guys giving you problems, Zoe?¡±


    ¡°Told you,¡± Nicola says slyly.


    ¡°No problems here,¡± Edward says defensively, throwing up his hands. ¡°Hey Freddy, let¡¯s bounce, there might be some more musicians here we can recruit for our band.¡±


    ¡°I never formally agreed to starting a band,¡± Freddy says, but he¡¯s too late, as Edward is already hurrying into the living room. He shakes his head and follows him.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your deal?¡± Ashley asks Nicola. She looks a little flustered; I can tell she also finds Nicola very beautiful. ¡°Are you a relative of Sarah¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her niece. You may call me Nicola,¡± she explains. ¡°Nice to meet you. I apologize if my brother was bothering her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m fine!¡± I say. ¡°He was just talking about starting a band and stuff.¡±


    ¡°It seems that musical abilities run in your family as well,¡± Ashley comments. ¡°Do you play anything, Nicola?¡±


    ¡°I play the harp in orchestra,¡± she says. ¡°What family are you from, then?¡±


    ¡°My dad, Gregg Davis, went to UC-Berkeley with Sarah,¡± Ashley explains.


    ¡°Ah, lovely,¡± Nicola responds. ¡°So, you¡¯re a friend of the family.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Ashley says. ¡°You know, I think I¡¯ll take Zoe out to see the pool. It¡¯ll be too cold to swim in, of course, but I¡¯d like to be somewhere a little more quiet.¡±


    ¡°Do enjoy,¡± Nicola says, smiling at us again. ¡°Come find me if Edward is being annoying again, okay?  Au Revoir. ¡±


    ¡° Au Revoir !¡± I say back excitedly, recognizing the phrase from my French class.


    She gives a casual little wave and a wink, and then walks towards the kitchen. Ashley and I both unconsciously watch her as she leaves.


    <hr>


    Sarah has a fairly large backyard, with a nice paved patio area with several comfortable looking chairs, as well as a full-sized glass table that sits alongside the pool. Despite what she said to Nicola, Ashley takes me away from the pool and off the pavement, into a secluded corner of the yard.


    ¡°What do you think of the place?¡± Ashley asks conversationally, leaning up against the wall of the house.


    ¡°It¡¯s really nice,¡± I say. ¡°Sarah must make a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, she does,¡± Ashley says. She sighs wistfully. ¡°You know, Zoe, Sarah¡¯s kind of an idol for me. Growing up, I always wanted to be just like her. I wanted to be a big time famous musician, make a lot of money, and have a big house full of pretty girls.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really the money that mattered to me. I just wanted attention, more than anything else. I¡¯m realizing more and more how stupid that is.¡±


    I listen silently, wondering where this is going. She takes a few steps away from the house and looks at the sky. The sun has set, and the sky is quickly darkening.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really even know what I want my life to be like now,¡± she continues. ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought. But I know that a decadent wealthy life wouldn¡¯t make me happy anymore. I still have my love of music, of course. I think I would like to make that a career. But, not to get famous or anything stupid like that. I mean, have you seen celebrities? They all go crazy and get addicted to drugs, and they¡¯ve been married and then divorced so many times. Paparazzi follow you around every time you go to the store. Sounds like hell, honestly. More and more, when I¡¯ve thought about my future, the only common theme I see is that you¡¯re there.¡±


    She pauses for a moment. I feel like this should be a sweet moment, but¡­ I¡¯m surprised to find myself getting a little bit angry with her.


    She turns back towards me. ¡°You¡¯re the most important thing to me now. It¡¯s scary to think about, but I have to be honest with myself about it. And when this year started, I wondered if I¡¯d ever find love.¡± She smiles at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m the most important thing to you? Is that true?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Yes. It really is.¡±


    ¡°Your actions have not reflected that.¡±


    The smile falls off her face. She now looks annoyed with me. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten to talk at all this whole trip,¡± I tell her. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be on a vacation with my girlfriend. And yet I feel so lonely, all the time.¡±


    She huffs at me. ¡°Well sorry I¡¯m not much of a social butterfly recently.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been hard for me. I¡¯m not going to lie,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Well, you think it hasn¡¯t been hard for me?¡± Ashley responds, her voice showing some aggression.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you, Ashley. I want to know what¡¯s going on with you. I want to be here for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, Zoe, there¡¯s some things that you can¡¯t really help me with.¡± She turns away from me. ¡°There¡¯s no magic thing you can say that makes it okay that I basically got someone killed. Someone who was  just  about to turn her life around and become a better person. What a pointless death. You go out every day to save people, and this happens instead. I feel most of the time as if I¡¯m still being wrapped up in those horrible vines, being suffocated by her in death. That horrible black sludge pouring out of her mouth plays over and over in my head, and I wonder if you¡¯re next. Or Anja. Or Nova. Or Kevin, or Ruth, or anyone I know or care about. How many more will I drag into death?¡± By the end of her rant, her voice has risen into a wounded shout.


    ¡°Ashley!¡± I cut her off. ¡°We all chose to do this! You think I¡¯m not worried about you, too? That¡¯s why I want to go with you! I can¡¯t do nothing while you all thrust yourselves into danger. I want to be there to make sure we  all  return home safely. Which will only happen if we work together and trust each other.¡±


    Ashley doesn¡¯t respond. I hear her sniffling. I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her from behind. ¡°For the last time, Ashley¡­  you don¡¯t have to do this alone. ¡±


    She turns towards me and hugs me back. She¡¯s fully broken down into tears. She hugs me tightly, as if she never, ever wants to let me go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zoe,¡± she says.


    ¡°I forgive you, Ashley,¡± I tell her gently. We hold each other tightly until Ashley regains her composure, and then we both return to the party.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    As we planned, Anja drops me off back at my place. I feel pretty weird tonight. I dunno, since that conversation with Lily I¡¯ve been thinking about a lot of fucked up stuff.


    Looks like Dad just got home. He¡¯s laid out on the sofa, looking exhausted and happy to be home. Kat is on the floor, sorting through a small selection of presents and comparing them by size.


    ¡°Ah, good timing,¡± Dad says. ¡°I just got home. Let me rest a little and get some dinner, then you can open your presents. You eat already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I ate something at Lily¡¯s,¡± I say.


    ¡°Ah, good,¡± he says. ¡°Just give me a minute, please.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Dad?¡± I say.


    ¡°What is it, Nova?¡±


    ¡°Okay, this is weird, but. I just wanted to say. Thanks for being our dad. And thanks for working so hard to get us food and shelter and all of that stuff. It¡¯s just, you know, some parents, they don¡¯t really even give a shit about their kids, and uh, you just, you bust your ass every day for us, and you never¡­ you know, take any shortcuts, or¡­ well, anyway. Thanks.¡±


    Dad laughs. ¡°Of course, kid.¡± He pushes himself up from the couch with a huge grunt, and gives me a hug. ¡°I¡¯d do anything for you kids. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is Nova getting emotional over here?¡± Kat asks, coming over to us.


    ¡°This goes for both of you,¡± he said, taking one of us in each arm. ¡°Work hard in school. If you ever have kids one day, you don¡¯t wanna be slinking home late on Christmas Day.¡±


    ¡°Nova¡¯s gonna have to work  real  hard in  advanced algebra ,¡± Kat says tauntingly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, nerd?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dad,¡± I tell him. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for you. I really am. You didn¡¯t even have to get me anything. Although yeah I¡¯ll be pretty pumped if I get a WiiU and the Smash game, but I¡¯m not really expecting it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll just have to see,¡± he tells me, smiling.


    I back away from him. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Your girlfriend¡¯s family reached out to me, actually,¡± he explains. ¡°We met halfway on it.¡±


    I can¡¯t help myself. I just burst into tears then. I¡¯m such a wreck that Kat even abstains from making fun of me for the night. Honestly, best Christmas ever. By the time I went to bed, I had forgotten all about the awful apartment shit and just slept through the night feeling warm and fuzzy all over.

 Chapter 80: The Root Of All Evil (December 27 Part 1)

    <div>


    <Anja>


    Arriving at the apartment, I wonder about the validity of Lily¡¯s information. The complex is very nice and clean looking; it¡¯s not somewhere you¡¯d think would be running a trafficking racket. Most commonly, this kind of thing happens to children who are homeless, orphans, or immigrants, as they tend to slip through the cracks of society. When pimps do prey upon families like this, they tend to target those living in poverty. The complex doesn¡¯t have the appearance of an impoverished place, looking quite well-maintained. Of course, it¡¯s not out of the question that there is scummy activity happening here, as looks can be deceiving. All the same, it would certainly be very troubling that the traffickers are getting bold enough to march into middle-class suburbia and knock on doors. Under ordinary circumstances, the idea would be downright preposterous. It goes against all the wisdom of people who spend their lives fighting against this stuff. The nature of what¡¯s going on here is a mystery to me. But then again, that¡¯s why we¡¯re here.


    I serve as the ride for Nova and his sister Kat, who Nova said had been hanging around here a lot. We find Ashley, Zoe, Collin, and a dark-haired boy who must be Jason sitting on a pier over the lake with several benches. Zoe seems quite interested in getting to know her brother¡¯s partner and is chattering with Jason as we approach. Then, she sees us and gives us a friendly wave.


    ¡°Hi Anja! Hi Nova! Hi Kat!¡± Zoe greets. ¡°How have your Christmas breaks been?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been awesome,¡± Nova says enthusiastically. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve had ups and downs,¡± Zoe answers. ¡°This is my younger brother, Collin, and his boyfriend, Jason.¡± Jason waves at me, while Collin just sort of raises his eyebrows.


    ¡°I know you,¡± Collin says to me. ¡°You¡¯re that angry bitch from the concert.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I say. ¡°I was having a really bad day.¡±


    ¡°Eh, whatever,¡± he says, shrugging. ¡°So what is this about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather wait for Kevin and Ruth to get here, so that we only have to explain everything once,¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat then, shall we?¡± I say. Nova and I sit together holding hands, and Kat sits at the front and looks around at the rest of us.


    ¡°Am I the only one here who¡¯s not part of a couple?¡± Kat asks. ¡°Damn, I need to get a boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s like gay noah¡¯s arc on here,¡± Collin comments. ¡°We got two gays, two lesbians, two bisexuals, and now we just need two transgenders and we¡¯re all set!¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve invited Charlotte, then,¡± Kat says. ¡°Are ¡®Kevin and Ruth¡¯ a couple too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Zoe replies. ¡°I never sensed anything going on between them. I think they¡¯re just friends.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Kat,¡± Collin says aggressively. ¡°A guy and girl can be friends without fucking eachother, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡± Kat retorts back. ¡°I¡¯m friends with you, dickass!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ they¡¯re just always like this,¡± Jason says apologetically.


    Zoe leans over to Ashley and whispers something in her ear, giggling. Then, I hear a muffled voice that can only be Ted stuffed into Zoe¡¯s backpack yell, ¡°I can hear you. And I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m a married man!¡±


    A look of horror comes over Zoe¡¯s face, and her, Ashley, Nova and I exchange tense looks. Collin looks around, puzzled. ¡°What was that noise?¡±


    ¡°Sounded like an animal chittering,¡± Kat says, and the four of us immediately deflate with relief.


    ¡°Probably one of the nutria who live in the lake,¡± Jason says. ¡°They can be very chatty.¡±


    ¡°Well, I really wish they would  stay¡­ quiet!  ¡± Ashley says in a pointed way, raising her voice enough to make sure Ted heard her. ¡°With all of these people around, all the noises are bound to  spook someone! ¡±


    ¡°Nah, they¡¯re not scary,¡± Jason says obliviously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    We¡¯re saved from the awkwardness of the moment by the arrival of Kevin and Ruth. I happen to notice Collin¡¯s eyes following Kevin very closely as he sits down next to Zoe. Ruth takes her seat to my right.


    ¡°We¡¯re not late, are we?¡± Kevin asks.


    ¡°No, you guys are fine,¡± I say. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s do an icebreaker, since not everyone here knows each other. I¡¯ll start. Hi, my name is Anja Beulen, she/her. I¡¯m a sophomore in high school who plays trombone in marching band. Some of my interests include politics, feminism, video games, and animation, and my favorite band is My Chemical Romance. Okay, who wants to go next?¡±


    ¡°Are we really doing this?¡± Ashley asks impatiently.


    ¡°I mean, she  does  have a point,¡± Jason says, shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t really know any of you¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± I tell him encouragingly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go next then?¡±


    ¡°Um, okay then,¡± Jason says shyly. ¡°My name is Jason Ives. He/him, although I might start using they/them too¡­? Don¡¯t feel pressured though. I live here. Uhhh. I¡¯m a theater kid, I¡¯m in eighth grade, and I like playing Pok¨¦mon Showdown.¡±


    ¡°YOU DO?¡± Nova interjects. ¡°Bro, we need to play sometime.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Jason says, blushing. ¡°Um, sure.¡±


    ¡°Let him finish, Nova,¡± I say.


    ¡°No, no. That was basically it,¡± Jason says. ¡°I¡¯m not too interesting¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go next then,¡± Kevin says, smiling at the rest of us. ¡°My name is Kevin Snyder. Uh, he/him. I¡¯m a freshman in high school. I¡¯m mostly into sports like soccer and track and field, but I am going to be starting an art class this semester. Could be fun. I like anime. I¡¯m¡­ Catholic? Uhh, I guess that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I have a question!¡± Kat calls outs. ¡°Are you single?¡±


    ¡°Uh, at the moment, yes,¡± Kevin answers, looking at Kat suspiciously. ¡°How old are you, exactly¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s just have Kat go next!¡± I suggest. ¡°Then she can answer that question as part of her¡­ thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m in seventh grade!¡± Kat says defensively. ¡°That¡¯s only two years away from high school! And also, I¡¯m a choir kid, and my favorite musician is Kanye West. I love America, and I think it¡¯s the greatest country on Earth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather live in Denmark, personally,¡± Ruth comments. ¡°Also, you never said your name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Katherine Mosely,¡± Kat says. ¡°But you can call me ¡®Kat¡¯ for short. And that¡¯s ¡®Kat¡¯ with a K, don¡¯t forget it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go next!¡± Zoe offers. ¡°Hi, my name is Zoe Parker! I¡¯m a freshman in high school, and I play both bassoon and alto saxophone in band. I love animals and the show ¡®Steven Universe,¡¯ and my favorite band is Paramore.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± I say approvingly. ¡°Okay, who¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°I can go next,¡± Ruth says. ¡°My name is Ruth Ant¨²nez, she/her. My family emigrated here from Cuba when I was very young. I play the cello in orchestra. I have a passion for STEM subjects, especially environmental science. Kevin and I are childhood friends, we attend mass together and also used to both play soccer. Unfortunately I had to stop playing because my asthma and weight gain made it too difficult. I think that¡¯s enough about me, who¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t gone yet,¡± Nova says. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Nova Mosely. He/him or whatever. I like playing video games. I¡¯m a trombone player, like Anja. Oh, also Anja¡¯s my girlfriend. And Kat is my sister. I take no responsibility for her annoyingness, though. Okay, I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep mine brief as well, as we have important business to get to,¡± Ashley says. ¡°I¡¯m Ashley Davis. I play french horn, piano, and trumpet. I love music of a more artistic nature. This includes classical music. My favorite work is from the Late Romantic and Modernist periods. If I had to pick a composer, Igor Stravinsky makes excellent work. I also love all things jazz, but I have a soft spot for free jazz and the works of people like Pat Metheny. Another genre I¡¯m interested in is the progressive rock of the 1970s¡­¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not ¡®keeping it brief!¡¯¡± Collin interrupts. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who hasn¡¯t gone yet, let me go!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ashley concedes moodily.


    ¡°Yo wassup, I¡¯m Collin Parker. According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway. Because bees don¡¯t care what humans think is impossible. Yellow black, yellow black, yellow black, yellow black, yellow black, yellow black...oohh, black and yellow. Yeah, let¡¯s sha-¡±


    ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s enough,¡± I say. Nova is laughing into his hands, and Jason is slouching into his seat, looking embarrassed. Everyone else just looks mildly confused.


    ¡°Okay guys, thank you for all taking this seriously,¡± I say sarcastically. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss why I gathered us all here today.


    ¡°About two and a half weeks ago, a tragic event happened at our high school. You may have heard of it. Everyone here who is currently going there was involved with it in some form or another. To make a long and painful story short, an English teacher at our school, Ms. Shari Truman, was revealed to be a pedophile, and¡­¡± I meet Kevin¡¯s eyes briefly. I know he hates the attention being brought to him by the situation, so I decide to stretch the truth a little. ¡°She attempted to molest several of us.¡± She  did  make a pretty good attempt on me way back at the start of the year, to be fair, though I didn¡¯t know who it was at the time.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Collin says, looking white in the face.


    ¡°Yeah. Sorry for the mood whiplash, but it is important context for why we¡¯re here. Anyways, after this happened, she felt some remorse, and confessed to what had happened. She also revealed that she had been working with conspirators, but before she could truly reveal the nature of this alliance, she got violently ill, and died soon after. While I can¡¯t disclose how this occurred, we have reason to believe that this timing was not a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Bro, what the fuck?¡± Kat balks.


    ¡°We received an anonymous tip that the organization she was working with may also have some connection to this apartment complex, although we have not confirmed this yet,¡± I continue. ¡±But that is why we wanted to talk to someone who lives here. We want to know of anything funny you might have seen, or anything you suspect about the place.¡± I look at Jason. He is staring at the floor of the deck, looking distressed and weak. I make a note to myself to be sensitive with how I broach the subject. ¡°And just to be clear, we have not told the police about our suspicions because there is a chance that someone on the force is a mole, or has been paid off, and as such doing so would be a risk. And that¡¯s not a conspiracy theory, as they behaved very strangely around the case with Ms. Truman, and this kind of thing has happened before. For instance, I once saw a story about a local government in Arkansas that had ties to drug cartels.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but here¡¯s the problem,¡± Kat argues. ¡°I get that you don¡¯t trust the police and all, but what exactly are y¡¯all gonna do about it if you find out some shit is going down?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± I say. ¡°We have a plan in place.¡±


    ¡°There is some pretty weird shit about this place,¡± Collin says. ¡°Like, okay, first day I was here. There were these annoying ass hicks who tried to beat us up. And then Jason here, he runs into his landlord, and she¡¯s trying to blame him for it? And Jason says that she might¡¯ve just made him move out? That¡¯s a load of bullshit.¡±


    ¡°I agree with you that it¡¯s quite unjust,¡± I say, ¡°but I¡¯m not sure how that connects to what we¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, that lady is sus as fuck,¡± Collin says. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s fucked up beyond belief to just make people move out because you don¡¯t like them.¡±


    ¡°It makes no sense from a business standpoint, either,¡± Ashley comments. ¡°As the landlord, her job is to ensure that the place is livable for all its current inhabitants, and in return she is paid rent. No business ever has anything to gain from needlessly limiting their customer base.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that, actually,¡± I respond. ¡°Remember Ashley, if she gets one family to move out, she can just replace them with another that moves in.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s psychotic,¡± Ashley argues. ¡°Her job isn¡¯t to make her complex into a little utopia. And if it were, she should be forcing out the ones causing the problems, not the victims.¡±


    ¡°But you said it yourself, Ashley,¡± I argue back. ¡°All she cares about is collecting rent. Say you¡¯re a land owner who has no interest in morality, and you¡¯re renting out ten houses. Nine houses are bought by racist white families, and one is bought by a black family. There is a conflict between the two which can not be resolved, so you must choose between them. You have much more to gain appealing to the racists, who are 90% of your customer base. And so, the principles of capitalism reward the groups that already hold power.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t agree with that,¡± Ashley says. ¡°That¡¯s backwards. If you want a business to be successful, it makes no sense to discriminate against people. In a real-world setting, there¡¯s no way that 90% of your customers are white supremacists. You will gain much more by ensuring that people of all races, sexualities, or what have you, have access to your products. The white people aren¡¯t affected by just sharing the same store, so why should they care? Maybe a few will, but I don¡¯t think that the number will outweigh the number of black people, Asian people, Hispanic people, and white people who aren¡¯t racist that you¡¯re now doing business with.¡±


    ¡°Well it just depends, Ashley. On a national level, sure. That¡¯s why most large businesses make shallow gestures towards being progressive. Although they obviously couldn¡¯t give less of a shit about us in reality. But, you can¡¯t tell me that in a very conservative town like this one, a business gains more customers from openly hiring gays and lesbians and such.¡±


    ¡°Why not? If the gays and lesbians do excellent work, it shouldn¡¯t matter.¡±


    I sigh, starting to grow frustrated with her. Ashley¡¯s usually a smart person, so I don¡¯t understand what her mental block is here.


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t we getting kind of off topic here?¡± Collin asks.


    ¡°Oh, this always happens with these two,¡± Zoe says, sighing.


    ¡°Ashley, I think you have a very rose-tinted idea of how capitalism works,¡± Ruth comments. ¡°Anja is correct in that the free market isn¡¯t always as free as we¡¯d like. When power imbalances exist, it¡¯s most advantageous to appeal to those at the top.¡±


    ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you talk once about how Cuba has a long history of horrific crimes against gay people?¡± Ashley retorts. ¡°It¡¯s not like getting rid of capitalism is going to end homophobia, the state can just continue the same policies but even worse.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ruth says, looking distinctly annoyed, ¡°so it¡¯s a good thing that we have options at our disposal other than ¡®let businesses do whatever they want¡¯ and ¡®implement a horrific communist regime that slaughters its own citizens.¡¯ If you want anyone to take you seriously, I¡¯d encourage you not to use silly strawman strategies like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Collin says, laughing. ¡°That was a freaking burn!¡±


    ¡°Okay guys, look,¡± Kevin says, jumping into the conversation. ¡°All of us here agree that businesses being allowed to discriminate against people is bad. I agree with Ashley that it is honestly just bad business practices. But also, this is why businesses need checks and balances on them, as they don¡¯t always act rationally. Back in the 1960s, the government passed laws to prevent businesses from being able to discriminate against people based on race, and I say we should extend those same protections to the LGBT community.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I support that,¡± I say. ¡°It  is  worth noting that racial discrimination happens still in more covert ways. Still, at least making it harder to do is a win.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think people aren¡¯t still racist!¡± Kat asserts.


    ¡°Yeah, I support that too,¡± Ashley says. ¡°I¡¯m just tired of people blaming literally every single problem on ¡®capitalism.¡¯ It¡¯s just a blanket way of scapegoating an abstract idea for everything and not actually looking more deeply into the issue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of you feeling like you have to defend capitalism so hard,¡± I counter. ¡°It¡¯s proven itself by now to be a clearly broken system. You even admit it when I press you about it. So what gives?¡±


    Ashley sighs. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s hard to explain. Let¡¯s just¡­ get back to the main issue at hand, please.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Collin remarks. ¡°This whole meeting has been a massive waste of time so far.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I say. ¡°When there¡¯s tension between the group, it¡¯s better to just air it all out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever you say,¡± Collin replies flippantly.


    ¡°But yes¡­ Jason, you¡¯ve been quiet so far,¡± I say, turning to him. ¡°Given that you¡¯re the one who lives here, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I was thinking about it while all you guys and gals were arguing about stuff,¡± Jason says. ¡°All of this stuff about queer people being discriminated against reminded me of my friend, Charlotte. She¡¯s being forced to move out, and she says she didn¡¯t really understand the reasons Ms. Patel, our landlord, gave. It was something about, her mom got fired from her job, and though she said she was finding a new one, Ms. Patel wanted them to just leave town, saying that someone is mad at them. I have to wonder¡­ you see, Charlotte is trans-female. What if all that stuff she was saying was just an excuse, and she wants them out because she doesn¡¯t want any trans kids living at the place?¡±


    ¡°Hey wait. Charlotte?¡± Nova questions. ¡°Why does that name sound familiar?¡±


    ¡°She said that she knows you,¡± Kat comments. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a class with her?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Nova says in realization. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. She¡¯s the one from speech class.¡±


    ¡°She goes to our school?¡± Ashley asks. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I bumped into her at some point myself, come to think of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe we could go talk to her, since a few of you already know her?¡± I suggest. ¡°Is there anyone else at this complex we know? Might as well hear from as many people as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there is someone else,¡± Collin says. ¡°Those kids. That boy and his sister. Remember them, Kat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Kat says. ¡°What were their names? Charlie and Bella, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Collin says. ¡°The day we met Charlotte, the Bella girl was hanging around, and¡­¡± suddenly, he stops, and his face freezes in an expression of horror.


    ¡°Collin? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zoe asks, worried.


    ¡°...And Bella said that their parents didn¡¯t like Charlie,¡± Collin explains. ¡°And that they wanted to give him a way to a woman, but then the woman died.¡±


    The whole group is silent for a moment as we all process the meaning of this.


    ¡°No way,¡± Kat says. ¡°You don¡¯t think the woman he was being given to might¡¯ve been¡­ uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Truman,¡± Nova finishes for her.


    ¡°Well¡­ disturbing as the idea is, it¡¯s a possibility worth investigating,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. We have enough people here so that we can pursue both leads at once.¡±


    ¡°Kat, Collin and I should go talk to Charlie,¡± Jason says. ¡°He¡¯ll recognize us, and he might be scared if a big crowd of people approach him.¡±


    ¡°At least one of us should go with you, you know, just in case,¡± I say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Zoe offers. ¡°I was always good with the children at church.¡± Of course, everyone else in the group understands that if Zoe goes with them, Ted is as well. Sending two in one with them is pretty smart.


    ¡°Alright, that sounds like a good idea,¡± I agree. ¡°Nova and Ashley can come with me and talk to Charlotte, since you already know her.¡±


    ¡°Ruth and I can go talk to Charlotte too,¡± Kevin says. ¡°Like Jason said, we probably don¡¯t want to scare the children by going as a huge crowd.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like we all have our assignments, then,¡± I state. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure to stay in touch continuously. Keep your eyes on the group chat. Okay, break! Let¡¯s go, team!¡±

 Chapter 81: Gang Of Eight (December 27 Part 2)

    <Anja>


    And so our group breaks into two halves. Me, Nova, Ashley, Kevin and Ruth go to Charlotte¡¯s apartment to talk to her about her upcoming eviction, and Zoe, Collin, Jason, Kat, and Ted go to check in with the little boy named Charlie. Charlotte¡¯s apartment is not far away at all, but I intentionally hang back to walk there with Ruth at the back of the line.


    ¡°Hey Ruth,¡± I say. ¡°Thanks for being here to help out. It means a lot.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ruth replies. ¡°I¡¯ve put some thought into it, and this unorthodox approach is by far the most likely way we¡¯re going to make any progress on this issue.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Weird, isn¡¯t it?¡± I comment. ¡°I want to say while we have a moment that I think I was too hard on you the other day at the concert. I see now that you didn¡¯t know what was going on with me, and it was unfair to expect you to. I was projecting my hurt and isolation onto you, and I¡¯m sorry for that.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t react at first. She gazes at the ground in front of her for a moment before saying, ¡°If only I could psychically sense things in the real world too. This is not the first time I¡¯ve failed to notice when someone close to me was in trouble. Clearly, I am horrible at considering what¡¯s happening with my friends.¡±


    ¡°No, Ruth. Don¡¯t say that,¡± I plead. ¡°Please don¡¯t blame yourself. I never should¡¯ve blamed you for it. I haven¡¯t been the person I¡¯ve wanted to be recently.¡±


    ¡°That makes two of us,¡± she says. ¡°Except I¡¯ve never been the person I¡¯ve wanted to be.¡± She says all of this in a matter-of-fact voice, but the words she¡¯s saying only heighten my dismay.


    I grab her hand. ¡°Ruth, look at me,¡± I say.


    She looks at me. It doesn¡¯t show any other way, but in her eyes I can see a deep sadness.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to bear everyone else¡¯s burdens for them,¡± I tell her. ¡°Growing up with so many younger siblings, you probably got used to being responsible for everyone. But don¡¯t feel bad about what happened to me, please. I forgive you. Can you forgive yourself?¡±


    She looks into my eyes for a moment, breathing heavily. Then, she says, ¡°Lord willing.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a yes or no, so I give her a brief hug and say, ¡°We¡¯ll be here for each other now, okay? We¡¯ll start again as friends.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Anja,¡± she says.


    I break the hug, and we catch up with the others, who had already gotten to Charlotte¡¯s apartment.


    ¡°Alright, so who should knock on the door?¡± Kevin asks once we rejoin the group.


    ¡°Nova¡¯s interacted with her the most recently,¡± Ashley says. ¡°He should do it.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Nova agrees reluctantly. He nervously raps on the door.


    The door is answered soon after, and I think at first that we got the wrong apartment. A woman answers who is a gorgeous redhead wearing casual house wear. She looks good enough to be a porn star. In fact, she actually really strongly resembles a specific porn star I¡¯ve seen before. Oh boy.


    The sight of her ripples around the group. Nova blushes so hard that you can see it through his dark skin, and physically shies away. Kevin looks like someone just struck him across the face with a frying pan. Ashley mostly stays cool, but she starts messing with her hair, as if suddenly self-conscious about how she looks. Ruth¡­ actually doesn¡¯t react at all.


    ¡°Oh, hello!¡± the red-haired woman says. ¡°Selling something? I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve fallen on hard times recently, so I¡¯m going to have to decline.¡±


    There¡¯s an awkward pause, before Ashley is the first one to get her wits together and say, ¡°No, we¡¯re not selling anything. We¡¯re looking for a girl named Charlotte. We¡¯re friends from school.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Charlotte didn¡¯t tell me friends were coming over!¡± she says, looking excited. ¡°And so many! How wonderful. Come on inside, please.¡±


    As we walk through the doorway, Nova and I exchange glances, and I can tell via couples telepathy that he¡¯s thinking about the same thing I am.


    Charlotte¡¯s mom (?) leads us into a sitting area right by the entrance, and then knocks on a door behind the couch. ¡°Charlotte, you have friends over!¡±


    ¡°Jason again?¡± a deep female voice calls back.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s five kids who say that they¡¯re friends from school. Did you not invite them¡­?¡±


    Ashley kicks Nova in the shins, causing him to snap out of his daze and say, ¡°Um, we¡¯re in¡­ the same speech class?¡±


    ¡°Nova?¡± The voice says. The door opens immediately, revealing a tall brown-skinned girl with long curly hair. She locks eyes on Nova and immediately tackles him with a hug. ¡°You came to see me!¡± she says, her voice hanging as if Santa Claus had decided to come back for round 2 of presents.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you two were so close,¡± I observe.


    ¡°We¡¯re not¡­¡± Nova says hoarsely, sounding as if he¡¯s having his lungs crushed by Charlotte¡¯s hug. ¡°We really only¡­  bleh ¡­ talked that one time¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Charlotte says, letting him go. ¡°I was crushing you, wasn¡¯t I? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he says, panting desperately.


    ¡°Do you remember me?¡± Ashley asks. ¡°Detention that one time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± she says excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re the girl with really good tastes in music.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you actually¡­ listened to those?¡± Ashley asks, blushing a little.


    ¡°Yeah! Good shit! I just listened to  Brain Salad Surgery  again today!¡± she says.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good one,¡± Ashley says. ¡°You, um, on hormones now? You look different.¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Charlotte says cheerfully. ¡°Two months on estrogen, and I¡¯ve never felt better! Had to go through a bit of a process to get it, but it was worth it!¡±


    She looks around the rest of the group. I swear I catch her pupils dilate a little when she sees Kevin. ¡°I don¡¯t think I know any of you,¡± she says. ¡°My name¡¯s Charlotte!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Kevin says, reaching out to shake her hand. ¡°My name¡¯s Kevin. I''m Ashley''s friend from English class.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Anja,¡± I say. ¡°Nova¡¯s girlfriend. And she¡¯s Ruth,¡± I say, gesturing at Ruth, who waves at Charlotte nonchalantly.


    ¡°Not to be, you know, my usual bitchy self,¡± Ashley says, ¡°but I don¡¯t think we have time for another icebreaker right now. We¡¯re here because we heard your family is being evicted,¡± Ashley says plainly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Charlotte says, looking immediately deflated. ¡°How did you hear about that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends with Jason,¡± I explain. ¡°We wanna see if there¡¯s something we can do to help you guys out. Nobody should have to suffer the injustice of being evicted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you,¡± Charlotte¡¯s mom says. ¡°But don¡¯t worry about us. There¡¯s nothing you can do to help.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but there is,¡± I say. ¡°Look, let¡¯s just cut to the chase. Your landlord has ulterior motives for forcing you out, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Charlotte¡¯s mom asks, seeming taken off guard. ¡°Well, you know, it¡¯s just the way things are. I lost my job, and we can¡¯t pay rent anymore, so we need to¡­¡±


    ¡°She knew you had lost your job already,¡± Charlotte butts in. ¡°Before you said anything. How did she know, Mom?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Nova questions, his eyes wide.


    ¡°Honey, we don¡¯t need to talk about these things with your friends,¡± Charlotte¡¯s mom says pointedly. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out as a family, okay? We do appreciate you coming to try and help, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Where do you work?¡± Nova cuts blurts out. ¡°Does it involve those guys who come to people¡¯s doors in the night?¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s mom freezes, looking shocked. I wonder to myself what Nova thinks he¡¯s figured out here. Whatever it is, he touched a nerve just then. Charlotte¡¯s mom is now looking around all of us suspiciously. ¡°Listen, I¡­ you shouldn¡¯t know about that. This is a dangerous place for you kids, you need to leave.¡±


    ¡°Forgive my friend here,¡± Ruth says calmly. ¡°He didn¡¯t mean to accuse you of anything. We¡¯re just really concerned about some of the things happening around here. We don¡¯t know if what happened to you is connected to any of that, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± Charlotte¡¯s mom says too quickly. ¡°I mean, look. This isn¡¯t a game. We need to let the proper authorities handle the situation. All of you would seriously endanger yourselves by getting involved.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, we know,¡± Ashley says, annoyed. ¡°Have you reported anything you know to the police?¡±


    ¡°Well yes, of course I-¡±


    ¡°And let me guess, they blew you off?¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s mom freezes for the second time. She starts to look nervously around the room, seeming overwhelmed.


    ¡°My dad works as a police officer,¡± Kevin says. ¡°He says that he¡¯s been confused about how they¡¯ve been going about things recently. He didn¡¯t say anything specific. But, we may not be able to fully trust the police right now. We don¡¯t know if someone on the force is in on this stuff that¡¯s happening. That¡¯s why we¡¯re just¡­ looking for answers.¡±


    ¡°Mom, there  is something you haven¡¯t been telling me,¡± Charlotte says softly. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid.¡± She walks up to her mom and puts one arm around her shoulders. Now that they¡¯re standing side by side, it strikes me how Charlotte towers over her mother by several inches.


    ¡°I respect that you want to keep all of us safe,¡± Ruth says. ¡°It¡¯s what any responsible adult would do in your place. However, take our assurances that these are not normal circumstances. We can help you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Charlotte¡¯s mom says stubbornly. ¡°You are children. I won¡¯t risk putting any of you in harm¡¯s way. The people behind this will not hesitate to do unspeakable things to all of you. You need to go home, for your own safety. The authorities are not perfect, they make mistakes, but you¡¯re all better off leaving it up to them.¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s mom walks past the kitchen and into a room in the back, closing the door behind her with a thud. There¡¯s an awkward pause, as none of us are immediately sure what to do.


    I turn back to Charlotte. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we upset your mom,¡± I say.


    She shakes her head. ¡°She knows something. I¡¯m sure of it,¡± she explains in a low voice. ¡°That Patel lady, our landlady, she said that someone was mad at my mom. It¡¯s not just about collecting rent.¡±


    ¡°We had a suspicion such was the case,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Although we didn¡¯t know exactly what the motivation was. We still don¡¯t, as it turns out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah we do!¡± Nova contradicts irritatedly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who her mom is?¡±


    ¡°No, we just met today,¡± Ashley responds.


    ¡°That¡¯s Faye Reid!¡± Nova says.


    ¡°Oh sh-¡± Kevin says, before cutting himself off and covering his mouth with his hands. However, this information seemingly means nothing to Ashley.


    ¡°Is she someone famous?¡± Ashley questions.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± I say. ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Ashley says, looking annoyed with me.


    ¡°Technically, her name is Faye Viridian now,¡± Charlotte explains, as she looks down at her feet in an embarrassed way. ¡°But yes, you guys are right. My mom is a sex worker.¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling it was something like that,¡± Ruth says.


    ¡°She, um, has some videos up on the internet,¡± I explain to Ashley. ¡°They¡¯re retro stuff, though, from back when they were sold on VHS. I¡¯m amazed she still looks so young.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ that was before I was born,¡± Charlotte says uncomfortably. ¡°Um,  I would prefer if we didn¡¯t get too¡­ specific about her line of work. Thinking about my mom that way is yucky.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± I say. ¡°Nobody wants to think about their parents doing¡­ that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you guys would know about that business, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Ashley says, although not in a condescending way. ¡°I personally don¡¯t fuck with stuff on the internet. I just don¡¯t trust it. You never know what could be going on behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°Well, most lesbian porn is complete dogshit anyway,¡± I say. ¡°So fair enough.¡±


    ¡°Wait, the fuck do you get off to, then?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°With all due respect,¡± Ruth interjects. ¡°I think we can save this discussion for later. We have more pressing matters at hand.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Your mom definitely knows something about what¡¯s going on, Charlotte. But she¡¯s coddling us so hard that she refuses to say anything about it. She reminds me of  my  mom.¡±


    ¡°I mean, it makes sense from her perspective,¡± I say. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know about the supernatural side of things, she thinks we¡¯re a bunch of defenseless teens.¡±


    ¡°The WHAT side of things?¡± Charlotte asks in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Uh, oops,¡± I say. ¡°I forgot there¡¯s an outsider among us.¡±


    Ashley facepalms. Ruth comments dryly, ¡°you really haven¡¯t learned your lesson whatsoever, it seems.¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s eyes are alight with curiosity. ¡°Ooh! Are you going to put a curse on my landlord? I¡¯ve done a little knitting, so I can try making a voodoo doll of her!¡±


    ¡°How about the five of us step outside the apartment and discuss this?¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss? Her mom won¡¯t talk,¡± Nova grumbles.


    ¡°I have a vague idea,¡± Ashley says. ¡°I¡¯ll explain outside.¡±


    So the five of us file out the door. We huddle in a circle just outside.


    ¡°Alright. Here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Kevin and Ruth, do you remember what we told you about the demon we fought named Moloch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that guy who changes into people, right?¡± Kevin asks, scratching his head.


    ¡°That one,¡± Ashley confirms. ¡°Well, Lucy thinks that he can read people¡¯s thoughts through the Metaverse. He uses this to monitor his workers, and learn the likes and fears of the population.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s why he¡¯s able to make weirdly specific pop cultural references, I bet.¡± Nova observes.


    ¡°Yeah, like we need yet another person making those,¡± Ashley snarks. ¡°Point is, I was wondering if there¡¯s some way we can do that too.¡±


    ¡°YOU CAN READ MY MOM¡¯S MIND?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice says.


    We all turn our heads to see Charlotte poking her head from around the corner of the apartment. I thought she had stayed inside¡­


    ¡°Uh, I mean¡­ I¡¯m a bush,¡± she says uselessly, ducking back behind the corner.


    ¡°Charlotte, can we discuss this privately, please?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°What do you mean? You  are  discussing it privately!¡± says Charlotte, still hiding out of sight. ¡°I¡¯m not here¡­ oooooo¡­¡± Nova snickers at her antics.


    ¡°Listen, Charlotte,¡± Ashley says. ¡°This is private stuff, and very dangerous. We have to keep it between an exclusive group of people.¡±


    ¡°Can I be part of the exclusive group?¡± Charlotte asks, popping her head back around the corner hopefully.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, she kinda seems like she wants to join our party,¡± Nova says.


    ¡°Party? This is not a ¡®party,¡¯ Nova.¡± Ashley scolds. ¡°We are not here to have fun.¡±


    ¡°No, I meant like, a party as in¡­ never mind,¡± Nova says, sighing.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind her joining in with us,¡± Kevin says, nodding approvingly. ¡°She seems cool.¡±


    ¡°Cool or not, we don¡¯t just let people in willy nilly,¡± Ashley says sternly. ¡°Are we just supposed to allow in anyone who comes up and asks?¡±


    ¡°To be fair, that  is  how I got in,¡± Ruth observes. ¡°I more or less did the same thing.¡±


    ¡°That was different,¡± Ashley counters. ¡°Besides, we already have a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Bitch, are you gonna stop her from helping when this is  about  her?¡± Nova argues passionately. ¡°Think that when I was about to get handed back to my mom, I wanted to just sit around and let the white people handle it for me? No. I got in there and I bashed some motherfuckers.¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with race,¡± Ashley says defensively.


    ¡°He  does  have a point, Ashley,¡± I say. ¡°We should give her a choice.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have  that  many people,¡± Kevin reasons. ¡°It¡¯s me, Ruth, Ashley, Zoe, Anja, Nova, that¡¯s six people. Add in Charlotte, and it¡¯s lucky seven!¡±


    ¡°Eight,¡± Nova corrects. ¡°You forgot Ted.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Kevin says. ¡°Since I don¡¯t see him during the school day he slipped my mind. Well, then it¡¯d be eight. A nice round, even number.¡±


    ¡°She seems very eager to be a part of this,¡± Ruth observes.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m super interested!¡± Charlotte says, fully coming around the corner and into view. ¡°I believe in ghosts, you know! I¡¯m ready to go ghost hunting!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what we¡¯re doing,¡± Ashley states flatly. ¡°But, okay, fine, you can join. But, we don¡¯t have time to give you a crash course on how everything works, so you¡¯re just gonna have to figure it out as you go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m great at that!¡± Charlotte says confidently. ¡°I¡¯m a kinesthetic learner! I always fall asleep in class listening to those stupid lectures.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, then,¡± I say. ¡°Welcome Charlotte, I christen thee the eighth member of our team.¡±


    ¡°Eighth and final,¡± Ashley says stubbornly.


    ¡°Can I join the group huddle then?¡± Charlotte asks.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I say. Kevin steps back and makes a space for her. Charlotte steps in between him and Nova, suddenly looking nervous and flushed.


    ¡°Anyways, as I was saying,¡± Ashley says. ¡°There may be a way we can look into her thoughts. Of course, I¡¯ve never done this before. But, it¡¯s worth at least asking Lucy about.¡±


    ¡°I mean, sure, go for it.¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t have any better ideas.¡±


    ¡°I see no reason for all six of us to go in for this,¡± Ashley says. ¡°If I could find a private place, I can go in and talk to Lucy.¡±


    ¡°You can use my room!¡± Charlotte offers happily. ¡°Here, let me show you the way.¡± Charlotte leads Ashley back into her apartment.


    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take?¡± Kevin asks nobody in particular.


    ¡°It¡¯ll only take like a minute,¡± Nova says. ¡°Time goes by super slow in there.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll wait inside. I need to sit down,¡± Ruth says. Ruth goes back into Charlotte¡¯s apartment, and Kevin shrugs and follows her.


    ¡°Any updates from the other team?¡± I ask Nova.


    He pulls out his phone. ¡°Nothing in the group chat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. We said to keep us updated,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on them.¡±


    ¡°Might be a good idea,¡± he says.


    I give him a quick kiss on the lips before I go. Even though we¡¯re dating now, he doesn¡¯t seem completely used to it yet, so he follows the others into Charlotte¡¯s apartment looking a little dazed.


    I go in the direction that I saw Zoe and the others walking earlier. Come to think of it, though, I don¡¯t know what exact apartment they went to. I guess I¡¯ll do a quick look around the general area.


    I¡¯m about halfway across the complex, when I hear a voice cry out from beside me, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Anja?¡±


    I turn and see, several yards away, Collin, Kat and Jason in a full run towards me. There¡¯s something very wrong. All three of them look scared out of their minds. Jason is shivering and taking shallow breaths, Kat looks as though she¡¯s seen a ghost, and Collin¡­ Collin is full blown tears, and leaning on Jason for support.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zoe?¡± I ask, my anxiety quickly ratcheting to dangerous levels. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t entirely understand what happened,¡± Kat says slowly. ¡°But what¡¯s clear is that¡­ Zoe is in trouble. Big trouble. And she said she needs ¡®backup.¡¯¡±

 Chapter 82: The Bleak December (December 27 Part 3)

    <Ashley>


    Charlotte lets me into her room. It¡¯s very cute. She has a computer at the left end of it, next to a desk which is scattered with colored pencils, papers, and many drawings she¡¯s done. The one on top is a half-finished sketch of what looks like a black woman wearing a fancy, embroidered dress and wearing a necklace of pearls. Then, there is a bean bag chair, and a twin-sized bed that¡¯s sitting on the floor without a bedframe. There are various little paper crafts hanging from the ceiling, and the open walls are decorated with what look like handpainted flowers. After taking a moment to appreciate her decorations, I enter the Metaverse.


    <hr>


    Knowing full well that this apartment complex is a palace, I was not expecting to end up in a normal palette-swapped version of Charlotte¡¯s room. Sure enough, I emerge in a dark, dingy chamber, lit only by torches on the walls. The walls are made of a plain gray brick, and at the front is a set of iron bars, implying this is some sort of sick prison. In front of me is a truly horrifying sight. A black man is hanging from the ceiling by his wrists, dressed in tattered peasant clothes. He appears to be unconscious, and there is a bleeding gash in the side of his neck. There is a woman clutching to his legs, whom I recognize to be Charlotte¡¯s mom. She is dressed in a bizarrely skimpy outfit, a gold-coloured two-piece swimsuit, and she has a chain around her neck that connects to the wall. She appears terrified, her face pale, and she¡¯s hiding and trembling behind her husband¡¯s legs as if hoping he will shield her from view. I¡¯m simultaneously aroused and disgusted by her appearance. Then, there¡¯s Charlotte, who¡¯s awkwardly leaning against a wall a few yards away. The palace owner doesn¡¯t seem to have figured out what¡¯s going on with her gender yet, as her appearance is a strange mish mash of masculine and feminine traits. She is wearing a dress with high heels, but has grown-out facial hair and very hairy legs, as if she were too lazy to shave them.


    I stand for a moment, waiting to see if the family acknowledges me. When nobody does, I say, ¡°Mrs. Viridian? I¡¯d like to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°NO! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!¡± she screams at me. ¡°STAY AWAY FROM MY FUCKING FAMILY!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m not going to hurt any of you,¡± I say, trying my best to be reassuring.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T WANT ANY ADVICE!¡± she screeches. ¡°I HATE YOU! FIX OUR DISHWASHER ALREADY!¡±


    Well, I figured that wasn¡¯t going to work, but it was worth a shot.


    ¡°You have anything to add?¡± I ask Charlotte.


    Apparently, she doesn¡¯t. She looks up at me, but doesn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Okay, cool,¡± I say. I get out my phone and call Lucy.


    ¡°Hello, Ashley,¡± Lucy greets me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I say. ¡°Quick question. Can I read people¡¯s minds, like Moloch does?¡±


    ¡°Well,  I  can,¡± she says.


    I remember the time in Ms. Truman¡¯s palace when she entered my thoughts. ¡°Is there a way to extend that to someone else around me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as long as you can find their core essence in the Metaverse,¡± she explains.


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°Go to the same location they are in the real world. You should be able to find a tiny light, sort of like a lightning bug. Touch it with your hand, and then touch your pink gem.¡±


    ¡°Okay, one problem. I¡¯m in a palace. Does this work with the cognitive version of the individual?¡±


    ¡°It might. Let¡¯s try it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I carefully approach Charlotte¡¯s mom, worried that she might start screaming at me again. Thankfully, she doesn¡¯t. I sit on the floor next to where she¡¯s cradling her husband¡¯s legs, trying not to look at any of her skin. Or really just any part of her, period.


    ¡°Is this close enough?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Try touching them,¡± Lucy suggests.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± I say. I sigh, and then reach out my hand to gently grab her elbow.


    For a moment, nothing happens. And then, I go dizzy, and the world seems to fade away.


    <hr>


    <Collin>


    Jason leads the way to Charlie¡¯s apartment, since I don¡¯t really remember where it is. Zoe walks beside me at the back of the line. For some reason she took her whole school backpack with her. I guess we might as well try and teach Charlie high school geometry while we¡¯re there. He doesn¡¯t seem like the brightest kid, he could use it.


    ¡°What do you see in her, Zoe?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Hmm? Who are you talking about?¡± Zoe says.


    ¡°Ashley. She¡¯s always seemed like such a bitch.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem that bad,¡± Kat comments. ¡°Very businesslike, but in a cool way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ¡®businesslike¡¯ because she loves big business, amirite?¡± I say. ¡°Bazinga.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Kat retorts. ¡°And are you gonna tell me  you¡¯re  a commie too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care about politics,¡± I explain. ¡°But I think it¡¯s really funny how upset people get about it. So I¡¯m whatever the opposite is from the person I¡¯m talking to. So if you like capitalism, then yeah, I¡¯m a commie.¡±


    ¡°Bitch, I¡¯m sending your ass to the gulag!¡± Kat threatens.


    ¡°Anything for Daddy Stalin!¡± I cry out.


    Zoe breaks out into giggles. Jason looks around and says, ¡°I wonder if any of the neighbors heard you say that. That would be¡­ pretty funny actually.¡±


    ¡°But seriously though,¡± I say. ¡°Zoe, why do you like Ashley?¡±


    Her smile fades away again. ¡°I know that she can be hard to get along with,¡± Zoe explains, ¡°but she has a soft side. And she¡¯s so brave, she stands up for her morals no matter what. I find that really inspiring about her.¡±


    ¡°And by that you mean she¡¯s an uppity ass bitch,¡± I say.


    ¡°Collin¡­ are you a little jealous?¡± Kat asks teasingly. ¡°Since she gets to spend time with your sister?¡±


    That really pisses me off. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t ask for my dipshit parents to run her out, so how about you shut the fuck up?¡±


    ¡°Whoah! I was  not trying to touch a nerve there!¡± Kat says, raising her arms defensively. ¡°Chill out, man.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t mean it like that, Collin,¡± Jason says calmly. ¡°Breathe, okay?¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I take a deep breath. ¡°Look. Okay, maybe I¡¯m kinda jealous. But like, she also  better  be treating you well.¡±


    ¡°We all deserve someone who treats us with respect,¡± Jason says sympathetically. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s up to you to ¡®fix¡¯ her, Zoe. A romance is not a substitute for therapy and genuine help.¡±


    Zoe bites her lip, looking uncomfortable. ¡°We¡¯ve both changed a lot since we¡¯ve started dating. I think I liked her at first because I liked the idea of this tough girl being able to protect me. But, I learned that I can¡¯t just rely on her, and I need to be strong for myself too. I worried for a while that she still wanted to see me as this defenseless girl. But¡­ the thing is, she¡¯s trying. I can really tell she is. When I tell her what¡¯s on my mind, she listens. That gives me hope that we can make it work. And she told me recently that she doesn¡¯t know what she wants for her future, and that she only sees me in it. I feel the same way, despite everything that¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°What a rollercoaster ride,¡± Kat comments. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you guys, though.¡±


    I feel a little bad now. ¡°Look, I wasn¡¯t trying to tell you what to do. If you¡¯re happy with her, that¡¯s what¡¯s important. Sorry for being jealous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Collin,¡± Zoe says sweetly. ¡°I know you¡¯re just worried about me.¡±


    ¡°She sounds very¡­ masculine in some ways,¡± Jason observes. ¡°Which is weird since she¡¯s a girl. But it¡¯s some of the same stuff about feeling like you¡¯re the ¡®protector¡¯ of your partner, and being closed off with your emotions. I¡¯m glad to hear she¡¯s moving past that now. Regardless of gender, any relationship should have its members on equal ground.¡±


    ¡°Well said, man,¡± Kat agrees. ¡°Also, isn¡¯t that the kid¡¯s place over there?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Jason confirms.


    The four of us approach the door. I look around to see if Charlie or Bella or any other little shits are playing outside, but I don¡¯t see anyone. Jason knocks on the door.


    A grouchy looking woman answers the door. The moment the door opens, an overwhelming stench of cigarette smoke pours out.


    ¡°Can¡¯t buy any girl scout cookies,¡± she croaks at us. ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Jason says hurriedly. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, it¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I recognize you,¡± she says. ¡°You¡¯re the little Chinese boy who runs around in girl¡¯s clothes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m friends with your son, Charlie!¡± Jason explains. ¡°I was wondering if we could talk to him about something.¡±


    The woman sneers at us. ¡°You¡¯ll have to find him, he¡¯s not here. Probably running around trying to catch ghosts again. That boy ain¡¯t right.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Jason says. ¡°We¡¯ll see if we can find him. Thank you!¡±


    She rolls her eyes at us, and then closes the door.


    ¡°I hate her,¡± Kat says firmly. ¡°After we find Charlie we should come back and egg their apartment.¡±


    ¡°¡®Egg¡¯ their apartment?¡± Zoe asks, frowning. ¡°Like, throwing eggs at it? We might get in trouble for that.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s life without a little risk?¡± Kat says wisely.


    ¡°I wonder where he''s off playing?¡± Jason says. ¡°I didn¡¯t see him on the playground while we were walking here.¡±


    ¡°The cunt woman said that he was ¡®catching ghosts,¡¯ right?¡± I say. ¡°Didn¡¯t he say something about ghosts that one time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Jason says. ¡°He has such a big imagination!¡±


    ¡°Where was it that he said was haunted?¡± Kat asks, rubbing her chin as if trying hard to remember.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s office,¡± I say. ¡°Someone running the apartment?¡±


    ¡°That must have been Ms. Patel¡¯s office,¡± Jason says. ¡°We can try checking around there.¡±


    <hr>


    A short walk later, we end up at the landlady''s office. He¡¯s nowhere to be seen in front of it, so we check around the back.


    Then, we see something truly shocking and horrifying.


    He¡¯s not there either. It¡¯s just a blank area of grass in between the building and the fence. Haha, did I get ya?


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Jason calls out. ¡°Are you around here little buddy?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can ask the landlady if she¡¯s seen him,¡± Kat suggests.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Zoe says forebodingly.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Kat questions. ¡°She¡¯s not gonna kick Jason out just cause we asked her one question.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can trust her,¡± Zoe says cryptically. She starts looking from side to side nervously. ¡°We should probably go look for him somewhere else, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, shush for a moment. Do you hear that?¡± Kat asks.


    We all fall silent. An air conditioning unit nearby is humming. I hear a raven caw in one of the trees.


    ¡°Uh, hear what?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I thought I heard a voice,¡± Kat says. ¡°It came from inside the office. It said his name¡­  Jason .¡±


    ¡°You guys think there¡¯s any chance this place really  is  haunted?¡± I speculate.


    ¡°No, no way!¡± Jason says. ¡°Ghosts aren¡¯t real! Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°You dumbasses!¡± Kat scolds. ¡°It was probably Charlie! Jason had just called for him.¡±


    ¡°Why would he be in there, though?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Maybe they found him playing around here and he got in trouble,¡± Jason guesses.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go in and check if he¡¯s there,¡± Zoe says.


    She walks up to a backdoor to the office. She tries the doorknob, but it¡¯s locked. She then knocks firmly on the door and says, ¡°Charlie? Are you in there?¡±


    Well, so much for ¡°we can¡¯t trust the landlady.¡± If she¡¯s in there, she 100% knows that we¡¯re here now.


    The door opens, and the one who answers it isn¡¯t Charlie, or even Ms. Patel. It¡¯s a tall, rugged-looking man, with a black jacket and a very short buzzed haircut.


    ¡°Whoah,¡± I ask. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a maintenance worker,¡± the man says. ¡°What are you kids doing hanging around here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a little boy named Charlie,¡± Zoe explains. ¡°Have you seen him around here?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any children hanging around,¡± he says. ¡°This is the main office, you know. It¡¯s not a playground.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ we heard someone¡¯s voice coming from inside, we thought it might have been him.¡±


    ¡°You probably just heard me. I sometimes hum to myself when I¡¯m working.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t sound like humming, though. It sounded like saying someone¡¯s name. Did you say that?¡±


    ¡°I was saying the lyrics to a song. You probably just misunderstood me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s just that, I¡¯m really worried about Charlie. You know, this apartment complex isn¡¯t a safe place for children.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Jason, Kat, and I nervously glance at each other. What is she doing, telling all this stuff to this random guy?


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that, sometimes, children disappear here,¡± Zoe explains. ¡°I¡¯m worried Charlie could be the next one. That¡¯s why we¡¯re trying so hard to find him.¡±


    The man looks at her suspiciously. He then looks between each of us. ¡°Do you kids live around here?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Jason says quickly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯re not trying to bother you. We can go look for him somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯d do any harm to check here a little bit, just to make sure,¡± Zoe says stubbornly. ¡°Is it okay if I do that? Sir?¡±


    ¡°I can let you in to look, if you¡¯re really concerned,¡± the man says. Something¡¯s not right; there¡¯s something threatening about the way he says it. ¡°But I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s no way that kid got in here and I didn¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be quick,¡± Zoe says. ¡°Can you let me in?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I say, quickly going to Zoe and grabbing her arm. ¡°Zoe, can we go look somewhere else? Please?¡±


    ¡°Your little brother has the right idea,¡± the man says, nodding at me coldly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Collin,¡± Zoe says, making eye contact with me. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. How about you guys stay out here?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I say. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this Zoe. Come on, please.¡±


    ¡°Just let the others know I¡¯m looking in here, okay?¡± Zoe whispers softly.


    ¡°What? Why do they need to know?¡± I question. Zoe angrily shushes me.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this ¡®they?¡¯¡± The man asks, turning on us with an intimidating scowl. ¡°Are there more of you?¡±


    ¡°None of your business!¡± I say. ¡°Zoe, I¡¯m¡­¡±


    <hr>


    It¡¯s dark. A storm rages overhead. The sky is an unnatural shade of blood red.


    Around us, the simple apartment complex is gone. Now, we stand in a sweeping courtyard, where all the bushes are dead and dried up. Many yards in front of us is a Victorian-era mansion, which flashes ominously with each lightning strike. All around the roof, bats flock, screeching.


    I turn to face Kat and Jason. Both of them look like how I feel. Their faces drained of blood, their eyes and mouths open wide in shock and disbelief.


    And then, I jump several feet at the sound of a gun firing right next to me. I whip around to see Zoe, a fierce look on her face, holding a gold-plated shotgun, and dressed like some kind of queen from a foreign country, with a bunch of gold, white, and some fucking necklace thing, I don¡¯t know what to call it. And a tall man in a dark cape is shooting her with a flamethrower, but she jumps over the fire like a fucking acrobat and the man is knocked onto his ass by a bolt of fire from what appears to be an armadillo walking on his hind legs.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?¡± I yell.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Zoe shouts at the caped man.


    ¡°CHARLIE!¡± Jason screams out. I whirl around again to see the same sandy-haired little boy, except he¡¯s got duct tape over his mouth and he¡¯s being dragged along the ground by a different man in a cape. They are heading towards the side of the courtyard opposite from the mansion, where there is a large, foreboding gate, and a white van on the other side.


    ¡°He¡¯s over yonder, Zoe!¡± the armadillo says in a deep southern voice. ¡°They¡¯re taking him away, we must be quick!¡±


    Zoe sees him too, and immediately gets her phone out of her pocket and thrusts it into my hands. ¡°Huddle around each other. Press the red app. Go tell the others what happened and that I need backup.¡±


    ¡°Zoe!¡± I say uselessly. ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Just do it!¡± she says sternly. She runs past us and in the direction of the van. The armadillo follows.


    ¡°Look at that!¡± the man who was fighting with Zoe says from the ground. I recognize his voice as being the same as the one who had answered the back door. ¡°We found our little heroes at last!¡± He starts pushing himself back up to his feet.


    ¡°Collin, the phone!¡± Kat urges me, her voice panicked. ¡°Press the app! NOW!¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK?¡± is all I can say. I hurriedly scramble with her phone, and I see an ugly ass red app. I touch it with my finger, and¡­

 Chapter 83: The Tragedy Of Faye (December 27 Part 4)

    <Ashley>


    I open my eyes, and immediately take in the scenery in front of me, which is a huge lawn with many curved walking paths paved through it, accompanied on either side by landscaped bushes and flowers. On the other side of the lawn are a few large, tan-colored buildings. The architecture style is old-fashioned, as the entrances to several of the buildings have huge, ornate pillars holding up the front awnings, reminding me of images I¡¯ve seen of buildings in Washington D.C. Wherever this is, it¡¯s definitely not Enchantment City, or anywhere in Texas, or even California, that I¡¯ve ever been to.


    Next, I notice that I¡¯m not alone. For one, there are several people walking around, dressed in clothes that I can only call quaint. There are many pretty girls walking to and fro, wearing miniskirts or jeans with large, thick belts, and shirts/sweaters that rely overly on vertical and horizontal lines. The men in the area aren¡¯t quite as distinct, but I do notice an unusual amount of flannel and black leather jackets, and one guy with a very blatant mullet. However, all of them pass me by, not seeming to see or notice me.


    That is, until I am approached by one woman who looks appraisingly at me. She is dressed the strangest of this already unusually dressed crowd, wearing what seems to be a long, traditional Celtic dress which is red over the torso, and has an underskirt covering the legs with a pattern of black, yellow and orange. Over her shoulder is draped a dark green, plaid cape, tied in a knot in front of her neck. She holds a long spear in one hand, and thuds it against the ground as she walks as if it were a walking stick. She has a pointed chin, and two scars on her face, one going through one of her large, hazel eyes, and the other on the opposite cheek. Her brown hair is long and unkempt, bushy and curling all the way down to her shoulders. I realize that she reminds me of someone I saw in a dream once, albeit dressed entirely differently.


    She stops a few feet ahead of me and gives me a tough smile. ¡°Ashley. So nice to finally meet you in the flesh,¡± she says. The sound of her voice confirms what I suspected; this woman is Lucy herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor,¡± I tell her sincerely. Nobody around us seems to show any notice of Lucy¡¯s strange garment, nor any sign of worry that she¡¯s carrying a weapon. Come to think of it, they would¡¯ve been reacting to me walking around in a suit of armor as well. I assume from this that we can not be seen by anyone else.


    She gazes at me, a weird hunger in her eyes, as if my appearance is fascinating to her. This makes me feel a little awkward, so I say, ¡°Nice dress. It makes me think of traditional Irish clothes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right, Ashley,¡± she says. ¡°Are you familiar with the culture?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± I say. ¡°My mom is Irish. Every now and then she¡¯ll get nostalgic and talk a little about the traditions and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Your mom is?¡± Lucy questions, still looking strangely fascinated. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ so where are we, exactly?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Inside of a memory,¡± she explains. ¡°Past that, you¡¯d probably know more than I do. I don¡¯t even know whose mind we entered.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Right.¡± I look around, trying to see if I can spot Charlotte¡¯s mom in the area. I spot her quickly on the other side of a nearby street. She is next to a strange building; it appears to be three stories tall, but most of the bottom floor is opened up, with picnic tables and a bike rack, and the top two floors have a long series of identical windows with a hollowed effect. ¡°She¡¯s over there. Let¡¯s cross the street,¡± I say.


    We approach Charlotte¡¯s mom. The fashion of the age fits her quite well. She¡¯s dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans that hug her thighs and ass. (I have to remind myself not to stare.) Like many others, she is wearing a flannel sweater over a simple white shirt. Her red hair is tied in the back, but also allowed to curl down to her neck in the front. She is bent over a vending machine in front of the building, rummaging through her purse for something. Not that she looks elderly in the present day, but I can tell that she¡¯s younger here, as her face has a bright and smooth quality to it.


    ¡°Ashley, this isn¡¯t your mother by any chance, is it?¡± Lucy asks.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I say. ¡°She is the mother of one of my friends, though. She just so happens to also be a redhead.¡±


    Charlotte¡¯s mom looks increasingly distressed; her rummaging of her purse gets more frantic. She eventually sighs out heavily and says ¡° shit ¡± under her breath, looking around.


    ¡°Faye! What¡¯s wrong, girl?¡± another girl¡¯s voice says. Faye looks up to see a latina woman approaching her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough change for anything here,¡± she complains. ¡°Do you have any to spare?¡±


    ¡°Sorry girl, I¡¯m broke,¡± she says, throwing her hands up.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Faye swears. ¡°So much for getting lunch before class.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should get a part time job,¡± the other girl suggests.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Faye says. ¡°But then that¡¯s less time to do homework¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want a quick way to make money, there¡¯s always¡­¡± the other girl mimes something inappropriate with her mouth and one hand.


    ¡°Rosa! Knock it off!¡± Faye chides, looking embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious! You¡¯re gorgeous, I¡¯m sure you could get some guys interested.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Maybe. I dunno,¡± Faye says uncertainly.


    ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t the memory we need,¡± I say, having a realization. ¡°Is there a way we can fast forward or something?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lucy says. ¡°But first, what exactly are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°This woman later went on to work at a strip club or something,¡± I explain. ¡°And that place is involved with the conspiracy somehow.¡±


    ¡°So, she took her friend¡¯s advice, then?¡± Lucy comments, shaking her head. ¡°You hate to see it.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± I question, surprised to see Lucy of all people being so conservative. ¡°It¡¯s her choice what to do with her life.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Her choice is valid¡­ until it ceases to be her choice,¡± Lucy says cryptically. ¡°But never mind that. Ashley, have you ever lucid dreamed before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well, when you want to ¡®change scenes¡¯ in a lucid dream, what do you do?¡±


    ¡°Usually, I walk through a door, thinking really hard about what I want to be in the next room,¡± I answer.


    ¡°Well, Ashley. After you then,¡± she says, gesturing to the front door of the building.


    We both walk inside, and we find ourselves in an entirely new scene. We¡¯re inside what appears to be a hotel, a rather nice one at that. Faye is strutting through the hall, seemingly in a hurry. She looks slightly older than last time, but not by much. Her outfit is exceptionally promiscuous; she¡¯s wearing a sleeveless shirt that leaves little to the imagination as far as her breasts go, as well as very short pink shorts. She is totally dolled up with lipstick and make-up, and her face looks worried and anxious.


    She turns towards a door near the end of the hallway and knocks a few times. She looks worse than Zoe before an audition or test; she¡¯s so nervous she looks like she¡¯s about to burst into tears at any moment.


    A middle-aged man opens the door. He has very short, balding brown hair, and a rugged, round face with a five-o-clock shadow. Upon seeing Faye, his face breaks into a smile. ¡°Ah, Faye my dear, it¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Faye says, turning her eyes away from him and hugging herself.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Ah, of course. Why don¡¯t you come inside?¡± he says.


    She gulps, her breathing shallow and quick. She steps into the hotel room, which has various clothes littering the floor, and various bottles, some empty, across the tables and counters. Lucy and I step in behind her, and then the man closes the door.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore,¡± Faye bursts out as soon as the door closes. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry, I just, I need to get away, it¡¯s too much¡­¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± the man says. ¡°You were our top star. You can¡¯t quit on us now.¡±


    He steps up to her, trapping her against the wall in an intimidating way and looking down at her. ¡°How will you pay off your student loans, little lady?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll have to find another way,¡± she says bravely, looking up at him. ¡°But this is¡­¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± he says in a low voice, cutting her off. ¡°What are you going to do? Get another job? As if anyone would hire a whore.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± she¡¯s trembling, seeming at a loss for words.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at this. You¡¯re better off sticking to it,¡± he continues, walking away from her and grabbing a bottle from next to the TV. ¡°And I have a feeling nothing else is going to work out for you. Call it¡­ professional expertise.¡± He takes a large swig from the bottle, while Faye remains silent. ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m hurt you¡¯d try and walk out on me. I¡¯d like an apology, please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± she says meekly.


    He slams the bottle down. ¡°How about you  show  me how sorry you are, you worthless slut!¡±


    He quickly starts to walk back towards her, to which she finally breaks down and tears the door open. She sprints outside, panicked, and runs down the hallway as quickly as she can. The man follows her to the door, but then just stops and watches her run, a menacing look on his face.


    ¡°You see what I mean, Ashley?¡± Lucy says, her voice a bitter growl. ¡°I¡¯m not judging what a woman does with her life. But men who go after vulnerable young women and exploit them¡­ they will be judged with fire and brimstone.¡±


    ¡°Who is this man?¡± I ask her, feeling utter repulsion and fury at what I just witnessed. ¡°We can track him down. We can make him confess to all of this. We can  ruin  him.¡±


    ¡°I have plans to deal with him in due time,¡± Lucy says. ¡°But for now, let¡¯s remain on task.¡±


    ¡°Right. True,¡± I say. ¡°Further ahead, I think.¡± We both walk through the door to his hotel bathroom.


    It immediately becomes clear that we didn¡¯t go far enough. We arrive in a dingy alleyway, and Faye is sitting on the ground, crying into her lap. I would¡¯ve thought this came directly after the last memory, except it¡¯s nighttime now, and she¡¯s wearing a different colored shirt.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is it either,¡± I tell Lucy. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­¡±


    I briefly stop as another figure walks into the scene. A casually dressed black man, carrying a weird-looking cigarette and seeming very mellowed and relaxed, walks into the alleyway. He stops when he sees Faye. For a moment he looks at her, his eyes glazed over. Then, he takes another hit and says, ¡°You good, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Just go away!¡± she shouts at him, not looking up. ¡°I¡¯m tired of you pimps! Leave me alone already!¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t no pimp!¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m just here enjoying the night, you know?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t answer, and just continues crying into her legs.


    ¡°Hey, you need like, a ride, or food, or something?¡± he offers before taking another hit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®for sale¡¯ right now!¡± she says firmly. ¡°Go find some other whore.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, I don¡¯t need a whore. I was just wondering.¡±


    Her crying finally starts to cool down, and she looks up at him. ¡°You mean¡­ you don¡¯t want ¡®something in return?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m good,¡± he says obliviously. ¡°You look like you need some help though, miss. You lost? Where do you live? I¡¯ll drive you home.¡±


    ¡°What were you saying?¡± Lucy says.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I say. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving forward in time.¡±


    It takes several more attempts to finally get to the right point in the timeline. Along the way, Lucy and I see more glimpses of her life. Of her and that black man from the alley falling in love, and getting married. Of the two having a baby ¡°boy¡± named ¡°Maurice¡­¡± Of course, that¡¯s actually Charlotte. I see the family moving to Enchantment City, and Charlotte growing up in their apartment. Most of the memories we see for a while involve Charlotte, whether it¡¯s Faye sticking Charlotte¡¯s crude, early drawings to the refrigerator, or Charlotte and Jason having sleepovers¡­ we eventually get to the teenage years, and I see Charlotte coming out to her parents as ¡°gay,¡± and then later coming out as trans. Both instances went far better than my own coming out experiences, I¡¯ll just say that much.


    Finally, we reach our destination. We come through a door, and see Faye sitting in a plain white room, with mirrors on one wall. Faye is sitting at the counter, checking herself in the mirror and applying makeup. She¡¯s wearing¡­ there¡¯s no way around this¡­ a really sexy bunny costume. She looks basically identical to when I saw her at Charlotte¡¯s apartment just now, except for, you know, the clothes.


    ¡°I think this might be it,¡± I tell Lucy. ¡°This must be that strip club she worked at.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯ll be a memory she has a strong emotional attachment to,¡± Lucy explains. ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens.¡±


    A young looking man sticks his head through the door. ¡°Almost ready, Mrs. Viridian?¡± he says. ¡°You¡¯re on in five!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be ready,¡± she says.


    ¡°You look lovely as always tonight,¡± he says.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she says carelessly.


    The man leaves, and for a while Faye just sits there and finishes her makeup routine. She closely examines her reflection in the mirror, seemingly looking for any possible imperfection. There is a thump from the hallway, which she doesn¡¯t immediately notice, engrossed as she is.


    But then, someone else comes to the door. I¡¯m rather alarmed to see that it¡¯s a very thin girl who¡¯s about my age, with olive-colored skin and long, black hair. She watches Faye for a moment, but Faye notices her and turns around. The girl is startled, and starts to walk backwards away from the room.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Faye calls. She quickly gets up from her chair and goes to meet the girl in the hallway. The girl simply freezes in place and stares at her blankly.


    ¡°Oh, sweetheart. You must be lost. This is an adults-only area, do you understand?¡± Faye explains kindly. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help you find your way. Where are your parents, dear?¡±


    The girl hesitates, looking around. And then, she says, ¡°My parents are in¡­ in¡­¡±


    ¡°In the restaurant next door?¡± Faye offers helpfully.


    ¡°In¡­ donesia,¡± the girl says.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Faye says, nonplussed, fidgeting with her bunny hood. ¡°In-do¡­ like the country?¡± she frowns for a moment. But then, slowly, the realization hits her. Her eyes go wide, her face goes totally pale- she starts to breathe heavily. ¡°No,¡± she says softly. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, I¡¯m okay,¡± Faye says. ¡°How¡­ did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I came up the stairs,¡± the girl says simply.


    ¡°The stairs? There are no stairs here,¡± Faye says. ¡°I mean, how did you get to America?¡±


    They hear footsteps and chattering voices from an adjacent hallway. Faye suddenly snaps to attention and says, ¡°Never mind that. I¡¯m going to get you out of here, okay? Stay quiet, stay close to me, and walk fast. Do you understand?¡±


    The girl nods.


    Faye quickly throws on a jacket and a pair of pants that were sitting on the counter, tears off the bunny hood, and then starts to quickly walk through the halls with the girl, one arm wrapped around her.


    She takes her down a series of identical, dingy hallways, before reaching a door that goes outside. However, before they can reach it, two men catch sight of them, and one of them shouts, ¡°HEY!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Faye says firmly, her and the girl breaking into a full run.


    ¡°WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE GOING?¡± The two men chase after them. The Indonesian girl trips, falling to the ground, allowing the men to catch them. The girl is grabbed by the torso by one of the men, to which she bursts into tears. The other man cruelly shoves Faye down to the floor.


    ¡°WHAT¡¯S GOING ON HERE?¡± She shouts at them. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT GIRL?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be more worried about yourself, Viridian,¡± the man says. ¡°Your position at  Play Hard Gentleman¡¯s Club  is hereby terminated. And if you don¡¯t get lost, you may find yourself in jail, guilty of smuggling underage children into an adults-only area.¡±


    ¡°You bastards! You can¡¯t cover up the truth!¡± she says defiantly, getting back up to her feet.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find nobody¡¯s going to listen to a stupid woman like you,¡± he says. He yanks open the door and throws her outside, kicking her in the rear on the way out with the flat of his shoe.


    The night is dark, only the slightest hint of dawn forming on the horizon, and I recognize the scenery around us as being the city of Austin. The door slams close, leaving Faye on the ground again, crying on her side.


    ¡°Well Ashley. I think that was the evidence you were looking for,¡± Lucy says.


    ¡°It sure was,¡± I say, feeling so furious that I¡¯m slightly worried I¡¯ll burst into my flame princess form again. ¡°I¡¯m gonna find this place and burn it to the ground.¡±


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Ted and I hurtle across the courtyard after the second man. He is just trying to open the back door of the van when we intercept him. I let Ted take a shot on him, worried that one of my broader-ranged attacks may hit Charlie. The man must have some sort of armor that protects him, because he only winces at the gunshot, and then turns on me. I run up while he¡¯s disoriented and punch him hard in the chest, knocking him down.


    Ted tears off the duct tape covering Charlie¡¯s mouth, to which Charlie starts screaming incomprehensibly, seemingly in a full blown panic. We need to get him back to the real world ASAP. The man I knocked down is trying to get back up, so I whack him in the side of the head with the butt of my shotgun, which seems to knock him unconscious. I then rummage around his robes and find his cell phone. It seems that like us, he uses this to travel back and forth between worlds.


    I turn back to Ted and Charlie, to see that Ted has completely untied the ropes around him. I prepare to make our exit, when an intense electric shock runs through me¡­ I am momentarily unable to move, and fall on my face to the ground, the cell phone tumbling out of my hands several feet away from me. Ted desperately starts to take shots at whoever is behind me, but soon he is hit with an electric attack too.


    ¡°Charlie! Grab the phone, press the red button!¡± I command him, finding I can still move my mouth.


    ¡°Wh-What?¡± he says.


    ¡°Grab phone! Press red!¡± I repeat. I feel a hand on my foot, dragging me backwards. I tried to kick whoever it is, but my legs are useless.


    Charlie dives blindly for the cell phone, and then quickly disappears. I breathe a huge sigh of relief. We saved him!


    ¡°You are going to repay us for that, little girl,¡± a man¡¯s voice says. I am picked up and thrown into the back of the van. There are two more men, also wearing capes, one of whom must have been shot by Ted, as he is bent over and holding his side in pain. The uninjured man grabs Ted and chucks him into the back with me. A third man is trying to revive the one I took out.


    ¡°Bring them back to the base,¡± the injured man orders. ¡°And tell Ms. Patel that we discovered who our meddlers are.¡± The other man slams the door to the back of the van, and then it is silent.

 Chapter 84: A Viper In The Grass (December 27 Part 5)

    <Anja>


    ¡°How is she in trouble? Did you run into someone bad?¡± I ask the three of them.


    ¡°It''s... she''s... I-i don''t know!¡± Jason pants. ¡°I must have been hallucinating, I don¡¯t really know what happened.¡±


    ¡°We met a strong looking man, and Zoe started asking him questions about where Charlie was,¡± Kat explains. ¡°Then I think we had some shared hallucination with, like, this place from an old horror movie, with like a red sky and a big mansion?¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± I say. They got taken to the Metaverse! ¡°Is Zoe still there?¡±


    Kat is opening her mouth to answer, but she¡¯s interrupted by the sound of a child screaming near us. A young sandy-haired boy runs towards us, away from the main office.


    ¡°CHARLIE!¡± Jason shouts. ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡±


    Jason runs to Charlie and wraps his arms around the boy. ¡°Breathe in deep¡­ you¡¯re okay. You¡¯re okay, buddy.¡±


    ¡°He¡­ he got out,¡± Collin says weakly, still sniffling. ¡°So where¡¯s Zoe?¡±


    Now that he¡¯s stopped, I notice that Charlie is carrying a cell phone. ¡°Hey, wait a minute. Does Zoe still have her phone?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No,¡± Collin says, holding out a different one that I recognize as Zoe¡¯s. ¡°She gave it to us¡­¡±


    ¡°This is bad. This is very bad,¡± I say. I take one deep breath, and say, ¡°Everyone, listen up. All of you need to get somewhere safe, right now. Take this little boy home, and then go to Jason or Charlotte''s apartments.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think this boy''s home is safe for him right now, based on what we saw,¡± Kat says. ¡°They were just gonna drag him away, and his ma didn''t even seem worried.¡±


    ¡°We''ll bring him back to my place then,¡± Jason suggests.


    Collin just shakes his head. ¡°Anja, what the fuck was any of that?¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, I don''t have time to explain right now,¡± I tell them. ¡°Just get somewhere safe, now. Me and the others are going to help Zoe.¡±


    ¡°You heard her, Collin. Let''s get out of here!¡± Kat says. The three and Charlie quickly half-walk, half-jog to Jason¡¯s apartment. I get out my phone to let the others know what¡¯s going on.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    Ted and I are left to lay limply in the back of the truck for a while, before finally, the effects of the shock seem to wear off. Well, partially. I can move my arms and legs again, but when I try to blast apart the walls with my nuclear magic attacks, nothing happens. I try summoning my shotgun, thinking maybe I could blast down the door with it, but again, nothing happens. None of the usual motions I make to cause those seem to work.


    Terror is starting to set in as I realize how hopeless the situation we¡¯re in is. I slide back down to the floor, cradling my legs and starting to rock back and forth. I see Ted trying some of the same things I did: making hand motions like he wants to blast the doors down with fire, only to growl in disappointment when it doesn¡¯t work.


    ¡°What did they do to us, Ted?¡± I ask, my voice coming out as a whimper. ¡°It''s like our powers are all gone¡­¡±


    ¡°I dunno what kind of infernal weaponry they got there!¡± Ted responds, slamming his hand into the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s like they just¡­ turned off our Personas,¡± I say. I look down at my dress; the royal outfit remains, but it¡¯s clearly not doing me any good now. I feel a strange sense of discontent looking at it now.


    ¡°Must''ve been expecting us,¡± Ted comments. ¡°¡®We found our meddlers,¡¯ he said. So they came prepared for some Persona users.¡±


    I put my face in my hands. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid! I thought we¡¯d have no trouble taking them! But I didn¡¯t know anything. And now we¡¯re stuck here! I¡¯ve ruined everything!¡±


    ¡°You saved the boy. That''s somethin¡¯ worth being proud of,'''' Ted says earnestly.


    I breathe a sigh, and lift my head back up. ¡°Well... I guess that¡¯s true. But I''m scared, Ted. How are the others going to know how to find us? I left behind my only form of contact.¡±


    ¡°We won''t wait on them,¡± he growls. ¡°We''ll get through these cowards first chance we get. That''s a promise.¡±


    I lean my head back against the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t see how we¡¯re going to do that, Ted. Still¡­ I''m glad that you''re here with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re never really alone, y¡¯know,¡± Ted tells me.


    ¡°I know,¡± I say. Feeling the need to calm myself, I start petting his head. He must feel sorry for me, because he lets me with no protest. Or maybe he just secretly loves it¡­


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    I wonder what she¡¯s doing in my room. I don¡¯t hear anything. Does she have a ghost sensor? Or wait, no, a mind reading machine. She¡¯s going to use it on my mom through the walls. Oooh, I shouldn¡¯t look, but I¡¯m so curious. I won¡¯t look, though.


    Okay, never mind, I can¡¯t resist. I¡¯ll just take a quick peak¡­


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± I say.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruth asks.


    ¡°She¡¯s just¡­ gone! It¡¯s empty!¡±


    ¡°Yeah that''s supposed to happen,¡± Nova says nonchalantly. ¡°Don''t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Whoah,¡± I say. I wonder where she went? Maybe she¡¯s astral projecting herself or something. But wait, no, then her body would still be there. She can teleport?


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Kevin says. ¡°I think¡­ this is only my second time doing this, so I¡¯m actually not the best person to ask.¡±


    ¡°Well, I''m glad you chose to come along today.¡± Ruth says to him. ¡°You weren''t sure whether to continue this or not, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kevin admits. ¡°But the more I think about it, I don''t think I could live with myself if someone was in trouble and I didn''t help out.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± I say to Kevin, feeling warm at his words. ¡°It really touches my heart that you came here just to help me¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean, uh, I didn¡¯t know you yet,¡± he says awkwardly. ¡°But yeah. I¡¯m happy to help you out!¡± He smiles at me encouragingly, and I feel like I¡¯m about to melt, right here and now, into pudding on the floor. ¡°Uh¡­ are you okay?¡± he asks after a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ great,¡± I say. I quickly turn away and pretend to, uh, find the, thing, on the wall. Yeah.


    His voice starts speaking again. ¡°So, while we''re waiting on Ashley, I''m curious. You''re transgender, right?¡±


    Oh. My good mood from a moment ago immediately collapses into anxiety. ¡°Well¡­ you see¡­ yes,¡± I answer reluctantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it as a bad thing,¡± he says quickly. ¡°But I¡¯ve never met anyone like you before. I¡¯ve only ever heard vague stories.¡±


    ¡°You know what the term means, right?¡± Ruth¡¯s voice asks.


    ¡°I know the basics,¡± he says. ¡°It''s basically when you''re born as a man or woman but you''d rather be the other, right? So you get surgery and stuff to make it look like you''re that.¡±


    ¡°I mean, basically?¡± Nova interjects. ¡°Doesn''t have to be surgery, you can just use these hormone things, and you wear clothes like the gender you want, and before long nobody can even tell you were ever anything else.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s called ¡®passing¡¯,¡± I say, turning back towards the others, starting to feel excited. ¡°Most new people I''ve met in the past couple months just talk to me like I¡¯m a girl. It¡¯s the best feeling!¡±


    ¡°So, do you not want people to know you''re transgender?¡± Kevin asks, scratching his chin.


    ¡°I don''t mind people knowing, unless they''re gonna be hateful about it,¡± I explain. ¡°It''s more that I want people to see me as a girl. Like, not just a weird guy crossdressing.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like¡­ hmm. Well, I can¡¯t say I understand how that feels,¡± Kevin says thoughtfully. ¡°But I''ll respect it.¡±


    ¡°Most people won''t know how it feels,¡± Ruth says. ¡°Only about 1 in 200 people are trans.¡± [Although tbh in this story it¡¯s more like 1 in 20.]


    ¡°Yeah isn''t it kinda like, you just hate being the gender you started as and your body looks wrong, so you have to change it?¡± Nova says.


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it,¡± I say. ¡°There¡¯s also a part of it which is social, too. Like, I don''t want people to assume I like boy things. I don''t wanna go lift weights and then drink beer while watching sports, I want to be running around the house in an apron cooking and cleaning!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a very simplistic way of putting it,¡± Ruth says. ¡°The social and personality traits, interests, and manners of expression we assign to gender are varied. You can identify with some of them, all of them, none of them¡­ What is considered ¡®masculine¡¯ versus ¡®feminine¡¯ is almost entirely arbitrary and depends on the culture you¡¯re from. For example, nothing wrong with wanting to be a housewife, but¡­ I¡¯m a girl, and I can¡¯t really relate to that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a girl,¡± Nova says, picking at his cheek in a way which makes the skin around his eyes get stretched out (it looks really funny.) ¡°I was never interested in sports. Then again, that¡¯s just because I¡¯m a gamer. I guess that¡¯s mostly a guy thing. Okay, never mind. Unless¡­¡±


    Nova¡¯s rambling is interrupted by the door to my room flying open and nearly slamming straight into my ass. I jump aside with a yelp, and see that Ashley is back, and she¡¯s visibly pissed as fuck.


    ¡°Whoah, someone''s more pissy than usual.¡± Nova says.


    ¡°Did you find anything out?¡± Kevin asks, somewhat cautiously.


    ¡°Oh yeah I did,¡± Ashley says in sort of a low growl. ¡°Get Zoe, Anja and Ted in here. I know what we''re going to do.¡±


    ¡°Anja went to go look for Zoe, they should be back soon,¡± Nova explains.


    ¡°Why''d she have to go looking for them?¡± Ashley asks aggressively.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I... don''t know?¡± Nova responds, looking disoriented.


    ¡°Has Zoe said anything in the group chat?¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°...No?¡± Nova says.


    Without another word, Ashley storms out of the apartment.


    There¡¯s a moment of awkward silence, before Nova puts both hands on his cheeks and starts rubbing them up and down. ¡°What the fuck? What are we doing? I¡¯m so confused.¡±


    ¡°Ashley clearly has some plan,¡± Ruth says. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait for everyone to be gathered, I guess.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime¡­ question,¡± I say. ¡°Okay, I remember that Zoe is Collin¡¯s sister, but who exactly is Ted?¡±


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Before I can start drafting a message to the others, I notice Ashley walking towards me. Prepare for impact¡­


    ¡°There you are,¡± she says immediately. ¡°Where''s Zoe?¡±


    ¡°Well, about that. You need to promise you''re going to hold it together, because we have a situation.¡±


    She glares at me threateningly. ¡°Where is she. Tell me now.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°They ran into a shady character, and Zoe got stuck on the other side. We''re gonna have to go get her out.¡±


    Ashley clenches her fists. ¡°God fucking damn it. What the fuck are you doing standing around, then?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing important,¡± I say sarcastically. ¡°Just ensuring the safety of the small child who was about to be captured and sold into human trafficking!¡±


    ¡°Well then, let''s get in there, then. Right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no shit,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯ll enter by the main office. That¡¯s where she originally went under.¡±


    <hr>


    Entering the Metaverse, we discover what the palace looks like from the inside. Up close, the mansion is surrounded by a dark red sky that is constantly storming. Gotta say, I kinda dig it. Of all the palaces we¡¯ve gone to, this is easily the coolest one aesthetically.


    We quickly look around the courtyard, and see a figure. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not Zoe. It¡¯s a man in a dark cloak, who is limping back towards the mansion from the gate at the end. Ashley and I quickly run to him, weapons raised.


    He raises his hands in surrender, chuckling. ¡°Looking for your friend?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Tell us where she is, now!¡± Ashley commands.


    ¡°You¡¯re here too late. They took her away,¡± he explains, making my blood run cold. ¡°Her and that fire breathing rat thing.¡±


    ¡°Where did they go?¡± Ashley asks. But then, she drops her sword, seeming to realize something. ¡°Actually, never mind. I already know the answer.¡±


    ¡°What? You do?¡± I ask, amazed.


    ¡°Yes. A little place in Austin called Play Hard Gentleman¡¯s Club,¡± Ashley says confidently.


    ¡°You know too much already,¡± the cloaked man says, starting to raise his weapon. I knock him back onto his butt with a gust of wind, and he hits the ground with a grunt and stays down.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Anyways. I¡¯m sure we can find the address on Google Maps. Let¡¯s go burn it to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± I say. ¡°But first. Take a minute to get a grip on yourself, okay? We need to think clearly about this.¡±


    ¡°I''ll get a grip on myself when we get her back,¡± Ashley growls.


    ¡°No. You need to do it now. Not later,¡± I insist. I put my hands on her shoulders. ¡°You can''t shut off. If we''re going to do this you need to be here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this, Anja,¡± she says, knocking my hands off of her.


    ¡°Ashley, when push comes to shove, you always lose control of yourself,¡± I tell her. ¡°You¡¯re not pulling a Leroy and messing us up. We n-¡±


    ¡°No. Shut the fuck up, Anja!¡± she snaps at me. Her eyes seem to burn with fury; her body language is threatening. Her hands are balled into fists again, as if ready to knock me out of the way. ¡°I don¡¯t care about anything right now. Not even my own safety. I will do anything it takes to get her back, and that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem!¡± I scold her. ¡°You can¡¯t lose your head. We have to work together. Do you think that I don¡¯t care about her?¡±


    ¡°Zoe is everything to me,¡± Ashley states plainly. ¡°If I lose her, my life won''t be worth living anyway.¡±


    And that¡¯s when I lose it too. In a moment, my frustration at her turns into horrible, overwhelming hurt. I ask, ¡°So I don''t mean anything to you, then?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She snarls at me. ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    ¡°So what? If we fail, then you''re just going to kill yourself? Is that it?¡± I shout at her. ¡°And then what? I¡¯ll tell you what. I''ll have lost two friends in one day. Thanks a lot, you selfish bitch!¡± I run out of steam and dissolve into crying, breaking down completely.


    Ashley seems dumbstruck for a long moment. After a while, she starts stammering, ¡°Wait... Anja... Come on, that''s¡­¡±


    But then, she trails off. Her face suddenly goes blank, and she¡¯s fixated on something behind me. Still sniffling, I turn around to see¡­


    There¡¯s another figure. It¡¯s a dark-skinned woman wearing a Hawaiian t-shirt. She is walking up to us in a leisurely strut, as if¡­


    As if she owns the place.


    She stops a few yards in front of Ashley and I. She looks around with a serene smile, as if admiring the scenery. ¡°Ah, such a lovely day at the manor today,¡± she comments. ¡°Oh, and here comes my dearest pet.¡±


    I duck involuntarily as something black flies straight over our heads. Ms. Patel sticks her arm out, and a large, black raven lands on her wrist. It perches, sits, and does nothing more. It makes no sound, and only stares at us with its fiery eyes.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Ashley asks bluntly.


    The lady ignores her, and looks over at the caped man laying on the ground, rolling her eyes. ¡°Couldn¡¯t even handle a few children, Victor? I have to do just about everything around here, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Lady Patel,¡± the man cries out pleadingly. ¡°Please, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, just zip it already,¡± she chastises him. Then, she turns back to Ashley and I with a smile. ¡°Well, aren''t you two cute? Looking for your blonde friend?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the landlady here,¡± I say, the shock of her appearance grounding me again. ¡°And the owner of this palace.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm!¡± she says.


    Ashley takes a deep breath, and then says dryly, ¡°We¡¯re getting her back. Stay out of our way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not getting in your way,¡± she says defensively. ¡°In fact, I think I can help you out.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ashley says incredulously.


    ¡°I can get her back for you. No need to expose yourselves. No need to fight,¡± she says. ¡°I have a considerable amount of sway over how things go, you see.¡±


    ¡°My lady,¡± the man named Victor grunts. ¡°You can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I said ZIP IT!¡± screeches Ms. Patel, before turning back to us, smiling again as if nothing interrupted.


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± I say, feeling skeptical. ¡°And let me guess, there¡¯s a huge catch. No thank you.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find my terms quite reasonable, actually,¡± she says, seemingly sincere. ¡°But this is no place to discuss such things. How about the three of us ladies step into my office?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not a huge trap,¡± Ashley says sarcastically. ¡°Just get out of our way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, honey, that¡¯s the thing,¡± Ms. Patel says with fake sympathy. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about traps¡­ you¡¯re already in one. You think you¡¯re going to be able to take the place by storm, just like that? You think an organization such as this won¡¯t have the highest security around? And I do mean security set up in both worlds.¡±


    Ashley and I glance at each other. Security in both worlds?


    Ms. Patel smiles widely, seeming very satisfied. ¡°There is a lot you don¡¯t know about what¡¯s going on. You two can talk it over if you wish. I¡¯ll be waiting in my office.¡±


    She lifts her arms, and the raven takes off from her wrist and flies back towards the mansion. She struts over to the man named Victor, pulls out her phone, and both of them vanish, leaving only Ashley and I.

 Chapter 85: A Dime A Dozen (December 27 Part 6)

    <Zoe>


    The truck has no windows. No way to see into the outside world. All I know is that after a while, the truck comes to a stop. And then, I come back on the other side with my backpack, both of my arms being held by men, being led down a series of dingy hallways. I halfheartedly try to wrestle free, but there¡¯s no point. They are clearly far stronger than me. Without even seeming to notice my attempts, they drag me through a door marked  maintenance personnel only.  There are a few strange generators which hum as we walk past. Behind the last one is a staircase that leads into a part of the building which is underground.


    The underground portion is different. The walls and ceiling are painted black. Even with the lights on, it looks as if I¡¯m always staring into an empty void.


    ¡°¡®Ey! Anyone down here?¡± says the man to my left.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here,¡± says a third man who comes around the corner. I don¡¯t really see what he looks like since I¡¯m looking at the floor, but his voice gives me the impression he¡¯s not quite as ¡°tough¡± as the other two. ¡°Ooh, what have you got here?¡± he asks enthusiastically.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never believe it,¡± says the man holding my right arm. ¡°This cute thing was attacking some of our men in the dark world. She had a stand, and even an animal sidekick!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s awoken?¡± the third man says. ¡°But she can¡¯t be older than sixteen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take her for granted,¡± the right man continues. ¡°She is a tough one. She is to be kept under maximum security.¡±


    ¡°You know what that means, right?¡± The left man says. ¡°She must be the one who compromised Agent EU7-33. We found her in Enchantment City, so she would¡¯ve gone to that school.¡±


    ¡°Well well well,¡± the third man says, stepping up to me. ¡°You made us snuff out a new agent, and a potentially highly useful one. A young woman who works around children, who already knew how to lure them in and had practice doing so? We couldn¡¯t have asked for a more ideal recruit. And you ruined all of that. So you¡¯re going to help make up for it by getting us a  lot  of money.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the great thing about business,¡± the left man says. ¡°One door closes, another opens. Now we have an adorable little white girl with curly blonde hair. The bidders will go absolutely wild for this one.¡±


    ¡°Anything to say for yourself?¡± the third man says. I don¡¯t reply, and instead stare intently at the floor. He starts brushing through my hair with my fingers, which makes me feel so gross that I might shave my head after I get out of here.


    ¡°We should check out what¡¯s in her backpack,¡± the right man says. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t put it past this one to have some sort of contingency plan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check it,¡± the third man says. While he walks behind me, I say a quick, silent prayer that Ted bites him very hard. My prayer is answered at once, as the sound of the unzipping of my backpack is followed by a ¡°YEOWCH!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Agent?¡± the right man asks.


    ¡°SHE¡¯S GOT A WILD ANIMAL BACK HERE!¡± he yells. I hear a bunch of thuds behind me, like the third man is stumbling around, but the two men on my sides don¡¯t move an inch.


    ¡°YER VERMIN!¡± Ted cries, his accent going even more southern in his rage. ¡°YER SCUM! SCUM O¡¯ THE EARTH! I¡¯LL TAKE YE DOWN!¡±


    ¡°GET OFF OF ME!¡± the third man yells.


    ¡°Just get him under control!¡± the left man barks at him. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take the new girl to her room.¡±


    ¡°HE¡¯S GETTING AWAY!¡± the third man yells. ¡°COME BACK HERE!¡± I hear loud footsteps moving quickly further away.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± the left man says under his breath. The two start briskly leading me down the hall again.


    It¡¯s not long before we reach our destination. A door is opened, and I¡¯m roughly thrown inside.


    I immediately push myself up to a sitting position and look around. It¡¯s a dirty room, with no decorations on the walls, and a metal toilet in the back corner next to a small sink. There are several mattresses sitting around near the walls, most of which have disgusting stains on them, which I don¡¯t even want to think about the origin of. All of them are currently empty, except for one. On a mattress in the middle of the back wall lies a girl with olive skin and black hair, wearing a purple undershirt. My first thought is that she looks a little bit like Yonca, but there are clear differences; this girl is taller, she has a wider nose, and her eyes are more round and slanted. She doesn¡¯t seem to register me coming in at all; her face is completely vacant, her eyes half-closed, as if she¡¯s half-asleep.


    ¡°Welcome to your new home... Well, actually, it probably won''t be for long,¡± one of the men says from the doorway.


    ¡°We had to drug her out real good after she tried to get out,¡± the other says, referring to the olive-skinned girl. ¡°So no escape attempts for you, okay blondy?¡±


    I don¡¯t give any answer.


    ¡°Shall we start the breaking process then?¡± one of them says.


    ¡°No dude. It''s late on a Friday. I wanna go home,¡± the other complains.


    ¡°Fine. We''ll get started on Monday. Get some beauty sleep, girls.¡± The door slams shut, and all is silent.


    I turn towards the door. It is a solid block of steel. There isn¡¯t even a doorknob. It must only open from the other side. I closely examine the edges of the door, to see if there¡¯s any way to take it off the hinges, or maybe if there¡¯s a way for Ted to sneak around it. However, it seems airtight.


    I think about Ashley and the others. Do they know what happened to me? Will they know how to find me? Could they be on their way right now? Or are they as lost and confused as I feel? Are they combing the apartment complex looking for some sign of me?


    No¡­ no, they have to know something. I got Collin out¡­ he would¡¯ve told the others what he saw. The others would be smart enough to figure out I got stuck in the Metaverse.


    But how could they possibly trace me back here? I don¡¯t know where I am. Even if I had a phone, I couldn¡¯t give them any address. I don¡¯t even know what city I¡¯m in. Only that, based on the time I was inside of the truck, I have to still be in the central Texas region.


    I turn back towards the other girl. For a brief moment, I notice that she seems to be awake now, watching. But, as soon as she sees me looking, she turns away from me, facing the wall.


    With Ted gone for the time being, I could use a friend to talk to.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Hi... what''s your name?¡± I ask her.


    She doesn¡¯t respond. Maybe she¡¯s shy?


    ¡°I''m Zoe,¡± I introduce myself. ¡°I just got here a few minutes ago.¡±


    No response.


    ¡°One of those men said you tried to escape,¡± I continue. ¡°You must be so strong. Maybe with both of us together, we can get out of here.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to worry. Didn''t you hear them?¡± she says. Her tone sounds biting and bitter.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I ask, confused.


    ¡°You won''t be here long,¡± she explains. ¡°You''re like a precious gem to them. Girls like me are a dime a dozen.¡±


    I contemplate this. She thinks they see me as more valuable than her. Come to think of it, they did say something like that in the hallway. Something about my curly blonde hair.


    Girls like me are a dime a dozen¡­  Why? She¡¯s certainly not ugly. It doesn¡¯t make any sense.


    I feel guilty, but I don¡¯t know why. My thoughts and feelings are so confused as I try to figure out the meaning of everything. I don¡¯t try to talk to her again for a while, and instead find the least stained mattress in the room to curl up on and process everything.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I knock on the door to the office. Ms. Patel answers, and gives us a false sweet smile when she sees us. ¡°Good afternoon, ladies. Please step inside.¡±


    Anja and I are silent as we step into the office. Her office is tidy and sterile. Neither her desk or the walls show any sign of a life outside of work, no husband or children. Only  Kelly Patel  on a golden block on the desk and neat stacks of paper. Behind the desk is a bookshelf, which I notice seems to have a gothic literature theme. I spot  Frankenstein,  Dracula  and a huge black book of the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe.


    ¡°Take a seat, will you?¡± she says, taking her own seat behind the desk and gesturing at two red-colored armchairs which Anja and I sit in.


    ¡°So, let me guess,¡± I say. ¡°You''ll go rescue Zoe from her captors, and in return you don''t want us to rat you out or beat your palace. Is that why we¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Very to-the-point, I see,¡± she responds, peering at us closely. ¡°I only wish to ensure that you don¡¯t do anything hasty which could get yourselves into worse trouble.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I say incredulously. ¡°My girlfriend is currently in the hands of child molesters! Ones that  you  were allowing to stroll into your apartment complex and grab whatever children they wanted! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s gonna be in big trouble.¡±


    ¡°Ah, she''s your girlfriend, is she? Not to worry. She is in no immediate danger. I personally have seen to that.¡±


    I huff at her and put my head back. ¡°Oh good, you told the child molesters to wait thirty minutes before raping the next one. What a hero you are, we''re so grateful.¡±


    Ms. Patel sighs out loud, looking annoyed. ¡°You''re difficult, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± I respond.


    She spins around in her chair a single time, and then leans over the desk. ¡°You seem to think you have what¡¯s going on here figured out, but the things you believe are not true. I am not ¡®letting them stroll in and grab whatever children they want.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Then explain why they were just dragging away a little boy!¡± Anja spits at her. ¡°From right inside your office, no less.¡±


    ¡°That was a voluntary transaction between the parents of the child and the company,¡± Ms. Patel says. ¡°I had no part in that.¡±


    ¡°But it was to pay for  your  rent,¡± Anja counters. ¡°How much did you pressure them to pay you before they decided to sell off one of their children?¡±


    ¡°Some parents don¡¯t want their children,¡± Ms. Patel says, shrugging nonchalantly. ¡°Can you really blame them?¡±


    Before I know it, I¡¯m getting to my feet and slamming both hands onto her desk threateningly. She is startled back into her chair, but then she meets my eyes fiercely.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± she says slyly. ¡°Attack me. I can tell you want to.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will,¡± Anja says, putting her hand on my arm. ¡°Your  other  self is going to feel our wrath soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha,¡± Ms. Patel says, clearly and coldly enunciating each laugh. She spins away from us in her chair and looks towards her bookshelf. For a moment, all she does is admire it lovingly. Then, she says, ¡°Go ahead. Destroy my other self. Add a second dead body to your count, and then keep pretending that you¡¯re so much better than me.¡±


    My insides, previously burning with rage towards her, suddenly turn icy, as the memory of Ms. Truman vomiting tar swims into my consciousness. I sit back down in my chair.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t killed anyone,¡± Anja retorts. ¡°Your friends did that.  We  would¡¯ve given her a chance to make a better life.¡±


    ¡°A savvy entrepreneur keeps no friends,¡± Ms. Patel says simply. She spins back towards us. ¡°Whatever you tell yourselves to sleep at night, her death was the inevitable result of your actions. You made her feel such shame that she was more or less driven to suicide. And I can¡¯t do anything to keep your girlfriend safe if I feel so awful that I hang myself. And so we reach an impasse.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need you to help us,¡± I tell her. ¡°We''ll do it ourselves, fuck you very much.¡±


    She laughs genuinely this time, hard enough to roll around in her office chair. Finally, she leans back over the desk at us, wiping away a tear, and says, ¡°And yet you didn¡¯t even know they had security. You know  nothing  about what¡¯s going on here, little girls.¡±


    ¡°You don''t know anything about us either,¡± I challenge her.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± She guffaws at us. She starts spinning in her chair again, and it¡¯s starting to piss me off. ¡°Well, I do happen to know that your girlfriend is Zoe Parker, daughter of Abram and Marie Parker. I know that you have several more friends in your little gang who are here on my property right now, waiting for your orders. I know that  you  know the exact location your girlfriend is being held,  and  I know who gave you the information!¡±


    Anja and I glance at each other again.


    Okay. So she knows a few things about us, I guess.


    Ms. Patel smirks at us, deeply satisfied with our lack of a rebuttal. ¡°Don''t you care about your little transvestite friend and her whore of a mother? You know I can get rid of them, in an instant. I could''ve done it last week. I could do it whenever I want! I hold all the chips. I am in control.¡±


    ¡°Don''t call her that,¡± Anja scolds her.


    ¡°What?¡± Ms. Patel asks, sneering.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call Charlotte a ¡®transvestite,¡¯¡± Anja says. ¡°It¡¯s an outdated, derogatory term.¡±


    ¡°Is that really what you care about right now?¡± Ms. Patel says incredulously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anja answers firmly, as serious as I¡¯ve ever seen her.


    Ms. Patel leans back in her chair and breathes out a very long and exasperated sigh. She silently shakes her head to herself. Then, she seems to snap. She leaps out of her chair and begins ranting.


    ¡°Okay, I see now. I see that you two are a couple of heroes. Want to die a hero''s death too? Ignore me and go back to my mansion. See what horrors await. Either way, I''m going to the club to get Zoe out of there. Because, the truth is, I actually don''t care what you do!¡± She knocks over her chair to the floor pointlessly, and then starts picking the stacks of paper on her desk and throwing them.


    ¡°I could WIPE ALL OF YOU OUT!¡± she screams. ¡°I could give your names to the bad men and have them sell ALL OF YOU off to rich people and politicians, but I''m not going to do that, because it''s simply NOT WORTH MY TIME. You play no part in my plans and you are no threat to me!¡± Out of paper to throw, she picks up her golden name block and chucks it in between Anja and I¡¯s heads, to which Anja instinctively ducks. The block flies straight into the door and gets embedded into the wood, half of it still sticking out. Then, she slams her hands onto her desk, mirroring my own position from earlier.


    ¡°You get scared and run home, I win. You go back to my mansion and die, I win. You go back to my mansion and beat me, I still win. That''s the truth. You take down the whole fucking human trafficking empire? I don''t give a fuck. I STILL WIN! So go ahead and do whatever you want. I don¡¯t fucking care. It means nothing to me. I will end up on top, no matter what!¡± She turns away from us and starts kicking her chair. ¡°This is why I will NEVER have children. Children are like weeds that SCREAM!¡± She then picks up her chair, lifts it over her head, and then brings it down onto her desk, causing the legs of the desk to give way and let the entire thing crash to the floor.


    Then, her tantrum is interrupted by a knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Ms. Patel says in a cheery voice, although she¡¯s still breathing heavily.


    A police officer walks in. ¡°You called abou-¡± he is struck dumb mid sentence by the sight of the room.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind the mess!¡± Ms. Patel says. ¡°Yes, if you would please escort these children away? There¡¯s been a recent kidnapping nearby, and I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s any time for children to be playing about.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure right about that,¡± the officer says. He gets out a pair of handcuffs and starts putting them onto Anja.


    ¡°Oh, yes, I suppose these are for our safety too, aren¡¯t they?¡± Anja says, her voice oozing with sarcasm.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. For your safety,¡± he says gruffly. Neither Anja and I resist as we¡¯re cuffed and escorted to the back of a police car.


    And, that¡¯s it. We¡¯ve been defeated. Our adventure is over.


    Except, of course, for the fact that the others in our team are still hanging around the apartment, ready to strike whether or not Ms. Patel reappears with Zoe. And the fact that the officer is taking Anja and I to the police station, the exact place we need to be right now to carry out the next stage of our plan.

 Chapter 86: Illusion Of Free Choice (December 27 Part 7)

    <Anja>


    And so that''s how Ashley and I ended up in the back of a police car. Cuffed like prisoners for the crime of, uh, opposing human trafficking?


    We pass most of the trip in silence, watching the same stupid town as usual pass in the window. A country song sung by a woman plays on the car''s speakers, but it''s so quiet that I can only make out a few words here and there.


    Ashley breaks the silence when she comments, "Wow Anja. You sure know how to push people''s buttons."


    This gets a smile out of me. "Hehe. Yeah, I guess I do."


    She takes a long breath, as if preparing for something. Then, she says, "Anja, I''m sorry."


    Pleasantly surprised, I don¡¯t respond at first. She closes her eyes and continues after a moment. "You are a really good friend, Anja. In fact, with Zoe promoted to girlfriend, you''re the only possible candidate to be my best friend. I... appreciate you."


    My smile grows wider, and I think I turn a little pink. "Oh... thanks Ashley. It does mean a lot."


    We stay silent for the rest of the trip. I vaguely make out the words "All I wanna be is done!" from the song. Well, I can relate to that much.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    Nova was looking out the window as Ashley and Anja were taken away¡­ in cuffs. I can''t imagine what they would''ve been doing to warrant that. The others think there''s a mole within the force, so maybe he realized they''re onto him?


    Because of that, we don¡¯t get any updates from them, but thankfully we didn''t need any. I called my dad, who''s still at work, and told him to be on the lookout for a red-haired girl and a short tomboy with glasses. The rest is in their hands.


    "You''re sure we can trust your dad, right?" Ruth asks when I get off the phone. The four of us are lounging in Charlotte''s apartment near the front window.


    "He''s completely oblivious that there even is a plot," I respond, which from what I could tell is true. "It seems that they''re not communicating within their own ranks."


    "Well,  that  could be an interesting conversation," Charlotte adds.


    "That''s what I''m hoping for," I say.


    "Hey, your landlord''s that Indian lady, right?" Nova asks, still intently watching the window. "She''s getting into her car right now."


    "Really? Where?" I ask, looking out the window and not seeing any movement.


    Nova points, and after a few seconds I spot someone who''s starting up her car.


    "How''d you find her so quickly?" I ask, impressed.


    "I¡­ dunno?" Nova says. "I just saw it."


    "As an fyi, she''s actually Pakistani!" Charlotte corrects. "She¡¯s pretty particular about that."


    "Are you talking about Ms. Patel?" Charlotte''s mom asks, coming into the room. I turn to look at her for a second, and then turn my eyes down to the floor to not be rude.


    "Uh, yeah," Charlotte replies, trying to sound casual. "Just reminding them, since a lot of people assume she''s Indian."


    "Yeah, she does seem to have an issue with that, huh?" Charlotte''s mom says thoughtfully. "Anyways, I wanted to let you all know that you''re welcome to stay for dinner."


    "Thank you very much, Mrs. Viridian," I say courteously. "I''d love to."


    "Well you seem like a nice young man," she says. "What¡¯s your name?"


    "I''m Kevin,¡± I say. I turn back to her, making sure to look at her eyes, and shake her hand. "Nice to meet you." I find myself unreasonably nervous and short of breath talking to her¡­


    "I''m Ruth," Ruth says. "I think I''ll be staying as well. As will Nova."


    "What?" Nova says, looking a little dazed.


    "Wonderful," Charlotte''s mom says, smiling at us all. "I apologize for being cross with you all earlier. I just don''t want any of you getting yourselves into danger."


    "I understand completely!" I say, a little too quickly. "We''ll be on our best behavior." I feel my phone vibrate and ignore it.


    "Where''d those other two girls go?" Charlotte''s mom asks, looking around the sitting room.


    "They went home already," Ruth answers.


    "Hey guys," Nova says in a whisper. "Group chat."


    I feel a rush of excitement. Did Ashley or Anja get their phones? Or maybe Zoe''s telling us she''s alright? I get my phone out and open Skype to see¡­


    Zoe: HEY FAGGOTS


    Nova: ZOE?? HOLY SHIT


    Zoe: NO DUMBASS IT''S COLLIN


    WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE


    Charlotte: Ooh I''m in a group chat :o


    We''re going to rescue her.


    You can count on us!


    Zoe: RESCUE HER FROM WHAT


    EXPLAIN SHIT


    Ruth: You''re safe in Jason''s apartment, right?


    Zoe: YES I''M FINE


    Ruth: Kat and Charlie too?


    Zoe: YEAH EXCEPT WE''RE ALL TRAUMATIZED FROM BEING TRANSPORTED INTO HELL


    Nova: that wasn''t hell


    Zoe: WELL WHAT THE FUCK WAS IT THEN


    Ruth: Please stop shouting.


    Allow us to explain the situation.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Before long we arrive at the police station in town. We''re led past the front desk, which is currently unmanned, and into a plain, fluorescent-lit hallway. Now that we''re here, it''s time for the hard part.


    "Officer," I say. "We need to call our parents. They''ll be worried about us."


    "We will be calling your parents, don''t worry," the officer responds.


    "I¡­ don¡¯t remember my home number," I say, improvising. "I need to check it on my phone."


    "We''re the police, little girl. We have the numbers of everyone in town."


    Well, damn. He seems intent on not letting us use our phones. Does he know¡­?


    Another police officer emerges from his office. This one I recognize; the bespectacled, somewhat square-jawed officer who met us when we escaped from Ms. Truman''s palace. AKA, Kevin''s dad. We''re not fucked yet!


    Officer Snyder looks up at us with recognition. He smiles at Ashley and says, "I thought I told you to stay out of trouble, young miss."


    "You know these girls?" the other officer asks.


    "Sure do," Kevin''s dad says. "They go to school with my son. What trouble did they get into this time?"


    "We didn''t do anything wrong," Ashley says defiantly. "We''re being silenced!"


    "They''ve been disturbing the peace," the other officer explains. "I got there as they had just destroyed a lady''s office. I don¡¯t plan to press charges, but they''re restrained just in case they try to act aggressive again."


    "What??? That wasn''t us!" I protest, but at the same time I curse myself. Of course, she wasn''t just destroying her office for no reason. It was to have an excuse for our arrest!


    "Really?" Kevin''s dad asks. "Does this have anything to do with the disappearance?"


    The police officer can''t catch himself fast enough; there is a brief moment of surprise on his face, before he resets it and says, "A private word, please." He takes Kevin''s dad a little ways down the hall, and they converse in low voices.


    We''re up against a crafty opponent, but we have some tricks up our sleeve as well. Looks like Kevin''s idea was worth something.


    Kevin''s dad ends up taking us back to his office, where we both take a seat across from his desk. In friendlier territory, maybe we can press our advantage and get the ¡®good¡¯ ending. If not, ¡®neutral¡¯ will have to do.


    "Officer. We already know where our friend is," I say. "We can give exact directions of how to get there, so if you could drive us, we-"


    "Officers have it under control," Kevin''s dad says, smiling warmly at us. "Don''t worry, I''m sure we''ll have your friend back soon."


    ¡°Yeah, I''m not holding my breath,¡± Ashley mutters bitterly.


    ¡°Hey now,¡± Kevin¡¯s dad says to Ashley. ¡°Who can we trust, if not our police force?¡±


    ¡°Who can we trust indeed,¡± Ashley responds mysteriously.


    ¡°Officer¡­ hear me out,¡± I say. ¡°Can''t you admit that there have been some strange things happening around here?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± he asks, leaning back in his chair.


    ¡°Remember the day we met? The response for the police officers there was a complete mess. You were the  only one who had the idea of checking security cams.¡±


    He scratches his chin, thinking about this. ¡°How did you know about the... Well, I suppose that doesn¡¯t matter. I think everyone was just confused. We were being told one thing and then another thing, and we never had-¡±


    ¡°My parents were very unimpressed with the other officers there,¡± Ashley interjects, cutting him off. ¡°That¡¯s how we know about that. Seems like they weren¡¯t really motivated when it wasn¡¯t one of  their  kids on the line.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure their hearts were in the right place,¡± Kevin¡¯s dad argues. ¡°But yeah, we could¡¯ve handled that a lot better. What does that have to do with today, though?¡±


    ¡°Because, intentions are not good enough. They must be followed by action,¡± I state bluntly. ¡°And, how do you know they¡¯re going to handle  this  situation well? I¡¯d feel much better if someone we know was on the case.¡±


    ¡°Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but there is a problem,¡± Kevin¡¯s dad explains, trying his best to be patient. ¡°As a police officer, it is important to follow a clear protocol, as breaking it could interfere with an investigation.  This isn¡¯t like one of those movies, I can''t just ¡®go rogue¡¯ and be the hero. Doing so will probably just make everything more confusing. That¡¯s why everything we do has a structure. Not to mention, violating protocol will incur penalties or possibly termination, and I have a daughter going through college and a son who''s not far off from going himself, so my family can¡¯t afford that. If you have issues with how our department is run, your best bet is to take it up with our Sheriff. But I¡¯m not in a position to just take over this investigation.¡±


    Well. I¡¯m not sure how we¡¯re going to convince him now. Might be time for plan B: ask to use the bathroom.


    But before I can say anything, Ashley chimes in, ¡°Hmm. Actually, I think I would like to take it up with the Sheriff.¡±


    Not expecting this at all, I stare at her. ¡°What?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Can you show me the way to his office?¡± Ashley continues, ignoring me.


    ¡°Oh. Uh, sure,¡± Kevin¡¯s dad says, seeming taken aback. ¡°We can walk down and see if he''s there.¡±


    I lean over to Ashley to whisper, ¡°What are you doing? This wasn''t part of the plan!¡±


    ¡°I have a better idea,¡± Ashley whispers back to me. ¡°Just trust me, okay?


    ¡°Alright Anja, hold tight here for a moment. Ashley, follow me,¡± Kevin¡¯s dad says, getting up from his seat. He leads Ashley into the hallway, leaving me to wonder what impulse overtook her. Also, I wish he had uncuffed me before he left, because I actually  do  have to use the bathroom.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    I don''t know how much time passes. I can''t do anything but sit here as the last words of those men and the girl I''m with, who has remained silent since, ring in my ears.


    Images from history books of dark-skinned people in chains, forced to work in fields, echo through my mind as well, and I start to put together what''s going on. There are some people who only value someone by their appearance, and those men are just like them. They view us as chattel, only defined by our monetary value. But even within the chattel, there are some who are preferred. It is unfair, sickening¡­ I guess I understand why she was mad at me. She expects me to just abandon her. Cast away, left for dead, for something of no fault of your own¡­ What a horrible feeling.


    I''m shocked out of my stupor when the door to our room opens.


    For a foolish moment, I expect it to be Ted, or Ashley, or I don''t know, Ashley''s parents, a police officer, someone here to let me free. Instead, it''s a dark-skinned woman I''ve never seen before.


    "Hello there, Zoe," the woman tells me cheerily.


    I don''t say anything.


    "My name is Ms. Patel," she continues. "I''ve come to rescue you."


    I feel a rush of excitement, followed immediately by skepticism to douse it. "The lady from the apartment?" I ask.


    "That¡¯s right!" she confirms. "Your girlfriend is really worried about you. Let''s get you home, okay?"


    She''s talked to Ashley? Maybe she really is helping me. But isn''t she the landlady? I thought she was the bad guy.


    What did they say about her? She makes people "disappear" from the apartment. Can I trust her?


    "How did you find me?" I ask.


    "The ginger girl had figured out exactly where you got taken," Ms. Patel explains. "When she told me, I came right here to get you out."


    I feel a warmth inside of. Ashley  was  out there looking for me- I knew she would be! Feeling relieved, I get up and take a few steps towards the door-


    ¡­


    But¡­


    I turn around. The other girl here, the one with olive skin¡­


    "Wait. What about her?" I ask, gesturing towards her.


    "Hmm? What  about  her?" Ms. Patel asks.


    "I don''t want these men to hurt her anymore."


    "Of course, nobody does," Ms. Patel says, with a poor attempt at a reassuring smile. "But, sometimes life''s unfair. Come on."


    "Hey! Let''s take her with us, too!" I say, smiling. All she has to do is come with us, and¡­


    "That¡¯s not how this works, kid," Ms. Patel says flatly. "Come on, stop wasting my time. Don¡¯t you want to be free?"


    "But... why can¡¯t she come?"


    "We can''t do anything for her. You have a family waiting for you. She doesn''t. She has nowhere to go."


    I think for a moment¡­ "But surely anywhere is better than here," I reason. "Isn¡¯t there a shelter that can take her?"


    "Nope. Come on, Zoe," she says quickly, as if that settled the matter.


    I start to feel frustrated. Why can¡¯t she just take both of us? Is she like the men, in that she believes I''m just worth more for some reason?


    Wait¡­ in that case, she must actually be working with them. Think about it¡­ how else would she be able to waltz in here? Why is nobody else trying to stop her? It makes too much sense¡­ she''s in on this somehow.


    "No," I say.


    Ms. Patel looks shocked, as if I struck her. "No??? Don¡¯t be absurd. Would you rather stay here???"


    I imagine what will happen if I stay here¡­ what exactly are they planning to do? I feel afraid¡­ I remember Kevin, how empty and defeated he looked when Ms. Truman had taken advantage of him¡­


    I look back at the girl. Did they do that to her? No wonder she looks so miserable.


    "I don''t want them to hurt her ever again," I say. "If you really cared, you''d take us both."


    Ms. Patel takes a long, deep breath. I think I made her angry¡­


    "So. You¡¯re just as stubborn as your friends. You bunch of bleeding hearts would rather march to your own demise if it means clinging to the illusion of morality. You know you''re not helping her, right? The options are, you go free and she gets abused, or both of you are abused. What happens to you has no effect on her outcome. So you have no reason to refuse my offer."


    "But those aren''t the only two options!" I plead. "You can take us both! I''m not worth more than her, why should only I escape?"


    "Because your parents are some of the most influential and affluent people in town, idiot girl!" she says sharply. "The town will rejoice when you''re rescued! And her? She''ll just be another burden on the welfare system. Who cares?"


    "ANYONE WITH A HEART WOULD CARE!" I shout, losing my temper. I walk back to my mattress and plop down onto it. "You''re just a selfish person who wants fame. You don''t deserve any. Go away!"


    "So that''s what this is? Spite?" Ms. Patel spits at me. "Spite for the person who came out to free you? Well. Aren''t you an absolutely ingrateful fucking brat then! When you''re being raped six ways from Sunday, remember this moment. Remember when you denied your own freedom out of SPITE!"


    She slams the door, the sound ringing through the room, until fading and dying down, taking my easy chance at an escape with it.

 Chapter 87: An Old Ally, An Old Enemy (December 27 Part 8)

    <Ashley>


    Kevin¡¯s dad takes me down the hallway and around a curb, to a dark, secluded office near the back of the building. Inside is the man who I¡¯ve only met once, but am now banking everything on. He looks about as I remember him; a somewhat chunky man, with a mustache and short beard, and his hair combed back. He doesn¡¯t immediately speak after Kevin¡¯s dad leaves. He breathes heavily as he shuffles things around his desk, looking exasperated. Then, leans back deep into his chair and says, ¡°Davis, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± I answer. ¡°Davis, Ashley Viola. Do you remember me?¡±


    ¡°Vaguely,¡± he says. ¡°So, I hear you have some complaints? Let¡¯s get it over with.¡±


    ¡°The day we met, you talked to another girl, Zoe,¡± I tell him. ¡°She¡¯s missing, right now. Did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I know that,¡± he says gruffly.


    ¡°Did you know that my friend and I were unjustifiably put into cuffs while we were trying to find her?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t say anything to that at first. He grabs a paper from his desk and stares at it for a moment. ¡°My report says that you were disturbing the peace. Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡®girls found destroying the landlady¡¯s office¡­¡¯¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything to her office,¡± I say flatly. ¡°The landlady in question is a big fat liar.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± he says sarcastically. ¡°And the officer who wrote this indulged in her lie. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I say firmly.


    He rolls his eyes. ¡°Oh, brother. I didn¡¯t know you were one of  these  kids.¡±


    ¡°Come on!¡± I chide him. ¡°I thought you, if nobody else, would take us seriously. When Zoe¡¯s parents tried to weaponize the police against us, you refused to cater to them. You don¡¯t let people push you around. Or at least, I thought you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I  don¡¯t  let people push me around,¡± he retorts. ¡°Least of all bratty teenagers.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I tell him. ¡°Do I need to remind you that Zoe, my girlfriend, is missing? We know the exact location she¡¯s being held at. And nobody will even give us the time of day. I thought that the-¡±


    ¡°Wait wait wait, hold up!¡± he shouts at me. He leans forward across the desk, examining me. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you know her  exact location?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I just said,¡± I say. ¡°Would you like to hear what we know, or are you just going to cram us into another office and tell us to shut up, like your men have done?¡±


    He continues to examine me, crossing his arms. ¡°This better not be some stupid lie to get out of trouble,¡± he tells me coldly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I say. ¡°I swear with God as my witness.¡±


    He scoffs at me. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hear it,¡± he says.


    ¡°We were hanging out with friends at the apartment complex called Lake View,¡± I explain. ¡°Zoe was with her younger brother and a couple of others. They met a strange man who was attempting to cram a little boy into the back of a truck. She rescued the boy, but got shoved back there herself instead. By the way, the boy in question needs to be referred to Child Protective Services.¡±


    He exhales agitatedly, and leans back in his chair. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve gotta be shitting me,¡± he says, seemingly to himself.


    ¡°We have reason to believe that she¡¯s at an establishment in Austin named Play Hard Gentleman''s Club,¡± I continue to explain. ¡°That outfit seems to have a shady underside to it.¡±


    He looks back at me, differently this time. There¡¯s an odd clarity to his expression. It¡¯s as if¡­ he¡¯s not entirely surprised by this information.


    ¡°Kid, how old are you?¡± he asks. ¡°Sixteen or so?¡±


    ¡°Fourteen,¡± I say. ¡°Fifteen in May.¡±


    He growls. ¡°You clearly have a talent for getting yourself waist-deep in hog shit,¡± he says. ¡°This man, the one shoving kids into trucks. Was there anything¡­ strange about him?¡±


    It¡¯s my turn to examine him. He has light blue eyes, which seem to be sizing me up.


    Taking risks got me this far. Might as well go for it.


    ¡°Well, the truck wasn¡¯t in a¡­ normal place,¡± I said. ¡°Not in the apartment¡¯s parking lot. It was a secret place.¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh,¡± he says. ¡°And what did this ¡®secret place,¡¯ look like?¡±


    ¡°Like somewhere not even on Earth,¡± I say. ¡°Like something¡­ supernatural.¡±


    I watch his reaction closely, expecting at any moment for him to think I¡¯m crazy, or to blow me off. Instead, he remains expressionless, and turns his chair over to his computer. He spends a while typing things I can see, and then turns back to me.


    ¡°For someone whose friend just had a¡­ ¡®supernatural¡¯ experience,¡± he says, ¡°You¡¯re a pretty cool customer.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t exactly surprised to be met with the supernatural,¡± I say. ¡°You don¡¯t seem shocked either, to be frank.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± he says. ¡°Alright, kid. Let me explain a few things to you.¡± He leans over the table again, getting close to me. ¡°The police can¡¯t fight anything supernatural. Officially, no such thing exists. Are we crystal clear on that?¡±


    I sigh in frustration. I¡¯m just about to think that this was a huge letdown, when he continues on, not needing any response from me.


    ¡°But I¡¯m very concerned about this kidnapping case,¡± he says earnestly. ¡°So, I¡¯ll tell you what. Why don¡¯t you and your friend come with me, and see if we can get an ID on that guy you saw, or maybe the truck?¡±


    I feel a rush of triumph. ¡°Why yes¡­ I¡¯d love to help in any way I can,¡± I say. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯d appreciate being uncuffed, if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    ¡°Just as long as you don¡¯t go tearing up any more offices. Got that?¡±


    He removes my cuffs, and walks me back to Officer Snyder¡¯s office. Anja was evidently uncuffed too, since she¡¯s sitting around using her phone casually. He raps on the door, and Kevin¡¯s dad answers it. ¡°Handing her back to me, Sheriff?¡±


    ¡°Change of plans. I need to go investigate a lead in downtown Austin,¡± he explains. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to take the one with the glasses. Would you kindly call both of their parents and tell them they¡¯ll be home soon?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Kevin¡¯s dad says. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they know what they¡¯ve been up to, and that they¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± the Sheriff says dryly. ¡°Come on, kid.¡±


    Anja wordlessly gets up and joins the Sheriff and I, and he takes us both out to his police car.


    As we walk out, Anja gives me a questioning look. I respond with a firm nod. I can¡¯t help but to smirk a little, too. Our plan is working; if not  exactly  the way we thought.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    The question drifts to me, as though far away. It slowly processes as the room around me comes back into focus.


    I turn and see the other girl. She gives me a look of cautious curiosity.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I say, not sure how to answer. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t leave you behind.¡±


    She says nothing. She keeps looking at me, examining me.


    ¡°And, she confirmed something,¡± I say. ¡°My friends know where I am. They¡¯re coming to save us. You¡¯ll¡­ never have to see those men again.¡± I smile at her.


    She looks skeptical. ¡°Your friends can¡¯t do anything,¡± she says. ¡°The men here are cunning. They know how to hide from the police. They know how to make them go away.¡±


    I keep smiling. ¡°You don¡¯t know my friends. They have.. special abilities. You¡¯ll just have to see when they get here.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    She still looks like she doesn¡¯t believe me. But that¡¯s okay.


    ¡°Maybe we can help them get a head start,¡± I suggest, turning to the door. ¡°You got out once before, didn¡¯t you? How¡¯d you do it?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be possible again,¡± she tells me. ¡°That was in the other room. This one has no handle.¡±


    ¡°Huh? The other room?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think we¡¯re the only two girls in this whole place, did you?¡± she says. ¡°I was originally in another room full of different girls. I found out how to pick the lock of the door. I had heard them saying that one of their agents got caught, so I was going to escape and find an authority. A woman tried to help me get out, but we were caught. I was thrown in here all by myself. As you can see, there is no lock to pick here.¡±


    I look back at the door. Sure enough, there is no lock.  She is to be kept under maximum security,  he said. I feel stupid. I guess it makes sense that we¡¯re not the only two here, but I just hadn¡¯t thought about it until now. It must have to be opened from the outside. Maybe Ted could¡­ no, he¡¯s not tall enough to reach the doorknob.


    ¡°What''d you do to get in here?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I fought several of their men,¡± I say honestly. ¡°I knocked two of them clean out.¡±


    ¡°How? You don''t look very strong.¡±


    I smile again. ¡°There are types of strength far more powerful than muscle,¡± I say. I sigh. ¡°If only I had my phone¡­¡±


    ¡°My name''s Intan, by the way,¡± she says.


    I turn back to her. ¡°In-Tan?¡±


    ¡° In  tan. More on the  in .¡±


    ¡°Intan,¡± I say, the unfamiliar name bouncing off of my tongue.


    She nods.


    ¡°I''m Zoe,¡± I say.


    ¡°I know,¡± she says simply.


    ¡°Intan, where are you from originally?¡±


    ¡°Indonesia. Borneo specifically.¡±


    ¡°Oooh,¡± I say, trying to picture a map, and thinking of a part where there¡¯s a bunch of islands all colored the same color. ¡°Isn¡¯t that in Asia?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answers.


    ¡°Your English is so good,¡± I say.


    ¡°I have not been home in years,¡± she tells me. I suddenly feel sadness so overwhelming I almost break down crying right there. ¡°I know three languages: my home language of Indonesian, Chinese, and English.¡±


    I sniff loudly, holding in the sudden feelings. ¡°Wow,¡± I say. ¡°You know three languages?¡±


    ¡°Halo, nama saya Intan,¡± she says. ¡°´ó¼ÒºÃ£¬ÎÒÊÇӢ̹¡£Hello, my name is Intan.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± I say, impressed. ¡°Indonesian actually doesn''t sound too different from English.¡±


    ¡°They have some similarities,¡± Intan explains. ¡°That helped me learn English very fast.¡±


    ¡°I, uh, know a little French from school. Um... Bonjour, je m''appelle Zo¨¦."


    Intan smiles back at me. I realize it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen her smile. ¡°Not bad,¡± she says.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Charlotte¡¯s parents make beef tacos for us. They¡¯re great. I eat them too fast and have to ask for a drink so I don¡¯t choke on them and die.


    I keep watch out the window while I¡¯m eating, looking for that car the bitch drove away in.


    After I finish eating, I notice that Charlotte¡¯s dad is also looking out the window. I guess it¡¯s just because he¡¯s a black daddy in a town that doesn¡¯t have a huge number of those, but he makes me think of my own dad: He has the same big eyes and messed up black hair. However, he has no facial hair, a more pointy nose, and he¡¯s dressed colorfully in this green vest with little flowers on it.


    Unexpectedly, he points out the window and says, ¡°Ya see that 2007 Toyota Prius pulling out just over there? Blue one? That''s a fine car.¡±


    My eyes lock on to the blue car, as there aren¡¯t that many. Not sure what to say, I just say, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Then, suddenly, a thought occurs to me. ¡°Wait. How can you tell what model it is from here?¡±


    ¡°Because boy,¡± he says, spreading his hands out dramatically, ¡°I know  E V E R Y T H I N G.¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡± I stammer, taken off guard by this.


    ¡°I have super autism powers,¡± he declares.


    ¡°WHAT?¡± I say. ¡°You have autism? But you''re an adult.¡±


    ¡°And I still got it!¡± he says confidently. ¡°I may not remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but I remember the year, model, and brand of every car in this lot.¡±


    I laugh. Yeah, that does sound like an autism thing. ¡°Wow,¡± I say. ¡°I know the number of every Pok¨¦mon.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Charlotte''s dad challenges. ¡°Then what''s number... one-hundred ninety six!¡±


    ¡°Number 196 is Espeon,¡± I rattle off. ¡°It¡¯s a Psychic type, its ability is Synchronize, or Magic Bounce starting in Gen V. It has high special attack, special defense, and speed. Its moves include Psychic, Psyshock, Baton Pass, Reflect, Light Screen, Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Grass Knot¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get the point,¡± Charlotte¡¯s dad interrupts. ¡°You got it too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say. ¡°I got it.¡±


    ¡°Funny story about that,¡± Ruth interjects from the chair behind me. ¡°I''ve never been diagnosed with autism¡­ but I do find some aspects of it pretty relatable,¡± she explains.


    ¡°Why, ¡®cause you remember literally everything?¡± I ask.


    ¡°That,¡± she says. ¡°And I sometimes fail to read people''s emotions. I think very literally. I have ticks I do when I''m upset. I can feel overwhelmed by too much stimulus.¡±


    ¡°And you memorized every Pok¨¦mon''s stats and abilities, and make up teams in your head when you''re bored?¡± I suggest.


    ¡°...No, I don¡¯t do that,¡± Ruth answers, looking bemused.


    ¡°Man!¡± I protest. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that the weird shit you remember is actually important.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there''s a brand-new red 2013 Chevrolet Malibu! It''s a beauty!¡± Charlotte¡¯s dad points out.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, trying to picture the car in my h- ¡°WAIT! THAT''S¡­¡±


    I scramble to the window, and find the red car. It¡¯s her. And what¡¯s more, she¡¯s the only passenger. No Zoe. Fuck!


    Charlotte¡¯s dad raises his eyebrow at me quizzically. ¡°That¡¯s what?¡±


    I ignore him, and turn around and look at my friends. ¡°Uh... guys, it''s time. Plan B.¡±


    ¡°Um, plan B?¡± Charlotte¡¯s mom asks, giving me a weird look from next to the sink.


    ¡°Oh, uh, that''s just his way of saying he wants to see my room!¡± Charlotte invents. ¡°Come on, guys, I''ll show you what art I''ve been working on!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I meant,¡± I say.


    Charlotte¡¯s dad gives me a mock salute. ¡°Roger that. Plan B is in motion. Good luck, soldiers,¡± he says.


    ¡°Uh... okay,¡± I say. I join the crowd going into Charlotte¡¯s room, and prepare myself for the final battle.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Sheriff Hurt takes us away from I-35 and instead on a route through Dessau, perhaps in an effort to avoid the last overtures of rush-hour traffic. Dark has fallen already. Sheriff Hurt isn''t the talkative type, so the car is quiet. Nova''s half of the group just entered the palace. As I expected, Ms. Patel did not bring Zoe back, meaning that it''s up to us to get her out of there. I get bored in the time it takes us to get there, so I spend some time stewing about how awful Ms. Patel is, and how much I can''t wait for her to be the one in cuffs for helping human traffickers.


    It''s when we¡¯re driving through an Asian sub-community when we hear a  thud, thud, thud  from the front of the car.


    The sheriff lets out a long breath. "Son of a bitch," he swears. He pulls the car over to the side of the road.


    "Something wrong?" Ashley asks.


    "Something¡¯s up with the front tire," he says. "Better not be a flat."


    He puts the car in park and gets out. It strikes me immediately how spooky it is to be sitting in a stopped car at nighttime. Pretty sure I saw this scene in a horror movie a few times.


    Although I can''t hear what he says, I can tell that Hurt swears again when he looks at the front left tire. He gets out his walkie talkie, and then pops the trunk and starts digging through it, presumably trying to find the spare.


    I wait anxiously for him to get the spare out already. If that¡¯s what he¡¯s doing. I watch the clock. One minute has passed. Ashley is staring out the window.


    It could be awkward if another police officer comes by, wondering why he¡¯s out of his municipality. I start to wonder how exactly the exchange between him and Ashley went. How much does he know? What¡¯d she say to get him to agree to this? There¡¯s a bunch of thudding from the back. Did he find the tire? All these thoughts spin around in my head, moving so fast that it¡¯s nauseating.


    "Anja, did you see that?" Ashley asks, still looking out the window.


    ¡°No,¡± I say.


    ¡°There¡¯s something moving out there,¡± Ashley says.


    "Come on, Ashley. That''s not funny," I tell her, feeling anxious enough without her.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± she tells me. ¡°Look, ov-¡±


    And that''s how prepared we are when the sound of a gunshot rings out in the night.


    Ashley and I duck instinctively, but it didn''t hit the car; there''s no broken glass. But I hear another, louder  thump  from the trunk and turn to see the Sheriff has fallen face first into it.


    Ashley, for once, looks panicked. She dives straight for her phone, and grabs my hand. I briefly understand that she''s taking us to the Metaverse before I black out.


    <hr>


    When I come through on the other side, it starts to hit. I''m quickly on the verge of hyperventilating when I say, "No... no, he didn''t... he''s not..."


    "He wasn''t moving," Ashley says, her voice shaky.


    "No... how can... who..." I''m incoherent at this point, so I stop talking to rake in breaths in a meager attempt to keep pace with my racing heart.


    Ashley looks like she''s about to do something to comfort me, when her head whips around. She shoves open the door and pops out of the car, summoning her Persona as she gets to her feet.


    I whip my head in her direction in time to hear her say, "You''re going to-" before I hear a staticky sizzle rend the air, as Ashley gets hit square in the chest with green lightning.


    "NO!" I shriek. I fumble for the door on my side and get it over, and then fall out of the car. I scramble to a crawl, as I hear slow, methodical footsteps approach the car.


    I hear a voice- a roboticized voice I know, which makes my blood icy cold. Even worse is what she says. "Where''s Anja?"


    "Fuck you," Ashley spits, followed by a wretch from her as the Dark Trooper steps on her torso.


    "You told me, months ago, that you wanted me to kill you,¡± she says. ¡°Well, sorry for being tardy.¡± I hear the low sound of her gun charging up, when my mind springs into action.


    I jump to my feet and spring on top of the car, shooting a gust of wind at her. When it doesn¡¯t do anything more than ruffle her hair, I dive on top of her, knocking her down and away from Ashley.


    She reacts swiftly, and rolls over to pin me down. "Ah, there you are," she says. And then, she screams as Ashley bludgeons her sword right into the side of her neck.


    Instead of her head coming off, she is simply knocked off of me. She again swiftly rolls over to put some distance between Ashley and I, and gets back on her feet.


    Ashley offers a hand to help me up. As she pulls me, I briefly look into her eyes and see a savage bloodlust. But for once, I don''t find it frightening. Instead, I feel a charge in my own blood, and I feel as if we understand each other.


    "I warned you both to stay out of our way," she growls at us, holding the side of her neck.


    "And I chopped off one of your fucking legs," Ashley bites back. "I had hoped the same trick would work on your head."


    "Enough of this,¡± she says. ¡°Now that I have your attention, I want to talk to you.¡±


    "We don''t have to listen to anything you say," I spit at her.


    "Anja," she says, and something about the way she says it makes me pause. "I have no wish to hurt you at all."


    "You just shot the only one who tried to help us in cold blood," Ashley retorts. "You were seconds away from frying me too. What kind of pathetic lie is that?¡±


    " You , I have no problem gutting," she says, pointing her gun at Ashley. "But I''m bound by oath to protect you, Anja."


    Something jams in my brain at this. ¡°WHAT?¡± I shout. It¡¯s complete nonsense. I must have misheard her¡­


    "You''re very, very bad at taking hints," she tells me. "So my only option left, to get you to  quit  already, is to tell you a truth that will destroy you."


    A truth that will destroy me...? I''m stunned for just a moment. My moment of clarity is gone, and now I am once again very afraid.


    "First thing''s first," she says. She reaches up...


    She grabs the rim of her mask...


    And she takes it off...


    And...


    Oh shit...


    Oh no...


    It''s her...


    My pounding heart just stops right there¡­


    Behind the mask is a face I know. A woman with short, dyed black hair.


    No.


    It''s her.


    It''s my Aunt Kierstyn.

 Chapter 88: Storge And Acedia (December 27 Part 9)

    <Anja>


    ¡°Anja?¡± Ashley asks. ¡°Do you know this person?¡±


    I don¡¯t respond immediately. In fact, it doesn¡¯t even really register that she asked a question.


    It¡¯s my Aunt Kierstyn. She¡¯s behind the mask. She was the one who just shot the sheriff. She¡­ she was the one who was working with Moloch. No¡­  no.


    ¡°You never mentioned me to your friends?¡± Aunt Kierstyn chides. ¡°Anja here is my niece.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ashley questions raspily.


    ¡°And if I¡¯m not mistaken, I grew up with your mom, too,¡± she explains to Ashley. ¡°When we first met by that courthouse, I thought you looked like her. Anja I was expecting, but your mom never seemed like the type to set up her own child down the same path.¡±


    ¡°The same path as  what?¡± Ashley growls. ¡°I wasn¡¯t set up for anything.¡±


    ¡°Right. Whatever.¡± Kierstyn puts away her mask, no longer needing it to hide her identity, and smoothes out her short black hair lazily, while keeping her gun facing Ashley with her other hand.


    ¡°So that was the truth that was meant to destroy her, huh?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°Oh, no, not at all. I haven¡¯t even gotten to the good part yet,¡± Kierstyn says. ¡°But, I wanted to give poor Anja a moment to catch her breath first.¡± She turns to me expectantly.


    Her gaze sets something off in my brain which gets it moving again. ¡°How¡­ could you?¡± I ask. Upon saying it, I can feel tears streaming down my face.


    ¡°How could I what?¡± she asks. ¡°I haven¡¯t even told you what I did yet.¡±


    ¡°You mean other than the times you attacked us?¡± Ashley retorts.


    ¡°You may have noticed that I have yet to actually hurt any of you,¡± Kierstyn says.


    ¡°You electrocuted me. Literally just now!¡± Ashley says. ¡°You lying bitch.¡±


    ¡°And you chopped off my leg,¡± Kierstyn counters. ¡°We¡¯re even.¡±


    ¡°Because you were helping Moloch torture my girlfriend,¡± Ashley hits back. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re more horrible than I thought if you feel  nothing doing that to your niece¡¯s friend.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I say, something dawning on me. ¡°You¡­ all that stuff I told you on the phone¡­¡±


    ¡°...Is how I knew what you were all doing, yes,¡± Kierstyn confirms. ¡°And I warned you again and again, don¡¯t get involved in supernatural stuff. Stay out of trouble. And you ignored me again and again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We came here to crash your plans instead,¡± Ashley taunts.


    ¡°My plans? I had no ¡®plans¡¯ but to keep Anja safe,¡± Kierstyn says. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, think about this. Who do you think reported that whore teacher to the school?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I ask. ¡°Do you mean Ms. Truman?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Kierstyn confirms. ¡°Part of my job is to keep an eye on that human trafficking organization you¡¯re so ready to barge into. So when I saw that one of their new recruits was a teacher at your school, I passed the information along to your administrators. Then, to make sure you all knew about the threat, I sent her sick Tumblr blog to my dear daughter.¡±


    My brain roils on this one for a little bit. Should I distrust her on principle because she¡¯s the Dark Trooper, or trust her on principle because she¡¯s Aunt Kierstyn? Well, she doesn¡¯t really have a reason to lie about this, and it makes too much sense to ignore. Lily refused to tell us how she had found that blog post. And I swear Ms. Truman said something about the school already knowing about her before she did the post.


    ¡°But then, what are you doing?¡± I question. ¡°You should be helping us! Zoe is in their custody, right now! Help us get her out!¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± she says simply. ¡°I told you. My ¡®plan¡¯ is to ensure your safety. Which means sending you home, and not letting you barge into a place where you can get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut the fuck up!¡± Ashley snaps. ¡°I am sick and tired of every adult telling us to just stand aside while they do nothing, while they  know nothing!¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I know a GREAT deal more than you about what¡¯s going on here,¡± Kierstyn explains. ¡°You two are not nearly powerful enough to break into that facility.¡±


    ¡°Then help us!¡± I plead. ¡°Please, Zoe needs us, right now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not responsible for Zoe,¡± Kierstyn says coldly.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t care about children getting hurt, if they¡¯re not personally a part of your family?¡± Ashley scolds her. ¡°That¡¯s just a barely diluted form of pure selfishness and egomania.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only part of it, ginger,¡± Kierstyn explains. ¡°But, now for the good part. I¡¯m bound by oath to protect Anja. An oath I made to my sister, right before she died.¡±


    I gasp. ¡°You were¡­ there when she died?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Of course I was,¡± Kierstyn says. ¡°I killed her.¡±


    For the third time in the past few minutes, I feel as if the world just stopped spinning. I feel numb at this point. I don¡¯t even really realize what she said.


    ¡°The stars had aligned for her,¡± Kierstyn explains. ¡°It was 2006. Everyone was unhappy with Bush. The governor had a big scandal. She could¡¯ve won one of the reddest states in the union. But my boss was not having that. He wanted to kill her, slowly, painfully, and humiliatingly. But I loved my sister. So I said, let me do it. I will make it quick. Dignified. Peaceful, even. When she woke up on the other side, she accepted her death with grace. And she made me promise, Anja, that I¡¯d keep you safe. You were the only thing she talked about, Anja. She couldn¡¯t stop seeing your face.¡±


    Seconds, minutes, pass by. I don¡¯t take in anything she said. I don¡¯t understand any of it. I just feel empty inside. It¡¯s like I shut down.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t make any sense,¡± Ashley finally says. ¡°You say you loved your sister so much, and that you care so much about protecting Anja. But Anja doesn¡¯t want you to do any of this. While I never met her, I¡¯m willing to hazard a guess her mom wouldn¡¯t have wanted this either. You¡¯re not on their side.¡±


    ¡°There are no sides,¡± Kierstyn says simply. ¡°Only staying alive. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    Kierstyn exhales heavily. And then, without another word, she reaches her hand to that green gem embedded into her chest, and seems to vanish into thin air, seemingly having done what she set out to do.


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    Huh? The Metaverse isn¡¯t really anything like how Ashley said it would be. Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be like, a jail cell, with a conservative-political-cartoon version of me? That¡¯s not where we end up at all. We¡¯re in some dimly lit chamber, where everything is of a distinctly blue hue. It¡¯s¡­ bizarre. What¡¯s more, we¡¯re not alone. We¡¯re surrounded by people, all wearing a variety of gaudy outfits. Most strangely, they are all wearing masks; not like medical ones, but Masquerade masks, the ones that go around your eyes. It reminds me of that one part of  Phantom of the Opera. Somewhere that I can¡¯t see, there¡¯s a string orchestra playing a pretty little song.


    Even my friends are wearing outfits, although theirs are much cooler. Nova has a long, slender golden robe and a headdress. He looks so good in it; so bold, so confident, even though at the moment he¡¯s just kinda looking around the room and blinking, disoriented. Kevin- hot damn. The red longcoat and hat, the little fangs, the chiseled frame¡­ okay, I guess he always has that last one, but still, it comes together to give him some serious bad boy energy, and I¡¯m here for it. Ruth¡¯s wearing a fancy, long blue dress, with a splendid white ruffle over the chest, and her hair is all neat and tied into a bun.


    I look down at my own body, expecting to see myself dressed in something fantastic. But, no. I¡¯m still in my house clothes.


    ¡°Hey, not fair!¡± I complain. ¡°Where¡¯s my sexy costume?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, you need a Persona for that,¡± Nova explains.


    ¡°Ooh. Can I have one now?¡± I say. ¡°Give me one!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly something we give you,¡± Kevin says. ¡°It kinda comes to you, when you need it. You know?¡±


    ¡°It would be advantageous to have her awaken it now,¡± Ruth says.


    ¡°Yeah, but like¡­ she can¡¯t just  force  one out,¡± Nova argues.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Ruth asks. ¡°That¡¯s how I got mine.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± Nova asks, looking shocked.


    ¡°You were there for that!¡± Ruth says impatiently.


    "Oh yeah," Nova says stupidly. "Sorry, I forgot."


    ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t realize you could do that,¡± Kevin ponders. ¡°For me, let me think, it was¡­ I had to get free of-¡± he unexpectedly trails off, and looks a little weak.


    ¡°Yeah, I just got mine in the middle of a fight,¡± Nova says. ¡°I thought that¡¯s how everyone did it.¡±


    "Why don''t you unlock it now?" Ruth suggests, turning to me. "Look deep within yourself, and find the burning within you. The desire to rebel."


    "Okay!" I say, feeling hyped. I sit down and look within myself. I see fantastic colors dance before my eyes... I see paintings I''ve done, and ones I want to do... I see bursts of light... HYA! THAT''S IT! I''m going to rebel against this cold, cruel world! TAKE THIS!


    I open my eyes. "GUYS, I DID IT!" I exclaim.


    "Uh, no you didn''t," Nova says flatly. "Your clothes are still the same.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± I say. I look down and, sure enough, nada. ¡°Well, that¡¯s no good. I¡¯ll be out of place and underdressed for this whole party!¡±


    ¡°What kinda party is this anyway?¡± Kevin asks, looking around and frowning. ¡°Everyone¡¯s wearing those little mask thingies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say. ¡°The least we can do is grab some for ourselves.¡± I grab a masquerade mask off of a nearby table. Mine is pink with gold lace around the eye slits, and a pretty little rose on the right side. I slip it onto my face. ¡°How do I look?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s great!¡± Kevin says. ¡°Let me grab one for myself.¡± He grabs a red and lacy one to match his outfit¡¯s color.


    ¡°Wait, where the fuck did that table come from?¡± Nova asks, a little freaked out. ¡°That was  not  there a second ago.¡±


    ¡°Uh, maybe you just didn¡¯t notice it before?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No,¡± he says firmly. ¡°I know I may forget a lot of shit, but I always notice what¡¯s in my immediate vicinity.¡±


    ¡°We are  in a supernatural realm,¡± Ruth comments, as she slips on a silver mask with glittery tiles that look like feathers. ¡°It¡¯s not out of the question that things may pop in and out of existence.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hate it,¡± Nova complains. He grabs a golden mask with splashes of blue on it, as well as a matching blue feather sticking out from the left side. He grimaces at it at first, as if worried it may try to bite him, but then puts it on.


    ¡°Welp,¡± Kevin says. ¡°We should probably have a look around. See what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Look no further than behind you,¡± a familiar female voice says.


    Kevin (rather impressively) jumps several feet into the air, lands, and stumbles away from the voice, which belongs to Ms. Patel, who¡¯s dressed in the strangest outfit of anyone here.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Damn it. She got away.


    I turn to Anja. She¡¯s¡­ something¡¯s very wrong. Not because she¡¯s crying or anything, but because she isn¡¯t. She¡¯s just standing there, staring on blankly.


    ¡°Anja?¡± I say.


    No reaction.


    I reach over and grab her shoulders. ¡°Anja¡­ let¡¯s¡­¡±


    She doesn¡¯t seem to even see me.


    This is no good. This can¡¯t be happening right now. Zoe is trapped, right now. She needs us. And¡­ something¡¯s not right with Anja. She¡¯s broken. What the fuck do I do? God damn it, god fucking damn it all!


    I lose my shit and throw my sword at the ground, which gets embedded there. I run around, I kick up the dirt everywhere. If that¡¯s even what this shit is. I yank my sword out and throw it again. It gets lodged into a nearby tree. I want to grab it and slice the stupid tree into lumber. But, I start to realize then how stupid I¡¯m being. I can¡¯t throw a tantrum now!


    Okay, so. I can¡¯t leave Anja here. That would be extremely shitty, and she¡¯s not okay. So, here¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll pick Anja up, and carry her. I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t really carry her all the way through the heist I guess, but that¡¯ll at least give her some time to¡­ I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s just nothing else to do, I h-


    The pink gem in my breastplate is glowing.


    What? No. Oh no. That means¡­


    ¡­No, the Dark Trooper just left. Did she come back? Why would she? Maybe it was the others. But, they¡¯re too far away by now to trigger that. What¡¯s going on?


    I look around, carefully surveilling our surroundings. I refuse to be 0-2 for having someone ambush us in the trees. But, it¡¯s all still. I don¡¯t see anything.


    But¡­ there is something. Not in the trees. In the sky.


    I look up. It¡¯s small, it looks as if it¡¯s a fair distance away. Like when you see airplanes flying overhead. But it¡¯s not an airplane. It¡¯s a¡­ a butterfly. A purple butterfly.


    How curious. Of course, wildlife often manifests into this world, but it¡¯s usually not so peaceful. But wait. If that thing is in the distance, it has to be way bigger than a normal butterfly.


    I look closer, transfixed. I see the butterfly wings beat back and forth. But, there is something with the torso that¡¯s odd. It looks human. A human with butterfly wings? Not even close to the weirdest thing I¡¯ve seen here, so sure.


    But what could that mean? Are they a friend or foe? Past experience indicates, probably a foe. I yank my sword out of the tree.


    In the time it took for me to do that, they stopped. The butterfly person hovers in mid air. What¡¯re they doing? They¡¯re facing towards us, did they see us?


    They quickly fly downward, disappearing into the treeline.


    ¡°Uh, Anja,¡± I say. ¡°I think we¡¯ve been spotted by someone.¡±


    No response. I turn back to her. She hasn¡¯t moved an inch or changed expression.


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you from whatever it is.¡± I get into a position near Anja, and scan the trees.


    Then, I hear a horrible sound.


    It¡¯s like the sound of church bells, except¡­ like they¡¯re being played at a funeral. They¡¯re clanging in a brooding minor key, filling me with dread, and making my blood run cold.


    And as soon as they began, the bells stop. My heart is pounding. What the fuck was that?


    And then, my heart lurches in shock, as someone very quickly emerges from the trees. I briefly take in huge, beating purple butterfly wings, before I look at the person¡¯s face, and¡­


    She lands on the ground in front of me with a thud. She¡¯s a woman, a woman in her late thirties, wearing a sparkly purple dress that matches her wings, and a black headdress with purple crystal embedded into it, a woman who has pointy elf ears and long red hair, with two neat little braids hanging out in front. A woman with bright green eyes.


    Bright green eyes that are identical to mine.


    It¡¯s my mom.


    How in the-


    ¡°Ashley Viola Davis,¡± Mom says angrily. ¡°You are in BIG trouble, young lady!¡±

 Chapter 89: Nevermore (December 27 Part 10)

    <Ashley>


    ¡°...Mom?¡± I ask. Both as a question to her, and to reality.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± she lectures ¡°You, here, all the way in the middle of nowhere!


    ¡°Mom... what...?¡± I stammer.


    ¡°Of course we had our suspicions about you. I knew you weren''t telling us everything about what happened to that teacher of yours. But this? This is a nightmare!¡±


    ¡°You''re telling me,¡± I agree.


    ¡°Who else is here, hmm?¡± Mom looks behind me, where Anja is still frozen. ¡°Oh, I see Anja''s here too, that''s no surprise.¡±


    Oh yeah¡­ ¡°Mom... there''s something wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°How dare you endanger your friends by dragging them here!¡± she continues over me. ¡°Do you know how worried sick we were when we got the call from the police department? ¡°


    ¡°I didn''t drag anyone here,¡± I say defensively.


    ¡°How long has this been going on, hmm? Did it start with your teacher? Why did you come back? Don''t you have any sense?¡±


    ¡°MOM. LISTEN TO ME!¡± I shout, having had enough.


    She is momentarily shocked into being quiet.


    ¡°Mom... I have as many questions about you as you have about me,¡± I say. ¡°But there just isn''t time for that. Mom, Zoe is in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Oh we know very well that Zoe is in trouble!¡± she chides, crossing her arms. ¡°What do you think drove us out here?¡±


    Wait¡­ ¡°Who¡¯s included in ¡®us?¡¯¡±


    The answer to my question comes lumbering out of the trees immediately after. For the first time in a while, I find myself, in a state of intense stress, on the verge of bursting into laughter.


    It¡¯s my dad. And¡­ he¡¯s¡­ very hairy. His body is covered by blue fur, like he¡¯s some kind of werewolf. Two huge longhorns stick from his head, and thick black hair covers the top of his head and part of his face, as if he had a very impressive mustache and beard.


    ¡°...DAD?¡± I ask, barely suppressing a giggle. ¡°Since when were you a furry?¡±


    ¡°1998,¡± he answers calmly. When his mouth moves, I notice he has two little fangs like a vampire. It¡¯s then when the absurdity of the situation fully hits me.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± I ask incredulously. ¡°You two? And Anja''s aunt? Who else is here? Is Nova''s dad gonna pop up too? Are Ruth''s parents in on this?¡±


    ¡°It''s just us two,¡± Mom clarifies, tilting her head at me. ¡° But what is this about Anja''s aunt?¡±


    ¡°Oh my fucking god. Where do I start?¡± I say. ¡°We just ran into Anja''s aunt. She''s... well, basically she''s a bad guy. And Anja didn''t take it well.¡±


    Mom¡¯s stern expression softens. ¡°A bad guy? Kierstyn?¡±


    ¡°Oh right. You must¡¯ve known her, didn''t you?¡± I ask, remembering the photo Anja found. If Anja¡¯s mom and her were that close, it¡¯s not surprising Mom would¡¯ve at least met her sister.


    ¡°I... thought I did,¡± she says, bearing a haunted expression. ¡°Of course, we haven''t talked in decades now.¡±


    She breathes out heavily, and closes her eyes. After a moment, she opens them, and walks over to Anja.


    Anja is still staring into space. She hasn¡¯t made any sign of noticing that my parents are here.


    ¡°Anja? Sweetheart?¡± Mom asks in a doting voice.


    Nothing from Anja.


    Mom sighs heavily again. She then does something quite odd. She grabs both of Anja''s hands with her own, and starts rubbing them together, as if trying to warm them up.


    I¡¯m wondering what the hell she¡¯s trying to do, when Anja trembles a little, and her eyes start to bug out. ¡°No... no,¡± she says.


    ¡°Anja? You there?¡± I ask.


    Anja starts breathing heavily. ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°She needs a little time,¡± Mom says firmly.


    ¡°All the same, we should get moving,¡± Dad comments. He walks up to Anja, easily picks her up, and then holds her in front of him in a fireman¡¯s carry.


    ¡°Yes... yes, Dad''s right,¡± I say, my brain starting to rev up again. ¡°We know where Zoe is. Let¡¯s all go rescue her, and then¡­¡±


    ¡°We''ll be having a very serious family conference,¡± Mom says.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Dad agrees.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say. And so, we walk together towards the city of Austin.


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    Ms. Patel is dressed in an aristocratic black cloak, draped over an embroidered blue dress. Her sleek black hair is tucked behind two large, gaudy ruby earrings She carries, in one hand, a glass of a dark red drink. Beholding all of us, she takes a sip of it, which is when I notice that she has two prominent fangs, like that of a typical depiction of a vampire. And then, I realize that her drink is rather reminiscent of blood.


    ¡°Welcome to my abbey,¡± she greets us, smiling nastily. ¡°I expected your visit, but be warned; we are wary of outsiders here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds racist,¡± Nova quips. Ms. Patel scoffs at him.


    ¡°Ms. Patel?¡± Charlotte asks, examining her up and down. ¡°What in the world is up with that outfit?¡±


    ¡°Oh, most people call me Vampire these days,¡± she says matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Kevin exclaims, looking dumbfounded.


    Ms. Patel smirks. ¡°Because I love the taste of human blood,¡± she answers, before giggling in a sinister manner.


    ¡°You know, that doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± Nova grumbles.


    ¡°A vampire, huh?¡± Kevin says, wondering aloud. He starts carefully examining his gun. ¡°I think I know how to deal with that.¡±


    ¡°Hmmph. Well, go ahead then,¡± Ms. Patel taunts. ¡°Hit me with your best shot.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really? We''re starting the fight already?¡± Charlotte asks, blinking confusedly.


    ¡°I don''t think so,¡± I answer. ¡°Has it ever been this easy before, Nova?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± he answers. ¡°Mind rape chambers, goons swarming trying to kill us, illusions to trick us¡­ It¡¯s always something.¡± Nova shakes his head. ¡°You don¡¯t even have any GOONS? What kind of pathetic boss are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ¡®goons,¡± Ms. Patel explains snootily. ¡°I do have one who will do my bidding¡­ but he is more like a son to me than a ¡®goon.¡¯ Come to me, Yatagarasu!¡±


    We all hastily begin looking around as we hear the unmistakable sound of rustling feathers. Ms. Patel sticks her arm out, and a large, black raven lands on her wrist.


    ¡°Uh, hi,¡± Kevin greets uncertainly. ¡°Another talking animal sidekick?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you''d better hope he doesn''t talk,¡± Ms. Patel says, smiling sadistically.


    ¡°Bro what the FUCK is going on right now,¡± Nova says quickly. ¡°That fucking bird is your SON? What???¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°I just wanna know, who¡¯s the father?¡± Charlotte asks, tilting her head thoughtfully.


    ¡°Never you mind,¡± Ms. Patel snaps. But, her sadistic smile quickly returns. ¡°You''d all know full well what was going on if you read your literature. What are they teaching you in that school?¡± She directs a look directly at Kevin. ¡°Well, at least I know your sex ed classes are going well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny!¡± Kevin shouts, his face quickly glowing red. I likewise feel my temper spike to dangerous levels. Nova and Charlotte just look confused.


    ¡°It''s hilarious, actually,¡± she says, unmoved, still smiling that horrible smile. It occurs to me that she must be goading us into attacking her; she¡¯s too calm and collected about this.


    It also occurs to me that I don¡¯t really care.


    ¡°You are a sick and twisted person,¡± I spit at her. ¡°To think the abuse of children is funny.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t care for children myself,¡± she says, looking at her black-painted nails as though bored. ¡°I don''t think I could bear the screaming.¡±


    ¡°You are rotten to your very core,¡± I continue. ¡°You must have been an immigrant, or recently descended from them. How can you bear to ally yourself with the powers who prey, primarily, upon immigrant girls? Don¡¯t you remember what it''s like to have nothing in a land of people who don''t want you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the people here want me,¡± she counters. ¡°Go along with their games, and you''ll have a respectable life. Learn how to play, and you become a GOD!¡±


    ¡°You think they won¡¯t throw you away at once, the moment you threaten the power of white rich people?¡± I interrogate her. ¡°You are deluded.¡±


    ¡°Ah. You see, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡± She takes another drink from her glass of blood, and then starts rotating it in her hand. ¡°The people here want me; I know how to be resourceful, how to work hard. They don¡¯t want people like you. People who do nothing but complain. People who do nothing but seethe in envy of the successful. If you shut your mouth and just put in the work, you could have what I have, you know.¡±


    Nova scoffs. ¡°You''re fucking stupid,¡± he says bluntly.


    ¡°Or a liar, more likely,¡± I add.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they want what you have,¡± Kevin comments. ¡°They want to actually be good people!¡±


    ¡°Well, just see how far that bleeding-heart arrogance gets them,¡± Ms. Patel says dismissively. ¡°Here¡¯s my guess: for the girl,¡± she says, nodding to me, ¡°cleaning bathrooms. For the¡­ whatever you are-¡± she glances sideways at Charlotte- ¡°selling weird street art in an inner city before being arrested for touching someone¡¯s children.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Charlotte says innocently. ¡°I¡¯d n-¡±


    ¡°And the boy¡­¡± she turns to Nova. ¡°You don¡¯t seem quite ¡®all there,¡¯ so I¡¯d put my bets on, wandering the streets muttering to himself like some sort of lunatic.¡±


    This hits a nerve; Nova immediately becomes tense. ¡°The FUCK did you say to me?¡±


    ¡°I see vagrants like that from time to time,¡± she continues, smirking evilly. ¡°It¡¯s too bad¡­ ah¡­ too bad your mother could never teach you how to behave properly.¡±


    A flash of lightning seems to come from the ceiling itself, striking down upon Ms. Patel. The other guests at the party scream and start running around down the hallway.


    Nova has completely lost it, and launches himself straight into Ms. Patel. Yatagarasu the raven squawks and quickly flies away from them. Kevin seems taken aback, but takes up a fighting stance.


    I grab Charlotte¡¯s arm, and walk backwards. ¡°This is gonna get hairy,¡± I warn her.


    ¡°Holy shit! This is awesome!¡± Charlotte says, transfixed while watching the fight.


    Nova is wailing on Ms. Patel with Mj?lnir, having thrown caution to the wind. He stumbles forward and falls down, and Ms. Patel seems to have vanished¡­


    ¡°GET BACK HERE!¡± Nova screams, his eyes darting around quickly.


    I reach out to see if I can still feel her presence, and find her just along the wall, but when I look with my eyes, all that can be made out is a shadow, cast by some unseen figure.


    ¡°Nova,¡± I say. ¡°Check your three.¡±


    ¡°My three what?¡± he shouts at me.


    ¡°Three o- look to your right.¡±


    He turns his eyes and finds her. Wasting no time, he dives straight for the wall, bashes a hole in it, and then pulls Ms. Patel¡¯s solid form out the wall. He throws her by her ankle, and sends her flying into a grand piano in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Whoah!¡± Kevin shouts. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve played Sonic Adventure 2,¡± Nova answers cryptically.


    Ms. Patel climbs out of the piano, looking battered, but not even close to done yet. ¡°Get the fat girl,¡± she whispers.


    I¡¯m wondering who that was meant to address, when out of the shadows flies Yatagarasu. For a brief moment, I catch sight of his flashing eyes, and then I hear a word, one single word, spoken as though directly into my ear, or perhaps beamed to the center of my brain, to the very core of my being.


    ¡°Nevermore.¡±


    And then, I seem to leave the palace, leaving everyone behind. It¡¯s as if a time warp has taken me back. Back to the worst day of my life. The day I found out that my cousin, Roberto, had died.


    All I can think about is how I talked to him just the night before¡­ and he told me that he was scared for his life¡­ I tried to warn everyone that he was in danger, but they wouldn¡¯t listen to me. I¡¯m ignored and I¡¯m alone and he¡¯s dead and he¡¯s gone and everything is pointless now. There will never be justice, there will never be truth, I don¡¯t understand it and I hate this world and I hate all of the stupid people living on it. If God had any good will at all he¡¯d wipe us out now, and take us out of our misery, because we can¡¯t survive, we¡¯re all going to kill each other, either from violence or from destroying the planet, and nobody will ever listen to reason, nobody will ever listen to me, nobody, nobody, nobody¡­


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    Right next to me, Ruth collapses to the ground.


    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± I demand of the raven. It says nothing more; its eyes only glint at me threateningly.


    Nova again launches himself at Ms. Patel, but I stop watching to kneel down and check on Ruth. She¡¯s definitely still alive, but something¡¯s wrong. She has her eyes closed, and she¡¯s writhing around and groaning.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Kevin demands, rushing towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure!¡± I say. ¡°It was something that bird did!¡±


    ¡°K-Kevin!¡± Ruth says in a hoarse voice. She seems to be trying to break through a trance; she¡¯s muttering without looking at either of us. ¡°Run¡­ don¡¯t let it¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? What happened to you?¡± Kevin pleads.


    ¡°I see¡­ the worst day¡­ of my life¡­¡± Ruth chokes out, before she convulses, grabs both ears with her hands, and turns onto her side.


    Kevin tenses up. In a moment, fear has overtaken his expression.


    ¡°Why? What does that mean?¡± I ask, feeling lost.


    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll take you with me,¡± he says, sounding weak but brave at the same time. He offers his hand, which I take, and he pulls me to my feet and starts running out of the room. His incredible speed leaves me stumbling to try and keep up with him.


    ¡°Where do you think YOU¡¯RE going?¡± Ms. Patel¡¯s voice says from behind us. ¡°Yatagarasu, take care of lightning boy, now!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s chasing us!¡± I tell Kevin, as we take a sharp turn past a couple of gothic windows.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ less afraid of her. Probably better we split them up,¡± he says. ¡°We¡¯ll dispose of her, and then go back to help Nova.¡±


    This doesn¡¯t make sense to me, but there¡¯s no time to question it. We¡¯re running into a second room, which is colored purple instead of blue, the windows and tapestries all matching to create the effect. There are more masked party guests, who at first glare at us as we run through, before screaming and following us, as the sounds of ripping and smashing behind us promise that Ms. Patel is hot on our trails.


    This pattern of interior design repeats again and again. We run through sharp turns, which would then lead into a room strongly themed around a different color. After the purple room, comes one in green, and then orange, and then white. The rapidly changing colors are disorienting, and I start to feel like I¡¯m in some horrible nightmare, and not in reality. The few times I brave a peak back at Ms. Patel, she is not slowing down; she¡¯s flipping over furniture and slashing through her own guests to get to us without a care in the world. A trail of blood, ripped fabric, and splinters follows behind her as she breaks through each room like a juggernaut. As we reach another chamber, of a different shade of purple that¡¯s more of a violet, Kevin and I continue to weave through the crowd, I wonder how far it goes. Then, one last turn, and we find a dead end. The most eerie chamber of them all, not matching like the others, but instead with black tapestries and window panes of blood red. It was here, upon seeing we had reached a dead end, that Kevin stops, and turns to face our pursuer. All of the guests have seemingly vanished, leaving only the three of us.


    By this point, Ms. Patel has cast aside all pretense of masking her monstrous nature. Her clothes are covered with blood, which also drips down her chin and neck from her mouth.


    Kevin pushes me behind him, outstretching one arm in a protective way. He uses his other to draw his pistol, and points it right at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re truly a monster!¡± he tells her in disgust. ¡°But, hunting monsters is my specialty. Come one step closer, and you¡¯re done for.¡±


    ¡°Only if you hit me,¡± she taunts, smirking.


    ¡°Test me!¡± he grunts, putting both hands on his gun.


    ¡°Oh Yatagarasu¡­? Come to me, my dear,¡± she calls.


    I feel a spike of fear, expecting to see the bird who Kevin was so afraid of, who made Ruth collapse, flying towards us at any moment¡­


    ¡­But nobody came.


    Ms. Patel¡¯s smug look falls off her face, replaced with fury so intense she seems to be vibrating. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ the boy has¡­¡±


    The most piercing, horrible scream I¡¯ve ever heard rends the air, as Ms. Patel collapses into a shadow. We quickly lose sight of her as she scurries, as though two-dimensional, along the floor¡­


    ¡°Damn it¡­ it¡¯s so dark, I can¡¯t see her!¡± Kevin agonizes, rapidly searching the room.


    ¡°Ruth was able to find her before,¡± I suggest. ¡°There must be a way!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do things like that!¡± he protests. ¡°We have different powers.¡±


    ¡°Well, I really wi- EEEEEK!¡±


    I scream out in terror, as I feel something grab my ankle. Before I know it, I¡¯m sinking into the floor, as if it¡¯s made of tar.


    ¡°CHARLOTTE!¡± Kevin shouts. He reads out his hand, which I take, and he starts pulling me up¡­


    ¡°SHE WILL PAY FOR HIS LIFE, WITH ETERNAL AGONY!¡± says Ms. Patel¡¯s voice, which seems to ring through every wall in the room itself.


    ¡°Picking on someone who¡­ can¡¯t fight back?¡± Kevin shouts back. ¡°I don¡¯t think so! You¡¯re a bully and a coward¡­¡± He pulls me up even harder¡­ I feel my foot coming free¡­


    But then, hands of shadowing circle my waist, pulling me straight down into the floor. My hand slips from Kevin¡¯s grasp, and in an instant, I¡¯m engulfed into darkness.

 Chapter 90: Re-enactment Therapy (December 27 Part 11)

    <Nova>


    ¡°Where do you think YOU¡¯RE going?¡± Ms. Patel shrieks as she watches Kevin and Charlotte run away. ¡°Yatagarasu, take care of lightning boy, now!¡±


    So she thinks she''s too good for me? What a bitch. Fuck her, I''ll wipe the floor with the raven instead.


    She runs after Kevin and Charlotte, quickly disappearing from sight. Then, from the shadows of the room, comes the bird.


    "You want a piece of me, bitch?" I taunt.


    It lands and perches on one of the chairs. It tilts its head back and forth at me. Is it... gonna do something? Or do I have to make the first move?


    Fuck it. I''m gonna zap it! By the power of Mj?lnir, I charge a thunderbolt and-


    The raven opens its mouth and says, "Nevermore."


    <hr>


    And I''m back in my old house in New Braunfels. Awwh shee-it, here we go again.


    I''m playing Star Fox Assault. That one level where you go to the snow planet and have to find Pigma. My parents are arguing in the other room. I try to ignore them. I scoot closer to the TV, trying to let the game''s music drown it out.


    Damn it, I can still hear them. I try turning up the TV.


    I hear footsteps. Very loud and angry ones.


    "YOU TURN THAT TV DOWN RIGHT NOW!" Mom yells at me.


    I quickly turn it down, terrified. I fucked up so bad... I hope she doesn¡¯t¡­


    She''s overreacting , a weird voice in my head says.


    "I don''t give a damn WHAT that doctor said!" she lectures me. "YOU are not using that as an excuse to goof off. All you do is play your damn video games."


    Well, can¡¯t argue with that. It really  is  all I do. Pretty useless, huh?


    But it was the only escape I had from her abuse,  that one voice says.


    Huh. True¡­


    "At the rate you''re going, you''re going to drop out of school and become a vagabond!" she continues. "Ever see men like that? Crazy men? Usually they''re black, I guess that was my first mistake!"


    Now that¡¯s just straight-up racist , the voice says.


    Yeah, it is. But she is right about one thing. I  am  useless. My life is going nowhere. I can''t make any career out of this, and I''m bad at everything else.


    I started doing better at school after moving out with Dad  , the voice reasons.  I was never the problem. It was always her.


    ¡­Huh. You know, with the benefit of hindsight¡­ that¡¯s absolutely right. Things  are  better now.


    "That¡¯s a new low, even for you!" Dad chimes in from the other room. "You''re right about one thing, though. This marriage WAS a mistake!"


    My mom kinda... snaps. Her eyes bug out and she yells, "YOU''D BE NOTHING WITHOUT ME!" she shouts. "I AM THE BREADWINNER HERE, YOU PATHETIC MAN!" She then loses her shit completely, and slugs me in the head, knocking me over.


    I start crying miserably on the floor...


    Bruh, I didn¡¯t even say anything!  the voice says.  Also, that¡¯s child abuse.


    Yeah! That''s right! What the fuck was wrong with her? I didn''t do anything, and my dad was right! She just didn''t want us to leave, because I guess she liked having people to bully and torture! Fuck this. Can we, like, change the channel?


    My dad charges into the room and shouts, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING?" He grabs Mom''s upper arms, stopping her from swinging them at me again.


    "LET ME GO!" she shrieks, trying to wriggle free.


    "I''ve fucking had it! We''re done!" he says emphatically.


    I keep lying on the floor, too afraid to move. Someone gently strokes my hair, making me feel at ease. Wait, that wasn''t part of the memory...


    ...Because I''m actually laying in the back seat of a car. It''s night time, and everything is quiet and peaceful.


    And Anja is stroking my hair, so gently, so lovingly. I look up at her. She''s smiling at me.


    Wait a sec... Anja. She¡¯s not here. Because she¡¯s off saving Zoe. And now the others need my help too.


    The car seems to fade, and instead I see through to that blue-hued ballroom... to that damn raven staring at me from the back of the chair... to the charged up thunderbolt I''m carrying in the palms of my hands...


    Uh... fuck. What was I doing with this? Let me think... oh yeah. Cooking roasted bird for dinner tonight!


    And I fire the lightning straight at it.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    <hr>


    All the memories fade away completely, and I''m back in the moment. The moment where a crash of thunder hits the bird and knocks it clean off its perch.


    "You think... I''ve never seen that one before?" I say.


    Time to finish this. I run and find the raven on the ground, paralyzed. This will be as easy as taking candy from a baby, which is fine by me.


    I smash Mj?lnir into the bird. A tar-like substance spews out of it like blood as it gives one final defeated screech, and then it shatters into nothingness.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    Well, so much for trying to help people. The room goes quiet after Charlotte disappears through the floor. Unsure of what else to do, I take a walk of shame back through the oddly colored chambers we briefly passed through. Inexplicably, the guests who were here before are all gone, leaving only a sense of dread and isolation.


    Back in the blue-hued room, several tables and chairs are knocked over from the fight. Ruth seems to have thankfully come to, Nova is helping her back to her feet. Both of them turn to me expectantly, looking around me as if expecting to see Charlotte too, which fills me with guilt.


    ¡°She got away. With Charlotte,¡± I tell them.


    ¡°Got away to where?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°To nowhere. She got dragged straight into the ground,¡± I explain.


    ¡°She must have used her shadowy powers to phase into another room,¡± Nova says, totally unphased. ¡°We just need to find the passageway there.¡±


    ¡°I don''t detect anything below us,¡± Ruth says bluntly.


    ¡°Well... they didn''t go nowhere!¡± Nova replies stubbornly. ¡°C''mon, let¡¯s find the way down!¡±


    Ruth sighs a tired, world-weary sigh, and then sits in one of the chairs that¡¯s still standing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I tell her. ¡°I failed to protect Charlotte.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too,¡± she says. ¡°I had no idea what strategy to use against her.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should''ve stayed here, instead of splitting us up,¡± I reason. ¡°Then maybe she¡¯d still be here.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, Nova did just fine defeating the bird on his own, and being forced to relive your sexual assault would¡¯ve broken you,¡± Ruth says. ¡°It¡¯s not clear to me if she  would  still be here or not.¡±


    Her assumption makes me angry. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let it break me,¡± I say defiantly. ¡°If I went back to that day, I would¡­¡±


    I would what? I unclench my fists and breathe deeply.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even close to being ready to process such a recent trauma,¡± Ruth chides me. ¡°I mean, look at me, when my own trauma happened years ago.¡±


    ¡°You saw... the day your cousin died, didn¡¯t you?¡± I ask.


    She nods.


    I grab an ornate wood chair from the ground, stand it back up, and sit down.


    ¡°When I look back on that moment now... I feel angry. More than I probably ever have in my life. At first, I wanted to be angry at  her  . But,  she ''s dead. There''s no point. So I just stewed, angry at the world that it happened at all. I couldn¡¯t stand being at home every day with nothing to do but dwell on my feelings. My anger would turn to shame, then turn back to anger. I have to admit, my reasons for coming here are more selfish than I let on. I felt so relieved that I''d finally get to do something, and that I''d get to direct my anger at someone else, someone real. Well, that turned out well.¡±


    I lean my head into the back of the chair and close my eyes. ¡°I was relieved, until I saw that vampire witch get away. That¡¯s when I lost it. It all crashed back down on me. All I wanted was to feel good about myself again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works,¡± Ruth interrupts. ¡°You don''t feel better about yourself for doing something good. You get temporary relief, and then the futility of it all sets in again. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of people just like her out there. Punishing them all takes collective action, which our society is unwilling to take.¡±


    I put my head forward, into my hands. ¡°I don''t even care about punishment. I just want it to end. I want it all to end!¡±


    ¡°Someday, God will end the world. Until then, we are left to suffer,¡± Ruth states ominously.


    This sets me off again. ¡°No. I can''t take it. I can''t just give up. I... I can''t let myself think that way. Come on... there has to be something we can do now. I can''t be a coward. I feel stupid for running away from that bird now. I even felt scared of Charlotte¡¯s mom. Because I thought of  her  . I wish I could just be normal again, and trust people, and... forget this ever happened. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted someone to steal our car, I never wanted  her  to happen, I never wanted THIS!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you yelling about?¡± Nova says.


    I bring my head up and see that he¡¯s re-entered the room. I realize that I was sorta¡­ spiraling out of control, and feel embarrassed.


    ¡°I... don''t worry. I just... got worked up,¡± I say.


    ¡°Did you find your secret passageway?¡± Ruth asks sarcastically.


    ¡°Nope. There''s nothing,¡± Nova says, frustrated.


    ¡°Funny how that works, huh?¡± Ruth snarks at him. ¡°Maybe you''ll listen to me the first time now, unlike everyone else in my life.¡±


    ¡°The fuck''s gotten into  you ?¡± Nova snaps back at her. ¡°Are you two just, like, sitting around here being all mad, like a couple of bitches? Have you forgotten about Charlotte? She''s still... somewhere! We just need to find her!¡±


    ¡°True... you''re right!¡± I agree. ¡°But... we have no idea where.¡±


    ¡°Well, let''s put our big brains to work, and figure it out!¡± Nova urges.


    ¡°Sorry, I don''t think I have one of those,¡± I say jokingly.


    ¡°Since we''ve gotten here, I''ve thought it was odd that this didn''t resemble the place that Ashley described,¡± Ruth chimes in. ¡°Maybe that is a clue.¡±


    ¡°Why would it change?¡± Nova wonders aloud. ¡°That''s never happened before.¡±


    ¡°It kinda did... remember last time when it got all snowy?¡± I say, thinking about the one other palace I know.


    ¡°Yeah but... that was¡­¡± Nova trails off, deep in thought.


    ¡°And I couldn''t sense Ashley anymore while she was in the other realm,¡± Ruth says, realization sparking on her face.


    ¡°Oh, true!¡± Nova says, getting excited and starting to pace around. ¡°So if Charlotte went to an alternate version... maybe that was where Ashley went when she came here!¡±


    ¡°The law of conservation of detail dictates that is likely,¡± Ruth states.


    ¡°But... how do we get there, then?¡± I wonder.


    ¡°Perhaps the first question should be, why did it change? What caused it?¡± Ruth asks.


    There¡¯s a moment of silence as we all ponder this.


    ¡°Lemme think... so,¡± Nova says aloud. ¡°What makes a palace change... well, what makes it take any form? The first one was a weird, clean courtroom... and then it became that weird football field, but I think that was something different... the second one was that warzone¡­¡±


    ¡°A warzone? Why?¡± I ask, trying to picture it.


    ¡°Well, we were at this church, and I guess the people there thought that the town was kinda like a warzone, because of culture wars, like how some people don''t like the gays and abortion and marijuana and other bullshit. And then, the third one was that weird jungle.¡±


    Ruth gasps. ¡°Wait! You just said the answer!¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± Nova says, confused.


    ¡°You asked, what gives a palace its form? And then you answered: the cognition of the owner or owners.¡± Ruth states.


    ¡°Oh yeah. Right!¡± Nova says, nodding and looking impressed.


    ¡°And so, logically, if a palace changes, the owner''s cognition must have changed too." Ruth continues.


    ¡°Huh, I guess that makes sense,¡± I say. ¡°But what caused the change?¡±


    ¡°Ashley came in before she knew that we were here,¡± Ruth reasons. ¡°Perhaps it was the knowledge that we were coming to infiltrate which caused her to adopt this Prince Prospero visage.¡±


    ¡°So... it''ll go back if she thinks we left?¡± Nova guesses.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot,¡± I say.


    ¡°The question then becomes, how to make her believe we left without really leaving?¡± Ruth states.


    This causes us to pause again.


    And now it¡¯s time to come up with a plan once again. This time, without Ashley and Anja, as they¡¯re¡­ preoccupied. How are we gonna do this¡­?

 Chapter 91: Die Walküre (December 27 Part 12)

    <Collin>


    For reasons beyond my comprehension, Jason and I are going to Ms. Patel¡¯s office and pretending to just be concerned about where Zoe is, while taking care to tell her that everyone is leaving, even though not everyone is leaving yet. Well, the first part won¡¯t be hard¡­


    We get to the door of her office, which¡­ has a fucking gold plaque sticking out of it. Then we open the door to her office and- HOLY FUCK. IT¡¯S BEEN COMPLETELY TRASHED!


    ¡°What the FUCK happened in here?¡± I ask.


    Ms. Patel is sitting in her chair, behind a desk that looks like it was smashed by the Hulk. ¡°Oh, pardon the mess,¡± she says. ¡°A couple of delinquents got in here¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my god! Do you need help cleaning up?¡± Jason asks.


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you. But no, I¡¯ll be okay,¡± she says, smiling at them.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± I say. ¡°We wanted to come by real quick and ask if you found my sister yet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡­ said he could ask on our way out,¡± Jason adds.


    ¡°The police are still looking,¡± Ms. Patel says, trying to come across as concerned and sympathetic, even though I know she¡¯s full of shit. ¡°Her guardians have been informed about the situation. Past that, I really can¡¯t give you any more information¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ bullshit,¡± I swear. I wonder how our parents are going to react when I tell them. Will they make another scene like before? Will they just not care? Either way, not looking forward to going home.


    ¡°Collin¡­¡± Jason chides. ¡°Your language! Sorry Ms. Patel, he¡¯s really upset. Sitting around here isn¡¯t going to help find her. We¡¯re going to leave this up to the authorities, and go see a movie for now so we don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± Ms. Patel says, with a hint of smugness she tries to cover up. ¡°Leave this to the police. They know what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, some of our friends were looking for her,¡± Jason continues. ¡°You know, everyone who was hanging out with Charlotte and I earlier. But they¡¯re all really depressed and defeated now, so they¡¯re going with us.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good!¡± Ms. Patel says, her eyes glinting with triumph. ¡°Go have fun at the movies, kids! Hehehe!¡±


    God. I can¡¯t fucking stand her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Jason,¡± I say.


    ¡°True, we don¡¯t know what the lines will be like,¡± Jason says. ¡°Anyways, thank you for everything. We¡¯ll stay safe at the theater.¡±


    ¡°Buh-byeee!¡± Ms. Patel says.


    When we¡¯re well out of her office and out of earshot, I lean over to Jason and say in a low voice, ¡°Hey, that was kinda scary.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± they ask.


    ¡°How well you were able to lie to her.¡±


    They shrug. ¡°I¡¯m a theater kid. I know how to act.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I say.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    God fucking damn it, it is so COLD out here! I fucking hate this!


    As part of our grand plan, we left the palace, and I have to hang out here in the middle of these fucking trees, and it¡¯s like forty degrees out. I would¡¯ve loved to hang out in or at least near someone¡¯s apartment, but¡­ can¡¯t be anywhere where Ms. Patel would see us. And since she can enter the Metaverse, we can¡¯t even wait  there . Fuck her, fuck this apartment, and fuck human trafficking!


    I¡¯m not alone for too long before Kevin joins me. He plops down next to me, explaining, ¡°I lucked out for once¡­ Charlotte wanted to see ¡®Into The Woods¡¯ anyway. So they instantly believed me when I said we¡¯re taking her to see that.¡±


    ¡°Cool,¡± I say. ¡°Hey look. Can I ask something weird?¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay?¡±


    ¡°Can we, uh, huddle for warmth? I¡¯m really cold.¡±


    He raises his eyebrows at me. ¡°Your jacket¡¯s not keeping you warm enough?¡±


    ¡°No. Look, it doesn¡¯t have to be a gay thing,¡± I plead. ¡°Friends can hug each other, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± he says, and to my relief, he obliges and gets right next to me.


    ¡°Whoah¡­ you¡¯re really warm,¡± I say, my senses immediately feeling relief. I wrap my arms around his body to absorb more heat. ¡°How are you so warm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ usually pretty warm.¡± he says, looking a little bit awkward. ¡°My diet and active lifestyle might be helping me maintain a high level of testosterone.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± I say. I guess that makes sense. He¡¯s pretty cut, after all. I¡¯m really skinny. Side effect of being poor. So my body doesn¡¯t have that much heat. I guess he¡¯s more manly than me, huh. That doesn¡¯t make me feel jealous or anything, it¡¯s more of a- uh oh.


    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re  sure  this isn¡¯t a gay thing, right?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I say. ¡°I mean, unless you want it to be, I guess.¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± he says politely. ¡°I¡¯ve really never felt attracted to other guys.¡±


    ¡°Huh. You must be the only person on the whole team who¡¯s cis and straight, then,¡± I comment.


    ¡°Huh. I guess so,¡± he says. ¡°Ashley and Zoe are dating¡­ you and Anja are bi, if I remember right¡­ Ruth is asexual¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait. She is?¡± I say stupidly.


    ¡°Yeah. You didn¡¯t know that?¡± he asks.


    ¡°No¡­ I mean, I know she and Anja used to date, but¡­¡±


    ¡°She still  dates , it¡¯s just a different thing than being like, sexually attracted to someone,¡± Kevin explains. ¡°She explained it to me once.¡±


    ¡°I know all that stuff,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ve been on Tumblr before.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯ll do it,¡± Kevin says. ¡°Hey, what about the armadillo guy, Ted? Can armadillos even  be  gay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say. ¡°But, pretty sure he said something once about having a wife and kids when he was a human.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So I¡¯m not the  only  one,¡± he says.


    ¡°Yeah. We gotta stick together to survive, or whatever. But uh, we accept straight allies too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ does being a ¡®straight ally¡¯ mean you can cuddle with other guys without it being gay?¡± he asks thoughtfully.


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah! Sure¡± I say.


    Can Ruth please get back soon. This is getting really awkward.


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    Slowly, the darkness subsides. It feels like waking up. I see a light in front of me. As my vision comes into focus, I see that it¡¯s a flickering torch on the wall. I¡¯m in some sort of damp catacomb. The floors and ceiling alike are lined with gray bricks. This must be some new section of the palace. I get up an-


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I can¡¯t move. I look down at my body to find, to my horror, that I have been trapped under a layer of stone, held together with mortar. My arms and legs are totally covered up, leaving only my head and torso uncovered. My heart begins to beat faster, as if trying to burst out of the stone.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve finally come to?¡± says my current least favorite person. Ms. Patel is still in her obscene vampire costume from earlier, and she¡¯s holding a trowel in one hand.


    ¡°What are you doing to me, you maniac?¡± I question, panicked by my predicament.


    ¡°Your schools truly  have  failed you,¡± she rambles, as she starts placing another layer of stone on top of me. ¡°Useless¡­ I don¡¯t know why we bother funding them if they won¡¯t teach you anything useful.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted us to leave!¡± I say.


    ¡°That was before,¡± she explains. ¡°When I still felt some grace and mercy. But you have annoyed me too much. I don¡¯t care what happens to you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Implying you did before?¡± I retort.


    ¡°Oh, shut up. I do  everything  for you ungrateful cretins, and all you ever do is resent me.¡±


    ¡°What do you do for us, exactly?¡± I challenge. ¡°Sit around in your office and collect our rent payments?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to live if it weren¡¯t for me,¡± she says. ¡°This is  my  land, which I¡¯m letting you all live on from the kindness of my heart.¡±


    ¡°Until we become an inconvenience!¡± I say. ¡°Then you try to force us out!¡±


    ¡°You only have your stupid mother to blame.¡± She finishes another layer of stone, and starts on a final one, which would be tall enough to cover all of me¡­


    ¡°I have you to blame, because you have  no  kindness in your heart, liar!¡± I accost her.


    ¡°Oh, how much I am looking forward to a few minutes from now when you shut up forever,¡± she says in a singsong voice as she lays down more stone.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never shut me up!¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯ll never repress me! I¡¯ll go back to the real world and kick your ass there if I need to!¡±


    ¡°You know the saying about ¡®biting the hand that feeds you?¡¯¡± she asks.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need you! We¡¯ll take the land for ourselves and live in peace! We don¡¯t need any stupid landlady at all!¡±


    ¡°This system you just described is called ¡®communism,¡¯¡± she says pompously. ¡°And it¡¯s a failed system that has killed millions of people.¡±


    ¡°So we have to put up with anything you do, because there¡¯s no alternative?¡± I spit at her. ¡°What bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Soon, you won¡¯t have to worry about it!¡± she replies cheerily, laying down the last stone. ¡°Because guess what? Once I go back to my real self, I¡¯m going to turn in your family to the folks at Play Hard. You and your mom will be useful to them. There¡¯s always a certain niche for weirdos like you, you know! Your father¡­ eh, they¡¯ll probably just kill him. Enjoy your new life, it¡¯ll probably be the only way a man will ever show you affection. Bye!¡±


    ¡°No¡­ NO!¡± I scream, words failing me. I struggle against the stone surrounding me, but I can¡¯t so much as budge it. Ms. Patel rolls a stone encasing over the top, and it all goes dark¡­


    I can¡¯t let her go back to her real self¡­ but I¡¯m trapped¡­ I can¡¯t move¡­


    What¡¯s gonna happen to my family and I¡­


    No. She¡¯s not getting away with this. She¡¯s not¡­


    Ready to fight now, are you?  says a refined voice inside my brain.


    Yeah!  I say.


    This is more than just ¡°ghost hunting,¡± you know,  the voice says.  You¡¯re entering a fight that will define the rest of your life, and likely well past that¡­ are you prepared for that commitment?


    What does that mean? Oh, it¡¯s because just saving my parents and I isn¡¯t enough¡­ this should¡¯ve never been allowed to happen!


    I understand,  I say.


    I am thou, thou art I! You have found the spirit of rebellion within you, and I, Valkyrie, will come to your aid! You have known for quite some time, though you deny yourself, that you must make your inner self match your outer self, and that the world is f-


    Let¡¯s just do this before I suffocate, please!  I interrupt, feeling panicked.


    Fine.


    WHOAH! I feel different all of a sudden! Stronger, somehow!


    I pull against the stone, and now, I feel as if the earth around me is shaking! The entombment crumbles down, and I emerge from the rubble, now clothed in an embroidered yellow dress and a necklace of pearls! SHE¡¯S ALIIIIVE!


    I rush out and find Ms. Patel ascending a staircase across from me in the dark, dingy chamber. I can¡¯t let her get back to her real self¡­ I pull out my new ROCKET LAUNCHER and fire a rocket at her! I love Personas!


    She hears it coming and dives out of the way, but the impact causes the ceiling to cave in, blocking her ascent!


    ¡°You!¡± she says, baring her fangs at me.


    ¡°I told you, you¡¯ll never shut me up!¡± I taunt. ¡°Now, I have a long list of grievances, and you¡¯re going to listen to  all of them!¡±


    She growls at me, and collapses into her shadow form. Oh no, I¡¯m not letting this happen again! I pull out some grenades, and pepper the ground in front me with them. When they explode, she¡¯s blown out of the ground in the rubble, coughing, and bloody in her forehead from a piece of shrapnel.


    She gets to her feet briskly, and dives down a narrow corridor leading away. I follow, hot on her heels!


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    In the most recent of the string of odd circumstances I¡¯ve found myself caught in, I am now at the mall in a nearby city, dropping three middle schoolers off at the movie theater, driving Anja¡¯s car without a license or parental supervision to satisfy the legality of my learner''s permit. Thankfully, I am a good enough driver to get us to the theater without getting pulled over, and now the risky part is over.


    ¡°Okay. So now what?¡± Collin asks, as we pass through the doors to the building.


    ¡°Well¡­ might as well actually watch the movie,¡± Jason suggests. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s really good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s gonna be real fun,¡± Collin says through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I mean¡­ what else are we supposed to do?¡± Kat reasons, shrugging. ¡°We don¡¯t have hell demon powers.¡±


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth,¡± I tell Collin, ¡°I truthfully believe that, when you leave the theater, Zoe will be safe, and here to greet you at the exit.¡±


    ¡°She better be,¡± Collin says threateningly.


    The three of them leave to get their tickets. That means it is time for me to find my ride back.


    The others can not fight Ms. Patel without me, and we thought she may be savvy enough to ID Anja¡¯s car, and look for it in the parking lot to confirm if we truly have left. So, I am catching a different ride back, and we will plan to collect Anja¡¯s car after the ordeal is over.


    The idea of coming to this mall came because I happen to have a friend here who can give me a ride back. I look around the food court for a minute or so, until I find him, standing near the photo booth on his phone.


    When I get near, Mason sees me and puts his phone in his pocket. ¡°Hey Ruth!¡± he greets. ¡°Look at us, being naughty and skipping mass.¡±


    ¡°I had urgent business to attend to today,¡± I explain. ¡°What¡¯s your excuse?¡±


    ¡°We wanted a day out  after  the Christmas shopping rush was over,¡± Mason explains, shrugging. ¡°Hey, the way I see it, Dad would be in more trouble if they knew  who he was spending it with, than he would be for just missing a Sabbath.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably correct about that, sadly,¡± I agree. ¡°Speaking of which, where are they?¡±


    ¡°In there,¡± he says, pointing at the photo booth.


    ¡°And did you take Diana or any other friends with you today?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Nah,¡± he answers. ¡°I invited Kevin, but he said he was busy.¡±


    ¡°That he is,¡± I confirm.


    Just then, two men step out of the photo booth. One is a thin man with short blonde hair, and a pronounced jawline like Mason¡¯s. The other is Mr. Castro, our school¡¯s band director.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Wallace and Mr. Castro,¡± I greet.


    ¡°Ah,  boa tarde , Ruth,¡± Mr. Castro greets, grinning at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be seeing you again so soon.¡±


    ¡°You need a ride home, yes?¡± Mr. Wallace asks, one arm still around Mr. Castro.


    ¡°Not home, exactly,¡± I explain. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ staying the night at a friend¡¯s. I¡¯ll give you directions.¡±


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    It takes a while for my dissociation to fade. When it does, I find myself wishing it hadn¡¯t. Pain, rage, anguish, horror, grief. Pounding against me relentlessly like waves hitting a cliffside.


    I¡¯m Anja Beulen. I¡¯m sixteen. I¡¯m the daughter of Ben Beulen and¡­


    I¡¯m Anja Beulen. I¡¯m sixteen. I live in Enchantment City, Texas. I¡¯m a sophomore in high school. I play the trombone. I¡¯m dating Nova. Ashley and Zoe are my friends. Ashley¡¯s here, right now, walking alongside me.


    Except I¡¯m not walking. I¡¯m being carried¡­


    I look up and¡­


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I ask aloud.


    The furry face of Ashley¡¯s dad looks down at me. ¡°Feeling any better?¡± he asks softly.


    ¡°What are¡­ HUH?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to be put down?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I say.


    He puts me down. My legs feel stiff from disuse. How long was I out?


    Suddenly feeling very aware, I look around me. Ashley and both of her parents are watching me. I survey them up and down, balking at her dad¡¯s blue fur and fangs, and her mom¡¯s large butterfly wings, pointy ears and ornate dress.


    ¡°Yeah. My parents have Personas,¡± Ashley states flatly. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Whoah,¡± I say.


    ¡°Sorry to pile on another revelation for you today,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says apologetically.


    I¡­ honestly don¡¯t know how to respond.


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I don¡¯t know the story yet either,¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°That will have to wait, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad says. ¡°For now, Zoe needs us.¡±


    ¡°Ted too,¡± Ashley adds. ¡°He went with her, he could¡¯ve ended up in the same place.¡±


    ¡°And who is this Ted?¡± Ashley¡¯s mom asks, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to introduce you. You¡¯ll love him,¡± Ashley says flatly, a ghost of a smile on her face.


    ¡°So¡­ you guys are helping us get Zoe out of there?¡± I ask.


    ¡°She¡¯s as well as our daughter too now, you know,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says.


    ¡°Awwh,¡± I say. ¡°That¡¯s sweet!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re within Austin¡¯s city limits, so we should be seeing the place soon,¡± Ashley states. ¡°We¡¯ve been told it has some sort of security even in this realm.¡±


    ¡°That goes without saying,¡± Ashley¡¯s dad says. (Uh¡­ it does?)


    ¡°We¡¯ll know it when we see it, I¡¯m sure,¡± Ashley¡¯s mom says. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    I can only imagine what Ruth thought when she arrived in our little clearing to see Nova and I huddled together. If she felt any amusement at all, it didn¡¯t show on her face.


    ¡°Oh, thank fuck, FINALLY!¡± Nova complains, immediately releasing me and getting to his feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re rather eager to get back into the fray,¡± Ruth comments.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold out here!¡± Nova complains.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ gonna work, right?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Jason is sure that Ms. Patel believed them,¡± Ruth explains. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re coming, Charlotte,¡± I say. Nova is the first to get to his phone, and once again, in we go.

 Chapter 92: Bloodsucker (December 27 Part 13)

    <Ashley>


    Having never traveled outside of Enchantment City in the Metaverse, it becomes clear quickly that Austin is a separate beast entirely. The outer limits of the city are devoid of life, even in the form of shadows. Yet there are buildings and structures around that go beyond mere reflections of the real world. They are built of a metallic material, but stand in various states of decay and partial destruction, as if a Meta-tornado had come through one day, and nobody bothered to rebuild. In some places, acidic substances I know not how to identify are splashed across the floor. But the strangest feature of the landscape is above us. What appeared to be an enormous airship floats far above the city. It¡¯s hard to make out from a distance, but it seems to be propelled, somehow, by the spinning of very large fans. When the airship comes into view, my parents briefly stop and gaze up at it.


    Breaking the silence, Anja says, "Please don''t tell me that''s where the strip club is."


    "I don''t think so," Dad says. "If I''m not mistaken... that is what we call a ''palace.''"


    "Wait, you know what a palace is?" I question.


    At this, my mom glances sideways at me, wordlessly gazing, a look of something like resignation on her face.


    "What?" I ask, irritated.


    She shakes her head, and turns away from the floating construct to instead point to the horizon in front of us. "I believe that is our destination."


    I look ahead in the direction she''s pointing to see a bright light in the distance, like an electric flash.


    Mom then turns to look at our immediate surroundings, the seemingly war-torn buildings, which I can only speculate the purpose of. "It has been decades since this scum was so bold as to return here," she states. "Today, we are not just rescuing Zoe, we are cleansing a stain upon our community."


    "And then what?" Anja questions flatly. "They''ll come back a few decades later?"


    "If they do, we''ll just have to cleanse them again," Dad says curtly.


    "That¡¯s right," Mom agrees. "Come on. No time like the present."


    My parents continue walking. Anja sighs a tired, world-weary sigh, and follows them. I do likewise.


    The flashing light in the distance grows larger and brighter as we approach. But what my vision is most drawn to as we walk is the airship, also growing ever close as we approach downtown. We''ve seen four palaces now, but none like that. Who does it belong to? How do we even get to it, should we choose to assault it next?


    Come to think of it... given that there were four palaces in our town alone, how are we not passing one on every corner in such a big city as this? Perhaps here, the unsavory are united into one craft. Like how the reactionaries at our church shared a mindset and goal, and thus shared a palace, this airship is some sort of hotbed of sin and ignomy. Perhaps it is the epicenter of the city''s organized crime... except, no, the organized crime is down here. Some evil even greater lies above. The airship hovers over us like a dragon as we pass underneath, and finally we behold what the light we have been chasing is: a twenty-foot tall electric fence of unnatural green lightning.


    Now, how are we supposed to get past that? If Nova were here, perhaps he could do something with his lightning powers. But with just Anja and I... what could we do?


    Try to go above or under it? I suppose my flame form gives me limited flight capabilities, but it was also exhausting. I wouldn''t have energy left for the inevitable battles we will fight within the building. Anja''s wind powers could do something, but I''ve never seen her outright fly before. She''s more of a "falling with style" type.


    But hold up... Mom can fly! Didn''t I just see her flying in the distance?


    "Mom. I have an idea," I say.


    "Oh, do you?" she asks.


    "Yeah, I do. Can you fly above the fence and... turn it off from the other side?"


    She raises one eyebrow at me. "I have a better idea," she says.


    She turns towards the fence, and before our eyes, two purple crystalline pillars rise from the earth. The electricity bounces off of the gems, creating a gap in the fence wide enough for us to walk through.


    I feel annoyed. I had no idea she could do that! Would''ve been nice if they explained... literally anything while we were walking here.


    "This discreet entrance will not buy us much time," Dad explains. "We will undoubtedly run into resistance soon. Be prepared to fight with any means you have, and stay behind us."


    "We can fight too," I say defensively. "We have lots of experience." I look to Anja for support, but she¡¯s not meeting my gaze; only looking at my mom with a somewhat dazed expression.


    "I''m not having this fight with you right now," Mom says, exasperated. "Let¡¯s go."


    The two of them walk in, not waiting on the two of us. Still feeling miffed, I follow them as close as I can with Anja.


    Past the fence, I recognize the building as the same one from Charlotte¡¯s mom¡¯s memories. In this world, there are no signs or markings on it, but the shape of the building gives it away. In the front, is a large, box-shaped room. Entering through the doors reveals a large hall, sort of an auditorium, except the stage protrudes out like a runway, and the seats are arranged in circles around poles. This must be where the entertainment happens.


    ¡°My first time entering a strip club,¡± Anja comments, a bit of her usual humor finally returning to her face. ¡°That¡¯s one off my bucket list.¡±


    ¡°Your bucket list?¡± Dad questions. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sixteen?¡±


    Anja shrugs. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to cross this one off so early. That was more of a long-term idea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s besides my point¡­¡± Dad says.


    ¡°There¡¯s a hidden downstairs to the building, and that will be where Zoe is,¡± I explain, remembering when that girl said she came ¡°up the stairs.¡±


    ¡°I wish Ruth were here,¡± Anja groaned. ¡°She¡¯d be able to find them in-¡±


    ¡°Down,¡± Mom says in a low voice. The four of us crouch behind the nearest pole-dancing booth. We hear footsteps from by the stage, and soon, a door to the right side flies open.


    A highly familiar figure darts out: The Dark Trooper. Or should I call her, Anja¡¯s Aunt Kierstyn. She runs past the stage and towards the front doors. Within a few seconds of her passing by us, Mom springs to her feet. After a swift series of motions so fast that I can¡¯t make out exactly how it happened and rumbling in the ground, Kierstyn is encased in Mom¡¯s purple crystal, unable to move any of her limbs.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Kierstyn scowls.


    ¡°Is it true? What they told me?¡± Mom interrogates, stepping up to her threateningly.


    ¡°Alyssa?¡± Kierstyn asks, recognition dawning on her face. She struggles against the crystal. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this! Let me out!¡±


    ¡°Did you kill Ellen?¡± Mom asks, looking more furious than I¡¯ve ever seen her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to,¡± she pleads. ¡°I was forced to¡­ please let me out¡­¡±


    A large group of men, a dozen or so, charge out of the doors she came from, all carrying weapons. That explains why she¡¯s so anxious to be let out. They come to a halt when they see my mom and raise their weapons at her.


    ¡°Running to your Thief friends for help?¡± One of the men in the front says. The leader has sleek black hair, brown skin, and a somewhat impressive mustache and goatee.


    Before I have time to process anything going on, Dad stands up, and that horrible sound of church bells plays again, the brooding minor key tones echoing through the hall. All the men who ran into the room are suddenly stiff, as though paralyzed, and many of them are breathing deeply or moaning in fear.


    ¡°Thanks, honey,¡± Mom says.


    Anja makes eye contact with me and mouths Woah, her eyes wide.


    ¡°You have powerful allies!¡± Kierstyn says, sounding impressed.


    ¡°That¡¯s my husband,¡± Mom says cooly.


    ¡°Dear¡­ Zoe,¡± Dad says calmly.


    ¡°I know,¡± Mom replies. ¡°But we can¡¯t just leave this lot to themselves, can we?¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Anja and I will go,¡± I say, standing up.


    Mom sighs. ¡°Ashley¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, lovingly, I don¡¯t care what you think,¡± I say bluntly.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I can sympathize with dealing with a kid who doesn¡¯t ever listen,¡± Kierstyn says, glaring at Anja.


    I ignore her and help Anja to her feet, and we take off towards the hallway in a run, Anja not sparing so much as a glance for her Aunt.


    ¡°Ashley!¡± Dad calls.


    ¡°You¡¯re not stopping me,¡± I shout back.


    ¡°I know,¡± he says. This gets me to pause. ¡°But a warning. Don¡¯t allow yourselves to be hit by their weapons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I say. But I¡¯ve been zapped by Kierstyn¡¯s weapons many times before, including earlier today. I can tough out whatever happens.


    ¡°Duly noted,¡± Anja says. ¡°Let¡¯s go get Zoe out of there!¡±


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    I chase her down the narrow corridor, intent on not letting her get away!


    In another damp catacomb, she is quickly climbing up a ladder. I fire a rocket at the top, causing the whole ladder to fall down. Ms. Patel hits the ground with a smack, the ladder and some rubble burying her!


    ¡°Now you¡¯re trapped down here with me!¡± I taunt.


    She pushes the ladder off herself and glares at me, more blood on her face and clothes from the fall. I reckon I have her on the ropes!


    But then, the sneaky little bitch does her shadow shit again, only this time, she doesn¡¯t come after me with it; she uses it to hastily retreat up the wall.


    Uh, shit. Well I knocked down the ladder, so now I have no way of getting up.


    Uhhhhhhh¡­ Okay, I got it.


    I kinda moved the earth to get out of my tomb right? It was just like that show I watched as a kid, Avatar.


    I stand next to the wall where the ladder once was, and I clench my fists to shake the ground beneath me, and then pump them up. As I hoped, the floor comes with me, pushing me upwards. Only, it goes so fast that I get catapulted off of it, instead of the smooth ascent I intended. Thinking fast, I grab the ledge on top, and pull myself upward. What can I say? I don¡¯t know my own strength.


    Through the doorway is a different part of the palace. It looks sort of like an old prison. There are large rooms carved out that are blocked off by iron bars, and behind them are really pathetic looking people. Each cell seems to hold a family, all of whom are wearing tattered clothes like peasants, and who seem to have a number of odd cuts and injuries. Then, I pass by a couple of people I recognize: Jason and his mom!


    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± I ask, running to the bars.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so pitiful! Poor me!¡± Jason¡¯s mom complains dramatically. She¡¯s wearing the same rags as the others and looks particularly downtrodden, having two black eyes and torn clothes. ¡°Oh how my husband beat me and cheated on me, so I had to leave him. I¡¯m so put upon! Waaah!¡±


    ¡°Uh, Jason, what¡¯s up with your mom?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Um, sweetie, actually nothing¡¯s up with my mom!¡± Jason says in this weird, whiny voice. ¡°And, pretty racist of you to assume something¡¯s up, tbh.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I say. ¡°Jason, what the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Um, are you criticizing me? Sweetie, actually that¡¯s like, super homophobic, cuz you know, I¡¯m gay, so you can¡¯t be mean to me, uwu!¡±


    ¡°Bro, we literally came out as gay together!¡± I tell him. ¡°It¡¯s me, Charlotte!¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a pretty white name, tbh,¡± Jason says. ¡°Why don¡¯t you check your privilege, whitey!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a biracial trans girl!¡± I argue. ¡°What privilege could I- urgh, never mind!¡±


    There¡¯s clearly something about the palace fucking with these two¡¯s brains. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to get anything out of talking to them, so I move along the hallway, trying to find Ms. Patel to finish her off for good.


    It takes a while for me to find her, and when I DO? It¡¯s actually one of the most horrifying things I¡¯ve ever seen in my life.


    I find her with none other than my own parents, and the ugly version of me that Ashley must¡¯ve met earlier. Except she¡¯s hunched over my mother, who¡¯s laid on the floor going totally pale and lifeless!


    ¡°HEY! GET OFF OF HER!¡± I yell. I think about throwing in some grenades, but I don¡¯t want to accidentally hurt Mom and Dad.


    Ms. Patel looks up at me, grinning, the blood she was drinking dripping from her mouth. I notice that all of her wounds seem to have healed¡­


    In a flash, she changes back to a shadow and darts away. I sit there horrified. Both at my mom¡¯s lifeless body laying on the floor, and at the idea of fighting an enemy who can totally heal herself any time she wants.


    Aaaand, I start crying.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    Anja and I charge into the hallways. Without the first idea of where to start looking, we simply keep to the left and check every door. An entrance to such a place must be kept hidden, so we comb every inch of the rooms we come across. First we come across a sort of break room with a kitchen. We don¡¯t search here for long, however, since they seemed to be keeping this a secret to low-level employees, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense to put the stairs somewhere they could easily be found. Next is what looks like a closet, with an array of sexually charged outfits, such as the bunny outfit that Charlotte¡¯s mom wore, which I¡¯m now blotting out of my mind so I can stay focused. We check every corner of the closet, seeing if there¡¯s any kind of secret door, even a trapdoor.


    ¡°Ashley! Footsteps!¡± Anja warns me. Both of us hide behind the hung clothes and go still.


    The footsteps are coming from opposite directions, and both stop when two people meet outside our door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± A man¡¯s voice says. ¡°The disturbance is that way.¡±


    ¡°Have you not heard? Agent EU7-04 has turned coat!¡± says the voice of a woman. ¡°She¡¯s attempting to escape now!¡±


    ¡°Man, what is going on today?¡± the man muses. ¡°An awakened kid interfering with our business; a dead cop; and now this. I¡¯m so ready for the week shift to end.¡±


    ¡°You and me both,¡± the woman agrees.


    ¡°So¡­ which way should we go, then?¡± he wonders. ¡°There was something about a wild animal downstairs, and some of the kids got loose.¡±


    ¡°They can handle a few scrawny little kids,¡± she scoffs. ¡°By the way, did you leave this door open?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t touch it,¡± he says. ¡°Think 7-04 could be hiding here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a look,¡± she agrees. The two walk into the closet we¡¯re hiding, weapons raised.


    Well, shit.


    At this point, it¡¯s inevitable that we¡¯ll be found. Might as well take the element of surprise while we have it.


    I concentrate the angelic power within my body, and shoot a blinding stream of light at the man, knocking him over with an ¡°OOF!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± the woman shouts, turning my direction.


    Anja dives into the open, laying down cover fire with her tommy gun. The woman retreats into the hallway after being hit with a few good welts.


    I jump to the man I knocked to the floor and punch my sword into his chest. I immediately hit some sort of breastplate he was wearing under his shirt, so I don¡¯t think it killed him, but the blunt force does cause him to cough up a little blood and pass out.


    ¡°We should keep the other one conscious to question her,¡± Anja suggests.


    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± I say. ¡°Come on.¡±


    We race into the hallway, and quickly see the woman limping away in a sort of half-jog a few yards down. She turns around and points her gun at us. ¡°Not another step,¡± she growls.


    I ignore her, and charge at her with my sword in hand. She opens fire, and I¡¯m hit with an electric shock. I¡¯m ready to brace for the pain, but I instead feel a sort of intense stiffness, and I fall forward onto my face.


    Before the woman can celebrate, however, she¡¯s knocked onto her ass by a strong gust of wind from Anja, who seemingly was able to dodge her attack. She lands near the woman from a sort of glide, and puts one foot onto her neck. ¡°Where are the stairs?¡± she asks curtly.


    The woman gives a defeated sigh. ¡°Go straight past the closet, then right, then it¡¯ll be your third door,¡± she answers.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anja says. Anja makes a strong snap with her fingers, which creates a flash that badly disorients the woman. She rolls around on the ground, moaning.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Anja says, offering me a hand. With some difficulty, I climb back to my feet, shaking out the stiffness of my legs.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± I say. ¡°I feel different¡­¡±


    I attempt to shoot more of my angelic light¡­ but nothing happens.


    ¡°My powers,¡± I say, the realization of what happened crushing me.


    ¡°Ashley, you dumbass! That¡¯s why your dad told us not to get hit!¡± Anja scolds me. She grabs my hand. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll just have to carry us for now. Come on.¡± She takes off, dragging me along, as I feel thoroughly humiliated.


    Anja follows the directions given to her. The halls are pretty empty; it seems that between the scene in the front and the supposed wild animal, all hands are on deck elsewhere.


    We find a door marked maintenance personnel only, which Anja drags me into. It¡¯s a strange room; there are a few generators humming, and in glass parts of them, there¡¯s green lightning identical to that of the fence outside, arching back and forth.


    We check behind the generators, and lo and behold, the stairs. Before heading down, however, Anja pauses.


    ¡°There¡¯s something weird in the air here,¡± Anja comments. ¡°Some sort of field.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I say. ¡°Zoe¡¯s down there.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Anja says. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± We both hurry down the stairs.


    <hr>


    We enter a highly strange hallway with all the walls painted black. We encounter resistance instantly. Two men who were seemingly standing outside of a fortified-looking door talking turn to us.


    ¡°Get out of our fucking way,¡± Anja says threateningly, pointing her tommy gun at-


    Her tommy gun is gone.


    In fact, so is her dress. She¡¯s back in the sweater she had been wearing before! I look down to see that I, likewise, have returned to civilian clothes. Somehow, we left the Metaverse!


    The two men smile snidely at us, and are quickly upon us. Unfortunately, there is really not much we can do. We are quickly restrained, our arms held. I try to wrestle free, but the burly man who grabbed me is much stronger than me.


    ¡°Two more for our crop, eh?¡± the blonde man holding Anja says in this obnoxious thespian voice.  He looks at me somewhere lower than my eyes, his own eyes glinting. ¡°You¡¯ve got such a nice figure. I¡¯m sure we can make use of you.¡±


    ¡°Keep looking at my breasts, and I¡¯ll stab both of your eyes out,¡± I growl.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking maximum security for these two as well,¡± the man holding me says. ¡°But how did they even get in?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that question later,¡± the blonde one says. ¡°For now, you¡¯re quite right.¡±


    ¡°Can we get some extra hands over here?¡± The man holding me shouts down the hallway.


    We hear footsteps¡­ many footsteps. At once, my half-formed plans of wrestling away and overpowering the two seem to be dashed. I turn my head up to look down the hall, expecting to see more workers.


    But what I actually see is very different.


    It¡¯s a crowd of children. They range widely in every way you can imagine. Some seem as young as six years old, others are about our age. Most, but not all, are girls, and a solid majority of them have some skin tone darker than white.


    I try to look behind them, expecting to see more guards shepherding them. But there¡¯s no such thing. Instead, my eyes are drawn to a girl in the front. She looks slightly younger than me, with dark brown skin and hair, and a pair of dirty glasses to match her dirty clothes.


    And in her arms is a certain armadillo.

 Chapter 93: Emancipation (December 27 Part 14)

    <Ruth>


    Our plan seems to have worked. The exterior of the palace matches the description given by Collin, Kat, and Jason. A blood red sky that seems to be eternally stormy hangs above us as we approach the Victorian mansion. The aesthetics are as striking as they are dreadful.


    I reach out with my mind towards the mansion. There are many essences within that I feel, but most feel like hollow shells, mere machinations of the palace. But then I find a stronger one; the aura of someone with a Persona. That must be Charlotte. But something¡¯s wrong with her; she¡¯s motionless and overwhelmed by sadness and fear. I check for Ms. Patel too. There is a murky presence some distance away from Charlotte, flitting through the halls like a specter.


    The interior is likewise familiar to the description given to us by Ashley. It resembles an old-fashioned jail built from stone and with what we can reasonably infer are the various patrons of the apartment complex kept behind bars. We come across Charlotte, staring wistfully with tears rolling down her eyes into one cell in particular which contains her mother, lying on the floor with blood pouring from a hole in her neck, her face still and colorless.


    ¡°The fuck¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Nova asks.


    Charlotte sniffs loudly, and gestures towards her mother¡¯s corpse. ¡°She killed my mom,¡± she says.


    ¡°No she didn¡¯t, dumbass!¡± Nova says. ¡°The people here aren¡¯t real!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Charlotte says, confused.


    ¡°God, you''re worse than Zoe the first time she was here! Get your ass up!¡±


    Charlotte, looking dumbfounded, takes Nova¡¯s hand and stands up. She looks again at her mother, before grimacing and quickly looking away again. ¡°So she¡¯s¡­ still alive in the real world?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Nova says emphatically.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Kevin says nervously. ¡°You  can  kill people from here, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but if the process were that simple, there would¡¯ve been a sizable number of casualties from previous adventures,¡± I reason.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Nova agrees. ¡°Ashley straight up stabbed a bitch, and he popped up again like ten minutes later. Fuck it,  I  died in one of these once!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ how did¡­?¡± Kevin trails off, looking puzzled.


    ¡°I guess that explains why everyone¡¯s acting weird,¡± Charlotte says.


    ¡°So, she attacked the cognitive version of your mom?¡± I ask, surveying the scene.


    ¡°Yeah, she was drinking her blood!¡± Charlotte explains, revolted. ¡°And because of that, she¡¯s healed, and all the progress I did is undone!¡±


    ¡°So, we don¡¯t let her do that again,¡± Nova says simply. ¡°She¡¯s toast now. She¡¯ll have no bird, and no way to heal if we keep on top of her. I bet she won¡¯t last a minute.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be our best course of action,¡± I agree.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make her pay,¡± Charlotte growls.


    ¡°She won¡¯t get away again,¡± Kevin says.


    I reach out once more to find her, and direct the others to give chase.


    <hr>


    <Alyssa>


    Against my better judgment, I let the kids run off to find Zoe. I turn back to Kierstyn.


    ¡°So. You admit that you killed her.¡±


    ¡°I had no choice,¡± she protests weakly.


    ¡°There¡¯s ALWAYS a choice!¡± I shout at her. ¡°She was your sister. And she was my best friend!¡±


    ¡°Is this really what you want to be discussing right now, in these circumstances?¡± Kierstyn challenges.


    I look back at the men, still being frozen in place by Gregg¡¯s power. ¡°What did  this  lot want with you?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you, butterfly lady,¡± the man with the goatee says.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡±  I say. ¡°But what  does  concern me is that my daughter is here. If you laid so much as a finger on her, I will castrate each and every one of you.¡±


    ¡°You pissed off the wrong people this evening,¡± Gregg taunts.


    ¡°We knew that the Thieves in the Night had not totally disbanded,¡± the goatee says. ¡°For showing your faces, you and all of your families will meet the same fate as your dear best friend.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in no position to be making threats,¡± Kierstyn growls at them. ¡°You¡¯re finished.¡±


    ¡°You think that your betrayal will stop us?¡± the goatee continues.


    ¡°You sick freaks are no longer needed. You will be destroyed under the heel of the governor,¡± Kierstyn spits at them. ¡°The Queen wills it so as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you lost me,¡± I interject. ¡°What¡¯s this about the governor? And the queen?¡±


    ¡°You are behind the times, dear,¡± Kierstyn comments snidely.


    ¡°The Queen? We have the power of Moloch on our sides!¡± the goatee shouts back. ¡°If you want war, you¡¯re going to have it.¡±


    ¡°You blithering fools!¡± Kierstyn shouts. She laughs maniacally for a few seconds. ¡°Moloch is my master! You have no allies left!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± the goatee grunts. But there¡¯s a hint of fear in his voice now.


    ¡°You will be purged, as will all the rest of the sick individuals in this state!¡± Kierstyn gloats. ¡°You¡¯re not even a match for my former friend and her husband here. This is the end.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that much,¡± I say. ¡°But you¡¯re not off the hook either, Kierstyn. You, a servant of Moloch? You, a murderer? You, a collaborator with pedophiles? It¡¯s clear that you¡¯ve become twisted beyond all recognition.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea what¡¯s going on here,¡± Kierstyn growls. ¡°If you knew what I knew¡­ why, I bet you don¡¯t even know what your old flame is up to.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You know who! Lucas Delaney, our leader! You don¡¯t know that he¡¯s calling himself ¡®Lucy,¡¯ now, and dressing up as a woman! Not to mention, leading your kids and their friends into the war you gave up on!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous!¡± I shout.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth! If you want proof, just ask your dear daughter who¡¯s been egging her on!¡±


    ¡°We will deal with that sometime later,¡± I say with gritted teeth.


    ¡°And what about  my  best friend?¡± she presses, pain on her face. ¡°What about Winona? You wanna know who killed her and Seth? It was Lucas!¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t,¡± I contradict.


    ¡°Why not? You thought I wouldn¡¯t kill anyone either until today, did you not? You haven¡¯t seen him in decades! You didn¡¯t watch him kill them, in a power grab for the Amethyst Stone! You didn¡¯t watch him enlist your children, and my niece, as child soldiers!¡±


    I sigh heavily. As much as I hate to admit it, I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here. I have no basis to judge whether her story is truth or lies.


    ¡°Why not get revenge? Let me go, and we¡¯ll both hunt down the one who started it all,¡± Kierstyn offers, smiling with malice. ¡°Our disgraced former leader turned sicko¡­¡±


    ¡°Revenge is a quest of pointlessness that only breeds further violence and pain,¡± Gregg comments, holding one of my hands.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so above it all,¡± Kierstyn sneers at him. ¡°With the power of your Persona, I¡¯m sure you have blood on your hands as well.¡±


    ¡°I really and truly don¡¯t,¡± Gregg says simply. ¡°I keep my nose clean, you could say. I simply learned from the best there is.¡±


    ¡°And you are correct, Gregg,¡± I say. ¡°I have no reason to trust anything you say, and the most important thing to me right now is that my children are safe.¡±


    Crystal encases each of the men in turn, and all of them, Kierstyn included, are lowered into the ground, only their heads left uncovered for breathing.


    ¡°I will deal with you filth later,¡± I say. ¡°Come on, Gregg.¡±


    ¡°Right you are, dear,¡± he says. And the two of us enter the hallway that Ashley and Anja ran into.


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    Ms. Patel retreated to a room attached to the various stone chambers that is significantly cozier. It¡¯s a sitting room, with a black-colored couch seated in front of blood-red window panes, upon which Ms. Patel sips blood from her wine glass while watching a roaring fireplace across from her.


    Kevin wastes no time in pointing his gun straight at her. ¡°Die monster,¡± he says seriously. ¡°You don¡¯t belong in this world!¡±


    Nova chuckles as Ms. Patel hisses, actually hisses like a cat, at us. ¡°I thought you left,¡± she said.


    ¡°And I thought you weren¡¯t a big enough sucker to fall for that, but here we are!¡± Nova gloats. ¡°Finish it.¡±


    Kevin fires a single silver bullet that perfectly pierces her heart. Ms. Patel shrieks a horrible, piercing shriek, and throws the wine glass to the floor, shattering it, as unnaturally dark blood pours out of her chest cavity.


    She¡¯s not quite done yet, though. She leaps to her feet lightning fast, before sinking back into the shadows as usual.


    ¡°No more of your tricks!¡± I say, as I make a pillar of rock shoot up and knock her up from the floor. Unfortunately, this sends her catapulting in my direction, and she barrels into me, knocking me to the ground.


    Her blood pouring onto my dress, she leans down for my neck, fangs out¡­


    Bwoosh!  She flies off and out of the sitting room as Kevin knocks her on the side of the head. He gives me a hand up to my feet, which I take with a blush.


    Ms. Patel is slinking back to one of the cells, eyeing one of her patrons hungrily¡­


    ¡°Nuh-uh!¡± Nova says. He shoots the bars to the cell with a bolt of lightning, electrifying them. Ms. Patel doesn¡¯t notice in time and gets shocked senseless when she touches them.


    Enraged, she slashes at the bars, and with surprising strength, tears them down and throws them  on top of us.


    ¡°Oof!¡± I say, as I¡¯m once again knocked to the floor and pinned down.


    ¡°She¡¯s approaching a prisoner!¡± Ruth cries out. ¡°Can anyone get up?¡±


    Nova shouts something, but it¡¯s muffled by his face being pushed into the floor.


    Suddenly, the bar lifts off of me, just a little bit. I turn to see Kevin heaving it upwards, just enough to let me free. He nods at me.


    I roll out from wreckage, get up, and summon my rocket launcher, ready to aim it right at her¡­


    But Ms. Patel holds something out in front of her as a shield- a person- a little girl, in fact. Bella, that adopted Asian girl with the pigtails, is shaking in fear¡­


    I can¡¯t fire now, it¡¯ll hit the kid!


    ¡°You¡¯re a coward!¡± I scold her. ¡°And a traitor too!¡±


    ¡°Traitor to who?¡± Ms. Patel asks, smiling in a sinister way, bathed with blood and singed all over, looking as if she¡¯s barely standing, but still there, still holding Bella up as a human shield. ¡°I owe this annoying little shit nothing.¡±


    And she lowers her fangs to Bella¡¯s neck-


    No-


    I¡¯m gonna-


    ¡°Hey, kid,¡± I say. ¡°Catch.¡±


    And I throw the bottle.


    (The bottle? Huh?)


    And Bella catches it.


    And realization strikes her face.


    And then it strikes Ms. Patel, who realizes she isn¡¯t holding her arms.


    And Bella swings it upwards and smashes it into her face.


    Ms. Patel howls as Bella wriggles free.


    ¡°Run,¡± I say.


    She understands, and makes a beeline down the hallways.


    And then I aim¡­


    And fire.


    BOOM!


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    ¡°Ted?¡± I ask, looking at him.


    ¡°GET BACK TO YOUR ROOMS, NOW!¡± the man holding Anja shouts. He pushes a button on a walkie-talkie in his shirt pocket. ¡°Backup requested downstairs ASAP. We have a serious security breach¡­¡±


    The man holding me roughly throws me to the ground, and then walks over me. I turn my head to see the crowd of children cowering away as the man threateningly raises his fists¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid of them!¡± Anja says in a rousing voice. ¡°Look at how many of  you  there are, and how few of them!¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, you little cuntrag!¡± the man holding Anja says, shoving her face into the wall.


    Ted starts growling at him- not in his human voice, but a real, animalistic growl- and drops from the dark-skinned girl¡¯s arms to the floor, arching his back threateningly.


    A brave look comes over the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Muchos de nosotros, pocos de ellos,¡± she says. The children behind her start muttering among themselves, in what sounds like various languages.


    ¡°WHAT DID YOU SAY?¡± the man who was previously holding me shouts. He reaches out his hand, grabbing the girl¡¯s throat.


    I shoot to my feet, and slug the man in the back of the head. He drops the girl and turns to me, a vein bulging in his head, but before he can do anything more, there¡¯s shouting from behind him, and many little hands all reaching out, holding him, clawing him, punching him. He¡¯s quickly pushed to the ground, being trampled by about a dozen angry children.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± the man holding Anja says, still holding her against the wall, his face draining of the little color it had.


    ¡°Oh shit is right,¡± I say. I grab him by the waist and throw him to the floor. Immediately, he is assailed by more children, who are kicking him and angrily shouting in various languages.


    ¡°Anja?¡± I say, grabbing her by the shoulders.


    She looks bad- her glasses are broken, as is her nose, which is bleeding profusely. She¡¯s also breathing deeply and trembling.


    ¡°Is¡­ Zoe in the¡­ BLEH¡­ crowd?¡± she says, stopping mid-sentence to spit out some of her blood.


    I scan the crowd of children, but there¡¯s not so much as a flash of blonde hair in sight.


    ¡°She must still be locked up,¡± I say. ¡°Let¡¯s go get her.¡±


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    Escaping from the wreckage, the others and I quickly coalesce around Ms. Patel in the¡­ well, it¡¯s not really a cell anymore, it¡¯s more of a pile of rubble. I may have gone too far in some places. Eheheh.


    Ms. Patel lays on the ground, now with shrapnel and new cuts and bruises added to the injuries, making her look sort of like a roasted turkey.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. It¡¯s over,¡± Kevin says, standing over her with his pistol still out.


    ¡°I know,¡± she says hoarsely. ¡°Enough already¡­¡±


    Nova picks the bottle off the ground, looking at it as if it insulted him. ¡°The fuck did you get this?¡± he asks, looking to me.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I say, at a loss for words.


    Where  did  I get it?


    I just knew I needed something and¡­ it appeared.


    Nova¡¯s eyes widen in realization. ¡°Turnip,¡± he says.


    ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s a bottle,¡± I say.


    ¡°No,¡± he says, shaking his head. ¡°You  pulled  it¡­ and you pulled those masks earlier.¡± He gives me a look of jealousy. ¡°That¡¯s OP as fuck.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡± I say, confused.


    ¡°Charlotte¡¯s skillset is quite unique indeed,¡± Ruth comments. ¡°But if I may¡­ let¡¯s finish here.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. That,¡± Nova says. He turns to Ms. Patel. ¡°Alright. You¡¯re going to, uh, report that shady ass club to the police and bring an end to this.¡±


    ¡°May I add a corollary, please?¡± Ruth requests. ¡°Do this in such a way so as to not inevitably lead to your death. You¡¯re quite accustomed to being duplicitous, so I know that¡¯s within your capabilities.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be of no use to us dead,¡± Kevin says nervously.


    ¡°She¡¯s not gonna listen to you!¡± I say incredulously.


    Nova scoffs. ¡°She is now. She doesn¡¯t have a choice. Am I right?¡± he says, looking back down at Ms. Patel threateningly.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll do it,¡± says Ms. Patel, sounding exhausted. ¡°And Charlotte?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I say.


    ¡°Your family can stay here as long as you need to,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯ll reset your rent rates to normal¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I say, pumping my fist in the air triumphantly.


    Ms. Patel fades away into a sort of mist. I think that means we won! Er, the others seem to think so, at least.


    <hr>


    <Zoe>


    We pass the time in silence for quite a while. I lose all sense of time. All I know is that, eventually, Intan and I hear raised voices from the hallway. My heart soars right out of my chest when I hear one of them is Anja!


    ¡°That¡¯s my friend!¡± I say hopefully. ¡°We¡¯re going to be free soon!¡±


    ¡°Or, your friend¡¯s in big trouble,¡± Intan says doubtfully.


    But then, the sounds of screaming and fighting- other children shouting in many different languages.


    ¡°They¡¯ve revolted,¡± Intan says, sounding in awe. ¡°Maybe there is a chance¡­¡±


    I start pounding on the door. ¡°Open the door! We''re here!¡± I shout.


    And then it opens, and just as I held out hope for, Ashley is there, and I dive into her arms and we kiss on the mouth, and for a short moment I feel the bliss of finally being reunited.


    When we break apart, Intan is looking at us practically starry-eyed.


    ¡°You want one too?¡± Anja asks, grinning from nearby.


    ¡°Not with all that blood on your face,¡± Intan says.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Anja concedes.


    I turn my head down the hall- a large group of other children are putting up a fight. The two men have managed to crawl away, back towards the door, covering themselves with their arms defensively.


    ¡°I hear footsteps!¡± One of them says hopefully. ¡°Backup has arrived!¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Ashley groans.


    The door slams open to reveal- Ashley¡¯s Mom? With an AR-15? She shoves it into the face of one of the men, who puts his hands up, gaping at her.


    ¡°Ashley?¡± Ashley¡¯s dad calls out, rushing in behind her.


    ¡°We¡¯re over here!¡± Ashley calls.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Dad says when he sees Anja. ¡°We¡¯ll get you cleaned up as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°GET ON THE FLOOR. NOW.¡± Mom shouts out. Both men get on the floor, as do some of the children, looking at her rifle with frightened eyes. ¡°No no no, not you!¡± she says to the children, waving at them.


    ¡°Yer an ally?¡± Ted asks her, on the floor in the middle of the crowd.


    ¡°That¡¯s my mom, Ted,¡± Ashley says.


    I run into the crowd and scoop Ted into my arms. ¡°This little guy just helped us out!¡± I explain.


    ¡°Howdy there,¡± Ted greets. ¡°Yer daughter has shown great bravery.¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL?¡± Mom cries out. ¡°DID THAT ARMADILLO JUST TALK?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, Red¡­ is your mom okay in the head?¡± Intan asks Ashley.


    ¡°What? Can¡¯t you hear him too?¡± Ashley retorts indignantly.


    ¡°Police are raiding the building,¡± Dad explains. ¡°They will do what they can for the children.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Anja says sarcastically. ¡°They¡¯re actually doing something for once???¡±


    ¡°That means we need to get out of here, presto,¡± Mom adds. ¡°We have no realistic explanation for why we¡¯re down here, so the five of us will make our leave through the other world.¡±


    ¡°You mean six of us?¡± Ashley says, gesturing to Ted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what exactly is the relationship here?¡± Mom questions, looking at Ted skeptically.


    ¡°Intan! You should come with us!¡± I say, turning to her. ¡°We have space for one more!¡±


    ¡°Zoe, I have my own family back in Borneo, whom I need to return to,¡± Intan says somberly. ¡°But¡­ thank all of you for what you¡¯ve done today.¡±


    ¡°I hope you find them,¡± I say, as I give her a final hug. ¡°Thank you for giving me strength.¡±  She hugs me back wordlessly, that rare smile glowing on her face.


    The moment is interrupted by more footsteps from upstairs¡­ and then, banging on the door. ¡°APD! OPEN UP!¡± a stern woman¡¯s voice yells.


    ¡°That¡¯s our cue,¡± Dad says in a low voice. I break my hug with Intan, leaving her somewhat puzzled, and bring Ted into a huddle with Ashley, her parents, and Anja, before we are whisked safely away.

 Chapter 94: Thieves In The Night (December 27 Part 15)

    <Charlotte>


    ¡°By the way, nice dress!¡± Kevin says approvingly. ¡°It looks great on you.¡±


    ¡°O-oh, thanks,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a color-swapped version of Anja¡¯s outfit, though. Fucking copycat,¡± Nova snarks. ¡°Also, what¡¯s up with your face?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up with  your  face?¡± I say, lightly punching him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Have you¡­ not seen a mirror image of yourself?¡± Ruth asks.


    ¡°Uh, no. I was too busy fighting a vampire lady to stop and gaze at my reflection,¡± I say.


    ¡°I think you might want to,¡± Ruth says. ¡°It seems to have changed more than just your clothes.¡±


    I gasp. Really???


    I dash back into the sitting room where we found Ms. Patel and look for a mirror. There¡¯s one hung next to the fireplace! I look at myself and¡­


    My face  is  different. My chin is a bit less prominent, while my cheeks seem fuller and rounder. My lips seem fuller as well, and have been nicely highlighted by some black lipstick. I had already been working on growing out my hair, but here, it looks effortlessly full, curly and beautiful. I look further down my body to see even my form has been changed into something more maturely feminine.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I say.


    ¡°See what we mean?¡± Nova asks as the others join me.


    ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯ve already been on HRT for a year or two !¡± I say excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m only at a few months right now¡­¡±


    ¡°The Persona is supposed to be ¡®true self,¡¯¡± Ruth explains. ¡°Perhaps awakening it transformed you into your desired body?¡±


    ¡°Look how happy she is!¡± Kevin comments, smiling. ¡°This means a lot to you, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it should¡¯ve made me shorter," Charlotte says. "Most guys want short girlfriends, right?¡±


    ¡°Me personally, I find tall women very lovely,¡± Kevin comments.


    ¡°Really?¡± I say excitedly.


    ¡°Tall girls and short girls are both cool in their own way, I guess,¡± Nova says thoughtfully.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re done appreciating your idealized form, I suggest we return to the real world,¡± Ruth says.


    ¡°Yeah, true,¡± I say. ¡°Just¡­ give me a few more minutes.¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    And so, my parents, Anja, Zoe, Ted, and I, are whisked into the Metaverse to discreetly escape. Zoe glances back and forth between my parents¡¯ Personas, gaping. Anja feels the end of her nose, now finding it smooth and unbroken. Ted wiggles free of Zoe¡¯s arms, and respectfully tips his hat to my parents.


    ¡°Mom, Dad,¡± I say. ¡°This is Ted. He¡¯s been a part of our team since the start, helping us fight our enemies. And yes, he¡¯s a talking armadillo.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ted,¡± Dad says respectfully. ¡°If I may ask, how could a being such as you exist?¡±


    ¡°How could you two have¡­ Personas?¡± Zoe questions. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m wondering.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re all wondering that,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long walk back. We¡¯ll all have time for swapping stories then,¡± Mom says. ¡°For now, there¡¯s one more loose end we must tie up.¡±


    We step out into the front hall to find all the men who accosted us now incapacitated even further by being seemingly dug into the ground with only their heads poking out. Before I can question this, Mom pulls out a strange little rectangular device with a small screen and presses a few buttons on it, which causes all the men to disappear.


    She then looks forward to find a mass of shattered purple crystal where Kierstyn was, groans, and shouts ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Dad comments.


    ¡°She got away,¡± I say between gritted teeth.


    My mom sighs. ¡°We¡¯ll have to deal with her some other time,¡± she laments. ¡°At least you kids are safe. That¡¯s the most important thing.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®she¡¯?¡± Zoe inquires.


    ¡°The Dark Trooper, aka, Anja¡¯s Aunt Kierstyn,¡± I answer.


    Zoe gasps and covers her mouth with her hands dramatically. ¡°Oh no!¡± she cries. She turns to Anja, who¡¯s gloomily hanging her head.


    ¡°And, my former teammate,¡± Mom comments. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s walk and talk. You kids deserve to know the truth¡­ at least, the parts of it that I know.¡±


    And so, the six of us exit the club, and begin our trek back through the wrecked city of Austin.


    ¡°Before I begin¡­ I must ask one question,¡± Mom says. ¡°Did you truly work with Lucas? Or should I say¡­ Lucy, was it?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I say. ¡°How do you know about Lucy?¡±


    A grim, disappointed look casts over Mom¡¯s face. ¡°So she was telling the truth about that much.¡±


    She hums one dissatisfied note to herself, and then says, ¡°Once upon a time, he was our leader. Me, Anja¡¯s mother, Kierstyn, and several others, made a team called the Thieves in the Night.¡±


    ¡°Get out of town!¡± Anja exclaims, eyes wide with awe. ¡°But I thought they all died!¡±


    ¡°Many of us did,¡± Mom explains. ¡°We disbanded when Lucas and I broke up, and¡­ Winona and Seth, two of our own, were killed. They were a Jewish couple who had just been married. And then, years later¡­¡± she closes her eyes, briefly overcome with pain. ¡°Ellen didn¡¯t hide herself well enough, and she met the same fate. And until recently, I presumed that Lucas and Kierstyn were either dead, or deep in hiding. I hadn¡¯t heard from either of them since high school.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not new to this,¡± I observe.


    ¡°No. We went on many little adventures in our high school days. We fought common criminals like drug dealers and thieves at first. But we soon found ourselves way in over our heads when it all connected back to something bigger than us.¡±


    ¡°La Murga,¡± Ted growls.


    ¡°I was scared that they¡¯d hunt me too,¡± Mom continues. ¡°So I ran off with your father to California. I lost contact with everyone. Lucas, Ellen, Kierstyn, and Kyle, our last living member. Or at least, I hope he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so Dad wasn¡¯t involved with this?¡± I question, turning to Dad.


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t privy about any of this until I met your mother,¡± Dad explains. ¡°Nor was I ever truly a part of this wider struggle. I merely did this as a favor for a friend.¡±


    ¡°So like¡­ what  I¡¯m  wondering is¡­ what are the chances that our parents just so  happened  to be in on this?¡± Anja questions. ¡°This has gotta be a lower chance than being struck by lightning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think this is a coincidence,¡± Mom says, her tone turning angry. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us your side of the story now? How Lucas recruited you?¡±


    ¡°Okay. First of all, it¡¯s Lucy,¡± I tell her. ¡°She clearly identifies as a woman now, so quit calling her Lucas.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Hmmph,¡± Mom hmmphs. ¡°I only ever knew him as Lucas.¡±


    ¡°Well, things change,¡± I say sternly. ¡°So quit being a boomer and adapt.¡±


    ¡°I am  not a boomer!¡± Mom retorts, looking offended ¡°I am firmly in Gen X.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to not act like a boomer,¡± I snark back.


    ¡°Just¡­ get on with your story already!¡± Mom says.


    I tell her everything. About finding the strange journal, and being called by Lucy. About awakening my Persona and meeting Ted. About Anja finding out, and convincing me to use it to help Nova. Then Zoe joining; us using it on the church; our time spent training; Ms. Truman; and then, we catch up to the present day, with our discovery of the human trafficking scheme.


    Mom and Dad listen to my story intently, and for a while after I¡¯m done, they¡¯re silent, as we walk out of the city limits of Austin and across the suburban roads.


    ¡°He must be stalking me,¡± Mom says after a while.


    ¡°Who?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Luca- Lucy. He must have snuck that journal in our house at some point, hoping to enlist you.¡±


    ¡° She .¡±


    ¡° She , then!¡± Mom corrects, clearly frustrated.


    ¡°And, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± I say. ¡°She never said anything about knowing either of you. She doesn¡¯t seem to have any idea who I am.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t just be a coincidence!¡± Mom says. ¡°And this journal is clearly hi- hers.¡±


    You know¡­ come to think of it, I never asked Lucy how that journal got to be with my possessions.


    ¡°I want to talk to hi- er, her.¡± Mom says. ¡°You said you call her on the phone, right? Put me on the line.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I¡¯m taken aback by this. I don¡¯t reasonably have a reason to refuse, but it feels wrong. Like I¡¯m selling her out. Then again, I¡¯d also like to know how this all came to be.


    I pull out my phone, and select Lucy¡¯s name.


    ¡°Hello Ashley,¡± her voice says.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I say. ¡°Look, a lot of shit has happened. I¡¯ll have to catch you up on all of it later. But right now¡­ uh, this is gonna sound weird, but my mom wants to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Your mom?¡± she says, her voice some mix of shock and excitement.


    ¡°Yeah. I think you used to know each other?¡± I say.


    ¡°...Alyssa?¡± Lucy says uncertainly.


    ¡°That¡¯s her name,¡± I confirm.


    ¡°You  do  know,¡± Mom mumbles.


    ¡°Anyway, here she is! Good luck!¡± I say. I hand the phone to my mom.


    <Alyssa>


    ¡°...Alyssa? Is that you?¡± a woman¡¯s voice says over the line.


    ¡°How dare you,¡± I say. ¡°You disappear for DECADES. And you come back and recruit my daughter as some sort of child soldier?¡±


    ¡°Alyssa¡­ wait¡­¡±


    ¡°DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH DANGER YOU¡¯VE GOTTEN HER INTO?¡± I shout, losing control. ¡°I JUST HAD TO COME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO RESCUE MY OTHER DAUGHTER FROM HUMAN TRAFFICKERS! AND IT¡¯S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU DRAGGED HER INTO THIS SHIT! IF YOU EVER SHOW YOUR FACE HERE, I¡¯M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!¡±


    ¡°Of that, I have no doubt,¡± she says, sounding strangely impressed. ¡°But it¡¯s not as you say¡­ until recently, I had no idea she was your daughter.¡±


    ¡°SHE¡¯S A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL!¡± I counter. ¡°SHE SHOULDN¡¯T BE INVOLVED WITH THIS NO MATTER WHOSE DAUGHTER SHE IS!¡±


    ¡°Would you have said the same to us as teenagers?¡± She says calmly.


    ¡°You- that¡¯s irrelevant!¡± I deflect. ¡°We¡¯re talking about right now!¡±


    ¡°Trust me, dear. I had my misgivings when I learned that my journal had been given to someone so young,¡± she explains.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®dear!¡¯¡± I snap. ¡°And what are you talking about?  Given?  Didn¡¯t you do this?¡±


    ¡°Not directly,¡± she says. ¡°I handed my journal off to an ally, asking her to select someone with great potential. I suppose I should¡¯ve asked for someone of age. But after meeting your daughter- of course, I didn¡¯t know that¡¯s who she was yet- she impressed me. She¡¯s quite remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Oh trust me, I know!¡± I say. ¡°But why should I believe anything you say? After what I¡¯ve heard about what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± she challenges.


    ¡°Murdering our friends! Winona and Seth!¡±


    ¡°That is a lie,¡± Lucy says immediately, ¡°And a bad one.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what Kierstyn seemed to believe!¡± I continue. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think I can trust her either, given that she MURDERED ELLEN, AND IS WORKING WITH MOLOCH!¡±


    ¡°Slow down!¡± Lucy says. ¡°Kierstyn? Our team member?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± I confirm.


    ¡°Tell her that she¡¯s ¡®The Dark Trooper,¡¯¡± Ashley suggests. ¡°She¡¯ll know what that means.¡±


    ¡°...She¡¯s this so-called Dark Trooper!¡± I say.


    Lucy huffs audibly. ¡°Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°You better start believing it, because it¡¯s true!¡± I say. ¡°She¡¯s admitted it to me, to my face!¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s truly working with Moloch, you can¡¯t trust her,¡± Lucy says calmly.


    ¡°No shit!¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t know who to trust! I don¡¯t care right now!¡±


    ¡°How about we discuss this more later?¡± Lucy suggests. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re taking in a lot right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting out of this!¡± I snarl. ¡°However it happened, you¡¯ve been the one endangering my daughters. You have a lot to answer for.¡±


    ¡°Your daughters are strong young women who chose  this fight,¡± Lucy retorts. ¡°It¡¯s time you realize that they¡¯re growing up, and no longer need this coddling.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that shit,¡± I say. Unable to take it anymore, I thrust the phone back to Ashley. ¡°Hang up, now,¡± I say.


    <Ashley>


    ¡°I gotta admit. She was pretty dead-on with that last point,¡± I challenge Mom after hanging up. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being treated like a child.¡±


    ¡°You  are  a child,¡± she snaps back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen and done so much over the past few months,¡± I say. ¡°So have all of us.¡±


    ¡°You  never  should¡¯ve had to deal with that!¡±


    ¡°Why? Because you gave up, and you think we should too?¡±


    ¡°I did not  give up ,¡± she replies testily.


    ¡°Kinda sounds like you did.¡±


    ¡°I kept myself safe so that I could protect  you! ¡± she counters. ¡°I could be killed, like¡­ like Ellen was! I can¡¯t let that happen! Gregg, and you, and now Zoe, you need me! So I¡¯m staying alive for all of you.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t  just  care about the people in your family!¡± I argue. ¡°There are so many people out there being abused. Who¡¯s protecting them?¡±


    ¡°Of course they matter too,¡± she says. ¡°But I can¡¯t just run away from my family to go be some hero.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t have to,¡± I say. ¡°Maybe this is our chance to all fight together as a family.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ this is absurd!¡± Mom protests. ¡°You should be focusing on getting good grades and making friends, not this!¡±


    ¡°I have been doing those things,¡± I say coolly.


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Mom retorts. ¡°Doing normal teenager things with your friends. Not dragging them into¡­ this!¡±


    ¡°If I may interject,¡± Anja says. ¡°Me being here is my fault, not Ashley¡¯s. Please don¡¯t blame her.¡±


    Mom deflates a little. ¡°Then everything I¡¯m saying applies to you, too.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Anja says. ¡°But I¡¯m with Ashley on this, all the way.¡± I feel a little warm inside despite myself. ¡°As soon as I learned about this other world, I couldn¡¯t leave it alone. We¡¯ve used it to help so many people now. And we¡¯re no longer just looking after our own. Look at what we just did!  That  was huge!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re good kids, ma¡¯am,¡± Ted adds. ¡°I¡¯ve been with them all the way. They don¡¯t abuse their powers. They¡¯re trustworthy folk.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s not my issue!¡± Mom retorts, her eyes bugging when she watches Ted speak. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ think about what could¡¯ve happened to Zoe, if we hadn¡¯t intervened!¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have  just  saved me, though,¡± Zoe adds softly. ¡°And not helped the others?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Mom says. ¡°We¡¯re not heartless!¡±


    Zoe smiles. ¡°That¡¯s how we feel. If you have the ability to help others¡­ you should use it. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve come to believe.¡±


    ¡°You too?¡± Mom asks, defeated. She heaves a heavy sigh, and turns to Dad. ¡°What do you think? You¡¯ve been quiet this whole time.¡±


    ¡°I share your objections about involving children with this. But there is another perspective I¡¯d like to offer as well,¡± Dad says. ¡°That is a results-oriented analysis. Everyone is safe, and a franchise of human trafficking is now being brought to justice. Tonight was an undeniable success. It seems strange that the mood is not more celebratory.¡±


    ¡°Amen to that,¡± Ted agrees gruffly.


    ¡°Except that Kierstyn got away,¡± Mom rants. ¡°And I don¡¯t know what to believe about any of this¡­¡± her head droops down, her voice momentarily revealing hurt. ¡°And¡­ Ashley¡¯s been lying to us. Not for the first time, may I add.¡±


    ¡°You never told  me  about any of this either!¡± I counter. ¡°If I¡¯m a liar, then clearly I learned from the best.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop!¡± Mom groans, putting her face in her hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s please stop fighting,¡± Zoe says, putting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve all been through enough tonight.¡±


    ¡°Wisely said,¡± Dad agrees.


    Anja slumps a bit, her eyes falling to watch her feet. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ but also, I hope you all understand that this isn¡¯t over,¡± she says. ¡°We had our first taste of something big tonight¡­ I feel there¡¯s so much more we can do.¡±


    Mom chuckles dryly. A ghost of a smile comes to her lips. ¡°¡®This isn''t over.¡¯ Your mom used to say that all the time,¡± Mom reminisces. ¡°It was her mantra¡­¡± She sniffs, and suddenly, tears are falling down her face. ¡°I miss her. She meant a lot to me¡­¡±


    ¡°I miss her too,¡± Anja says, starting to cry as well. Anja walks to Mom, and for a moment, the two women embrace, together in mourning a friend and mother.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Mom says, breaking the hug. ¡°That reminds me. We need to get in touch with your father, Anja. He¡¯ll be worried. The police department must have called him as well.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, shit.¡± Anja says. ¡°Let¡¯s take a pit stop somewhere so I can call him. I¡¯ll have to explain my broken glasses to him too, damn it¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡­ we agreed not to tell anyone outside of our group,¡± Zoe says. ¡°About any of this¡­ magic stuff.¡±


    ¡°No, and you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Mom agrees. ¡°It¡¯ll just endanger more people. We¡¯ll think of an alibi¡­¡±


    The rest of the walk home passed in a somber tone. We talk through the more mundane elements of the night. What to tell Anja¡¯s dad, where everyone is whom we need to drive home, reconnecting with the others. We learned that they triumphed against Ms. Patel, causing her to give the police a tip about the gentleman¡¯s club. Furthermore, Ms. Patel had come to Charlotte¡¯s apartment, saying she would lower their rates to allow them to stay.


    It¡¯s as Dad said; tonight was a success. Certainly more so than our last offensive. Still, issues linger in the back of my mind. Kierstyn¡¯s escape, for one, and the ominous note she had left me before.


    I suppose she did indeed shed blood tonight; Sheriff Hurt was found dead where we left him. He was not someone I cared for on a personal level, though, which makes me wonder what her original intention was. Perhaps an attack on my parents, before learning it was impossible due to their Personas?


    Another issue is that airship palace over Austin. Who could possibly reside there, so powerful that they¡¯re totally above everything we¡¯ve been dealing with so far, both physically and figuratively? How will this threat respond to us busting a gang in their backyard?


    Come to think of it¡­ it was strange how Kierstyn was at odds with the traffickers tonight. She had been running from them. It seems as if the old adage of ¡°the enemy of my enemy is my friend¡± does not apply here. Evil itself has multiple factions in this conflict.


    Finally, perhaps deeper than anything else, I wonder one thing. How  did  that journal get into my closet?

 Chapter 95: Partisan Issues (December 27 Part 16)

    <Zoe>


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ no¡­ Oh! That¡¯s it! I see it!¡± Anja calls out, pointing to her silver sedan in the movie theater parking lot.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe how many people are here on a Sunday night,¡± Mom grumbles, pulling into a lot a few spaces down from Anja¡¯s car.


    ¡°In all fairness, it  is a holiday,¡± Dad points out.


    Anja, currently without her glasses and bandages on her face, exits the car and runs straight to hers, before abruptly coming to a stop next to it. Ashley, our parents, and I get out of the car as well.


    ¡°Uh¡­ guys?¡± Anja calls. ¡°I just realized¡­ I don¡¯t have my keys.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Ruth gave it to one of the children,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Let¡¯s go check and see if they¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I hope they haven¡¯t been too traumatized,¡± I say, feeling a pang of worry as I picture how scared they looked back in the palace.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have been worse than my first time in the¡­ other place,¡± Anja says.


    The five of us walk across the parking lot and to the movie theater, which is in a tall part of the mall. There are several sets of doors, which still open occasionally as older teenagers and families make their way home. We push our way inside, and start scanning the crowd. I think I see Odetta with a few other girls, but I decide not to say hello. Shortly after, we find Collin, Jason and Kat.


    ¡°Zoe!¡± Collin says at once, looking awkward. ¡°I¡­ uh, you¡­ I¡¯m glad to see you. I was worried.¡±


    I smile at him, and pull him into a big hug. He tries to keep up his cool, but I hear a bit of sniffling from over my shoulder.


    ¡°How was the movie?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°Oh, it was so good!¡± Jason says, his eyes glowing. ¡°I wanna see it again when Charlotte¡¯s free. It was funny, and the songs were so good!¡±


    ¡°What happened to your face?¡± Kat asks. ¡°Get into a fight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t worry,¡± Anja says, grinning. ¡°I got him back real good.¡±


    ¡°Well, hate to be a spoilsport, but it¡¯s getting late, and all of your parents must be worried,¡± Mom says.


    ¡°Oh yeah. Do any of you have my car keys¡­?¡± Anja asks nervously.


    ¡°I have them,¡± Jason says, pulling them from a pocket in his cardigan.


    ¡°Why¡¯d she give them to  you ?¡± Collin says, abruptly pulling away from my arms.


    ¡°Ruth¡¯s smart enough to know who the responsible one is,¡± Kat says tauntingly.


    ¡°You wanna fucking go?¡± Collin says threateningly.


    ¡°Excuse me, language!¡± Mom chides.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, Mrs. Davis,¡± Collin says sheepishly. I giggle, happy to see things are back to normal for now.


    We took everyone home, splitting people between our and Anja¡¯s car. At home, Ashley¡¯s parents tune into local news, anxious to see how the events of the night are being reported on. I, however, feel remarkably tired, and decide to go straight to bed. It¡¯s been a trying day for me, the most trying day since the day I left home. Truly, I¡¯ve been to places I never would¡¯ve dreamed of. And as I drift off, I can¡¯t help but to ponder in fear where God will need our help next¡­


    <hr>


    <Objective POV>


    And sure enough, our heroes found themselves far enough down the iceberg that the rotating first-person POV is no longer sufficient to tell the whole story.


    At Kelly Patel¡¯s tip, the APD raided the Play Hard Gentleman¡¯s Club and shut the operation down. Intan and the other children were put in the care of social services, who worked to return them to their homes when possible, or otherwise find them new ones in orphanages or foster care.


    Sheriff Hurt¡¯s body was found in the trunk of his car, and law enforcement correctly put two and two and determined that he had been in pursuit of a tip about the gentleman¡¯s club. Local media hailed him as a hero, and there were plans made for a public funeral.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Ms. Patel was called in during the investigation of Sheriff Hurt¡¯s murder to testify. She was led into the station¡¯s conference room, a small, quiet room with no windows, and left by herself, being told that an officer would soon be with her. The next person to enter her room, however, would be a woman with short black hair. That, of course, would be Kierstyn Beatty.


    Upon seeing her, Ms. Patel frowns. ¡°You¡¯re an officer?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Kierstyn Beatty answers. She sits down across from the Pakistani woman and folds her arms. "All that¡¯s important to you right now is that I¡¯m the one keeping you alive right now,¡± she says nonchalantly. ¡°So if you¡¯d rather your insides not be turned to sludge, play nice.¡±


    Ms. Patel¡¯s eyebrows furrow in fury. ¡°What is the meaning of this? I am here to testify about the murder of a heroic police officer. This¡­ this intimidation is unacceptable!¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit. You know as well as I do that your brother, Jamal Patel, was the owner of that club.¡±


    ¡°You think that just because we¡¯re related, I was involved?¡± Ms. Patel argues indignantly. ¡°There are millions of Patels in South Asia, probably billions¡­¡±


    ¡°...And that you allowed them access to those in your apartment building who struggled to pay your rent.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I had no knowledge of this!¡± Ms. Patel retorts, her voice shaky.


    ¡°You know as well as I do that Moloch has no mercy for defectors,¡± Kierstyn continues, ignoring. ¡°He gave you a son, and yet you failed¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ms. Patel hisses. She drops her voice to a whisper. ¡°What are you playing at?¡±


    ¡°This is going to go a lot more quickly if you go ahead and drop the act,¡± Kierstyn replies in a low voice. ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. The only reason why you¡¯re still alive right now is because you¡¯re lucky. It just so happens that Moloch no longer needs that abominable bunch of perverts. We are moving on to a new phase¡­ and you have a part to play.¡±


    Ms. Patel gulps, and then looks around the room. Her eyes land upon the security camera.


    ¡°Temporarily on the fritz,¡± Kierstyn says casually. ¡°We can talk in complete anonymity.¡±


    She glances sideways back at Kierstyn. ¡°Who are you, exactly?¡±


    ¡°I already told you,¡± Kierstyn says. ¡°I¡¯m your last tether to life.¡±


    Ms. Patel stares suspiciously at Kierstyn for a moment, before slouching back in her chair. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°First, I¡¯m curious to know. How much did you really¡­ change?¡± Kierstyn asks, a slight smirk forming on her lips.


    ¡°What?¡± Ms. Patel asks.


    Kierstyn slams both hands on the table abruptly. Ms. Patel blinks, but otherwise manages not to flinch.


    ¡°Those children were rummaging around in your heart, were they not?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ how should I know?¡±


    ¡°So cold to the world, you know not what happens within your own heart?¡± Kierstyn taunts. ¡°You would¡¯ve felt an urge- a sudden revelation.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ all I can tell you is, I¡­ I had a fear about what may have been happening at my brother¡¯s club, after some of the events of the day, and I had to say something¡­ just in case.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm. Sure,¡± Kierstyn says sarcastically. "And how did that make you feel?"


    "To be honest, I was afraid for my life," Ms. Patel explains. "But I¡­"


    "And  that''s  all I needed to hear," Kierstyn says, smiling in a satisfied way. "Okay, let me tell you the deal then. You''re going to keep doing what you''re doing, telling this version of events that paints you as some hero. You''ll see that there''s a certain¡­ interpretation of events that will come to be favored by the governor and his party, and you''ll play along with it. If you don¡¯t, well, let''s just say it may slip that you were very much complicit in the trafficking ring. Don''t try denying it- I can prove it easily. But I won''t, as long as you behave. And don''t think for a moment that you won''t be thrown under the bus with ease- the people here will have no trouble painting someone like you as a villain."


    "This is blackmail!" Ms. Patel cries indignantly. "This will not stand in the court of law! I have rights!"


    "I do not care about the court of law," Kierstyn states plainly. "And yes, this is blackmail."


    "So what?" Ms. Patel demands. "I''m supposed to go along with whatever narrative the Republican Party will push? And what narrative is that, may I ask?"


    "The governor believes that there is a common throughline to these events, as well as many of our current cultural¡­ inadequacies."


    "And what do  you  believe?" Ms. Patel challenges.


    "What I believe does not matter," Kierstyn states coolly. "Neither does what you believe. We are effectively extensions of the governor''s will- nothing more, nothing less."


    With that, Kierstyn gets to her feet, and makes for the door.


    "Now wait just a moment!" Ms. Patel cries. "You come in here, threaten me with blackmail and baseless allegations, and then just leave?"


    "I''ve said all I need to say to ensure your compliance," she says. "You will never see me again. Goodbye." Kierstyn exits through the door.


    "Officers! Guards!" Ms. Patel cries out. She runs to the door and throws it open, to find the hallway completely empty.


    "What the- Somebody! There''s an intruder!"


    "What¡¯s all the ruckus?" Asks an officer as he turns the corner of the hallway.


    "Officer, I''m so glad to see you. There was an intruder in- lady with short black hair-"


    "I haven''t seen anyone like that in here," the officer says flatly. "Are you feeling alright?"


    "She was here, she just left, I don¡¯t know where-"


    "Why don''t you go back into your room and wait for one of us to be with you?" the officer says.


    Without waiting for a response, he opens the door, and holds it as if courteously inviting her back inside.


    Ms. Patel takes a deep breath, hums a single dissatisfied note, and then re-enters the conference room.


    Meanwhile, across the state, the apparatus of the state government was at work. What begun as an investigation of this club and its activities soon began to bloat in scope to what seemed on the outside to be a holistic study of all known activity in the state relating to the sexual abuse of children. A noble cause¡­ reassuring to see them taking this issue so seriously, right?


    For now, the heroes can rest and enjoy the rest of their Christmas Break. But with mysteries left open and storms on the horizon, their return to the enigmatic Metaverse is assured. Only this time, they will meet their most dangerous enemy yet.


    ~Ending of Movement IV: Diving Into Dark Water~

 Chapter 96: Turn Off The News (January 27, 2015)

    <Anja>


    ¡°It¡¯s time to wake up,¡± I hear my father say.


    Bleh.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already let you sleep in fifteen minutes. You need to get breakfast.¡±


    Man, fuck this. Fuck school. I just wanna stay asleep.


    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re awake. Be out soon, okay?¡±


    I hate this. I need a holiday or something. Two months until spring break¡­


    I push myself out of bed little by little. All of my limbs feel like lead.


    As usual, Dad is sitting in the living room watching TV. As I¡¯m heating up my waffles, I try to ignore the fresh new horrors on the news, but fail to.


    Tennessee passed a law requiring that people use the bathroom listed on their birth certificate. Ah yes, stop trans people from using the bathroom. That¡¯ll stop human trafficking! Good job.


    A district court is blocking the president¡¯s executive order which would¡¯ve allowed illegal immigrants under 31 to apply for work visas. Why block that? There¡¯s only upside to the people affected and no downside to anyone else. Evil.


    Some counties in Texas are banning books about black advocacy and queer issues and from public libraries. At this rate it won¡¯t be long until that happens here.


    I can¡¯t take it anymore and just eat in the kitchen. Man, I really should¡¯ve stayed in bed this morning.


    <hr>


    Nova, Ashley, Zoe and Ruth are already in the library when I get there. Charlotte usually comes later, and I guess Kevin is probably hanging out with his new girlfriend.


    When I get to our area, Zoe stands up and greets me with a hug. I take a seat next to Nova on the bench.


    ¡°We had just been talking about our local government,¡± Ashley says upfront. ¡°We think there¡¯s a good chance that they¡¯re going to go along with the bullshit going on in the rest of the state at some point. If this happens, we may need to intervene directly just to save our own skins.¡±


    ¡°We just got a new major after the last election, right?¡± I ask, trying to rack my brain on what the guy¡¯s name is.


    ¡°Yes¡­ my uncle,¡± Zoe says meekly.


    ¡°And, I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to remind you of the kind of things that flit through the brains of her family,¡± Ashley says crossly.


    ¡°Oh shit. That¡¯s right,¡± I say. ¡°It was a Parker, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait a minute,¡± Nova interrupts. ¡°What exactly is it we¡¯re thinking they might do?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯re gonna try something,¡± Ashley insists. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve been paying attention, right? The state¡¯s response to us blowing the cover on that human trafficking operation is to try and link it to the LGBT community. What a bunch of bullshit. The club in Austin had nothing to do with LGBT stuff. But I guess because a single teacher at our school tried to make a pass on some female students, that means there¡¯s this big conspiracy. How stupid are people that they believe this shit? Do they even know anything about what happened? I swear, everyone in this fucking country is a dumbass. They have the brains of a fucking goldfish, they¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Ashley¡­ take it easy,¡± Zoe says, patting her on the arm. ¡°It is totally unfair, but we have to keep our heads here.¡±


    ¡°To be more precise, there may be restrictions placed upon how public institutions like schools and libraries can engage with the topic of queer issues,¡± Ruth explains. ¡°Our principal already vetoed my proposed gay-straight alliance club, and some counties have restricted libraries from carrying books about the subject. These are certainly bad, but not an immediate threat to anyone. That said, it does indicate a backsliding of public opinion on these topics that could escalate into worse behavior. Still, let¡¯s not freak out until we know exactly what we¡¯re up against.¡±


    ¡°I think things are already escalating,¡± I say. ¡°Remember that man who shot people at a gay bar in Austin? That¡¯s not going to be the last one of those if this rhetoric continues.¡±


    ¡°I was referring to direct actions taken by the government itself,¡± Ruth clarifies. ¡°We don¡¯t yet know the extent to which they will act, and what that will look like. And remember, the federal executive branch is on our side. We¡¯re currently living under the first US president in history to endorse the legality of same-sex marriage. Even if it¡¯s only through executive action, he could take steps to undermine Texas¡¯s actions if he deems it goes too far. ¡°


    ¡°Right, because Congress wouldn¡¯t go along with anything going against Texas on this,¡± I say. Republicans made massive gains in Congress in November¡¯s elections, and currently control both chambers.


    ¡°I¡¯m not counting on them to save us,¡± Ashley says disdainfully.


    ¡°Nor should you,¡± Ruth agrees. ¡°But it¡¯s important to keep a holistic view of the situation in mind.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not let all of this political stuff ruin all our days,¡± Zoe suggests. ¡°We still have seven hours of school to get through, and there¡¯s nothing we can do right this moment. Let¡¯s all plan to discuss it more after school, and put it out of our minds for now.¡±


    ¡°Solid advice,¡± I say, sighing. ¡°It¡¯s not going to do us any good to kill ourselves over it now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nova says. ¡°I mean, nobody really answered my question, so it sounds like we¡¯re fine for now. Wanna Smash, Anja?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± I say, grinning as I pull out my 3DS.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go try and get something done, then,¡± Ashley says. ¡°I find that¡¯s the only way I can really get my mind off of things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Zoe says quickly. The two of them skitter off for a computer, as I pull out my 3DS, hoping to take Zoe¡¯s suggestion to heart.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    It¡¯s a lovely morning for soccer practice. It¡¯s about seventy degrees [20 degrees in Celsius] and the sky is clear.


    Oh, I¡¯m not at soccer practice. I quit, remember? But I came to watch the girl¡¯s varsity soccer team practice. Not for any pervy reasons! I¡¯m here to support my new girlfriend, Hannah.


    We met at club soccer tryouts for Div. II. I saw a girl who was insanely tall, she must stand at six feet, and who had long hair in the prettiest shade of auburn I ever saw. Mason encouraged me to go talk to her, to help me get over¡­ stuff. Turns out, we have a lot in common. We both  care about sports and staying healthy, and have been sharing fitness advice. We talked about our favorite sports teams, and I found out she grew up in England when she kept on saying ¡°football¡± when she meant soccer. We even got to talking about some more serious topics, and found a fair amount of agreement. She likes our president but despises our governor, and supports legal abortions, gun control and legal same-sex marriage. She also thinks America should copy Britain¡¯s healthcare system and be less chauvinistic on the world stage.


    She¡¯s also a remarkable soccer player. She plays forward, and moves with incredible speed and purpose. She clearly intimidates the other girls, and isn¡¯t afraid to use that to her advantage. When she sees an opportunity, her big brown eyes will glint with aggression, and she strikes the ball like a lightning bolt. Though I play midfield, I try to pay attention to her technique to see if there¡¯s anything I can learn from it.


    When practice is over, she comes to the stands and leans over the railing towards me, grinning. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be at practice too,¡± she says.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not doing school soccer anymore,¡± I say. ¡°Long story, I¡¯ll tell you later. You¡¯re a great player, by the way.¡±


    ¡°What a gentleman you are,¡± she says. ¡°Wanna walk to class?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± I say. I climb over the railing and take her sweaty hand as we head first to the locker rooms, then into the school.


    <hr>


    I decide to introduce her to my friends during lunch that day. After changing out of her practice clothes, she put on a slick gray jacket over a t-shirt, red lipstick, and a pair of diamond-shaped earrings.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Hannah!¡± I tell them. ¡°Hannah, this is Ashley, Zoe, Ruth, Charlotte, Nova, and Anja.¡±


    ¡°I know you!¡± Zoe says. ¡°You used to go to our church!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. I don¡¯t really go to church anymore,¡± Hannah says dismissively.


    ¡°We don¡¯t go to that particular one anymore either,¡± Ashley states.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re tall,¡± Anja states. ¡°Ashley, is she taller than even you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know,¡± Ashley says.


    ¡°Stand next to her!¡± Anja urges.


    Ashley sighs in an irritated way, but does it. Sure enough, Hannah clears her by a few inches. Ashley hastily sits back down after a few seconds, looking embarrassed.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Anja says. ¡°You must be the tallest girl in the school, other than maybe Charlotte.¡±


    ¡°You two met at soccer tryouts, yes?¡± Ruth inquires.


    ¡°Yeah, for div. II,¡± Hannah says. ¡°You guys do sports at all?¡±


    ¡°A bunch of us are in marching band,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Which is a sport, contrary to popular belief.¡±


    ¡°I used to play soccer with Kevin, but my asthma¡¯s too bad to do it anymore,¡± Ruth explains.


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s too bad,¡± Hannah says flatly. ¡°Maybe you should try swimming, I heard that¡¯s good for people with asthma.¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s a great idea!¡± I say. ¡°She knows all kinds of stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°So, what other stuff are you into?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°Oh, I love Harry Potter,¡± Hannah explains.


    ¡°Hey! Aren¡¯t you really into that too, Anja?¡± Zoe asks excitedly.


    ¡°Not as much anymore,¡± Anja answers. ¡°Percy Jackson and Hunger Games have kinda taken over as my obsession recently.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Hannah says curtly. ¡°Well, it was nice to meet you guys. I better go and find my girlfriends before they kill me. They¡¯re so needy! Later¡±


    ¡°Damn, Kevin, you¡¯re part of a harem,¡± Nova comments, as I slip into my usual spot next to Ruth.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t mean that kinda girlfriend, dingus,¡± Ashley retorts.


    ¡°Mad that you¡¯re shorter than someone?¡± Nova taunts back.


    ¡°So, what did you guys think?¡± I ask, cutting across Ashley and Nova.


    ¡°She¡¯s hot,¡± Anja says slyly.


    ¡°She seems cooler than her sister, at least,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Gretchen¡¯s kind of a bitch.¡±


    ¡°I understand why she wouldn¡¯t want to go to our church,¡± Zoe comments. ¡°I wonder if there are any better ones in the area?¡±


    ¡°Not quite sure if I can recommend the Catholic church at the moment,¡± Ruth says.


    ¡°I¡¯m not becoming Catholic. Fuck that,¡± Ashley declares.


    ¡°Well, anyway. She seems perfect for you, Kevin,¡± Anja says. ¡°I know you like your girls tall. It¡¯s just too bad she¡¯s British.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being British?¡± I ask, frowning.


    ¡°Uh, hello? I¡¯m half-Irish.¡± Anja says, as if that settled the matter.


    I look at Charlotte, who¡¯s been totally quiet this whole time. She¡¯s only picking at her food and seems stressed out.


    ¡°Hey, something wrong?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I uh¡­ um¡­ well, I was gifted a can of soda this morning, and now I kinda¡­ gotta¡­ pee.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, you can go, then,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Charlotte says. ¡°In the current climate, if I go to the girl¡¯s restroom, I¡¯ll probably be called a rapist and expelled. But if I go to the boy¡¯s restroom¡­ well, how do I say this¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe Nova and I can go stand guard and make sure nobody else bothers you,¡± I offer.


    ¡°Would you do that for me?¡± Charlotte asks, giving me big, pleading eyes. ¡°Thank you so much¡­¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody gonna fuck with us,¡± Nova declares. ¡°And if they do, just piss all over them. Establish dominance. That¡¯ll show them.¡±


    ¡°Uh, well, don¡¯t do that,¡± I say. ¡°But, we¡¯ll stand guard for you.¡±


    So Nova and I do just that. We take her to a lesser-used bathroom in the English wing and stand outside to make sure nobody goes in after her. Before long, she emerges looking highly relieved.


    ¡°Thank you guys so much,¡± she says. ¡°You¡¯re lifesavers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Nova says, looking proud of himself.


    ¡°No problem. But I gotta ask something,¡± I say as we walk back to the cafeteria. ¡°If you can¡¯t use the women¡¯s bathroom, and you can¡¯t use the men¡¯s one, how do you normally use the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Uhhhh,¡± she say. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°You hold it until you get home every day at school?¡± I ask, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she answers.


    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible!¡± I protest.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t drink any fluids until I get home,¡± she explains.


    ¡°But you must be so dehydrated then!¡± I exclaim. ¡°That¡¯s no way to live!¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s that, or a choice between peeing my pants, being beaten up, or being expelled!¡± Charlotte responds, looking suddenly peeved.


    ¡°Whoah! I- uhh, I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s your fault!¡± I console quickly. ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s unacceptable. You can¡¯t be healthy while drinking that little water. Can¡¯t they just let you use a staff restroom or something?¡±


    ¡°Why would they?¡± she responds bitterly. ¡°Nobody likes me.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s bullshit!¡± said Nova. ¡°You¡¯re good at art. That makes you instantly cool.¡±


    ¡°Well, nobody in art sits near me but Kevin,¡± Charlotte explains.  ¡°Well, okay, Alison and Nessie used to sit with me, but Alison moved away, and Nessie is homeschooled now.¡±


    ¡°Well lucky thing I¡¯m in your class now, right?¡± I say. After quitting soccer, I had to pick a new elective and ended up in the same art class as her. ¡°But seriously, we gotta work on that hydration thing. We¡¯ll always be willing to stand guard for you. Right, Nova?¡±


    ¡°You gotta do what you gotta do,¡± he agrees sagely.


    Charlotte giggles, seeming in better spirits. ¡°You¡¯re so fixated on my hydration. It¡¯s¡­ charming.¡± She beams at me, before suddenly catching herself and trying to act natural again. I act like I didn¡¯t notice anything. She¡¯s much more like her usual cheery, wacky self for the rest of the lunch period.


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    I make a stop by our local public library on my way home from school. After entering, I walk past the children¡¯s area and straight to the tall maze of bookshelves that make up the nonfiction section. I decide not to be shy about which books I pull out, given that for all I know, this may be my last time being able to do this.


    The librarian, Mr. Campbell, greets me with ¡°Ah, salutations, Ruth!¡± as I dump my books onto the counter. He¡¯s a man who always brings an upbeat attitude, whether times be light or dark. He has curly dirty blonde hair, a pair of square-rimmed glasses, and wears a white suit to work. He scans each of my books- one about queer history in America, one about the contemporary pride movement from Stonewall to today, one about the impact of current discriminatory legislation and how it¡¯s been challenged in courts, one about a police killing Ferguson, Missouri and how it¡¯s led to a larger social movement scrutinizing the behavior of police officers in major cities, one about the repression of queer people in 1930s Germany, and one about the role of spirituality in Native American activism.


    ¡°Is this all for a school project, or just intellectual curiosity?¡± he asks as he scans the books.


    ¡°Not for a project, exactly,¡± I explain. ¡°But a few of these have themes I wanted to touch on in my NHS speech.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good for you!¡± he says.


    ¡°Did I hear you say you¡¯re in the NHS?¡± a voice says.


    I look to my right to see a corpulent man I don¡¯t recognize with a long, brown beard wearing a neat button-up shirt and tie, as if he came here straight after work.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answer.


    ¡°My daughter¡¯s in that too. Do you know Bethany?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t ring a bell. Sorry,¡± I say.


    Mr. Campbell finishes scanning, and I scoop my stack of books up with my arm.


    ¡°What are you studying?¡± the bearded man asks.


    ¡°Civil rights, broadly,¡± I answer.


    ¡°I just hope everything we have here is appropriate for children,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of stories about some pretty¡­ strange things being put into schools and libraries.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have checked it out to her if I thought it inappropriate!¡± Mr. Campbell ensures.


    ¡°I¡¯m fifteen anyway,¡± I say. ¡°I think I¡¯m old enough to by and large make my own decisions about what I want to read.¡±


    ¡°Well, not if there¡¯s pornographic material in it,¡± the beard protests.


    I shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that kind of stuff anyway,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly good,¡± he says. ¡°But these people, they find a way to slip this kind of thing into places you wouldn¡¯t expect¡­ use other issues to push some weird stuff. Just something to watch out for.¡±


    Starting to get an idea of what he¡¯s alluding to, I say, ¡°There¡¯s nothing inherently inappropriate or pornographic about discussing LGBT issues. I think it¡¯s possible for a responsible author to present those concepts in a way that¡¯s appropriate for children. And again, I¡¯m fifteen, so I have a higher ceiling of what kind of thing is age-appropriate than say, someone prepubescent.¡±


    His demeanor changes at once to a very defensive stance. ¡°I¡¯m just saying to watch out! That¡¯s all. I really don¡¯t understand why children need to know about¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s not let this become an argument,¡± Mr. Campbell interrupts. ¡°If you have any concerns about the material at the library, you can discuss it directly with me.¡±


    ¡°And it is important for people of all ages to have a basic understanding of these issues,¡± I say. ¡°Just today, my trans-female friend was too afraid to use the school bathroom. She shouldn¡¯t have to worry about things you and I take for granted. If people as a whole were less ignorant, she wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t think we should be forcing it onto children!¡± he says, putting his hands up defensively. ¡°Anyway, you are right Mr. Campbell. Let¡¯s not start a scene. Best of luck to you, and say hi to my daughter if you ever meet her. She¡¯s a good kid.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I say. ¡°I should go finish my speech.¡±


    ¡°Best of luck to you,¡± Mr. Campbell says nicely.


    I feel perturbed as I leave the library. It was an unfortunate reminder to me that not everyone even wants to learn more about things they¡¯re not knowledgeable of; they¡¯ll simply retreat back to the same points again and again to avoid seriously engaging with it. It¡¯s alien to me. But, I won¡¯t let this event bog me down. I¡¯ll just have to focus on doing what I do best.


    ~Beginning of Movement V: Our Hometown¡¯s In The Dark~

 Chapter 97: The Agenda (January 28, 2015)

    <Kevin>


    It¡¯s a bit warmer this morning than the previous morning. It''s getting up in the 70s [low 20s Celsius] and might hit 80 [about 27 Celsius] by the middle of the day. I watch Hannah at soccer practice again, making sure to bring a water bottle with me. Three of her friends came to watch too, who occasionally heckle her from the stands. Once, they even got yelled at by the coach after one of them, a girl with short, dyed-blue curly hair, yelled that Hannah needed to ¡°kick their asses,¡± causing the squad to devolve into a fit of giggles.


    After practice, Hannah leans over the railing and clicks her tongue at her friends. ¡°Are you trying to get me in trouble?¡± she asks sternly.


    Her friends once again dissolved into a fit of giggling.


    ¡°We wanted to come and support you!¡± says a taller latina girl.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s unfair that your boyfriend gets to come watch and we don¡¯t!¡± says the blue-haired girl.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk right now,¡± Hannah chides.


    The girl¡¯s giggling immediately goes silent, and she takes on an expression of calm, polite interest.


    Hannah turns her head to me. ¡°Speaking of my boyfriend though, why don¡¯t you introduce yourself, Kevin? You introduced me to your friends, so it¡¯s only fair.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, very true,¡± I say, standing up. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Kevin.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s three friends say ¡°Ooooh,¡± in unison and begin whispering among themselves, looking me over up and down.


    ¡°Kevin, these three idiots are my friends. This is Sally-¡± a girl with curly blonde hair and glasses who enthusiastically smiles and waves at me- ¡°Eufemia-¡± the tall latina girl nods politely- ¡°and Vanessa.¡± The girl with the curly blue hair says, ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I say.


    Hannah¡¯s three friends and I follow her to the lockers. Her friends are still in a very silly mood, and ask me a bunch of questions on the way, such as what sports I''ve played, how Hannah and I met, how old I was, my height, and whose classes I¡¯m in. At one point, one of them asked my shoe size, at which point Hannah intervened and told them to shut up and stop bothering me. They passed the rest of the walk in silence, but by that time, we had taken so long that almost everyone else had already gone back into the school.


    The girls seem as though they¡¯re going to follow her into the locker rooms, when she tells them to disperse and that they aren¡¯t allowed because they¡¯re not in sports. They go back to school, starting to chatter again as they walk out of earshot, one of them occasionally turning to glance back at us.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll leave you be as well,¡± I say. ¡°See you at-¡±


    ¡°You can come in with me, Kevin,¡± she says. ¡°You¡¯re in sports, right? Or at least, you were.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t go into the girl¡¯s room!¡± I point out.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s gone anyway,¡± she says. ¡°Plus, I need your help with something.¡±


    As you may have been able to predict, what she needed help with was making out. I don¡¯t personally have a lot of kissing experience yet, but she seemed to have no problem leading the way. After a somewhat awkward start, she becomes very passionate, leaning into me as though she wants to push me back against the wall. Her hands reach for my sides to hold me. It¡¯s then when everything goes wrong. Her grip on my sides suddenly makes me afraid I¡¯m going to feel a biting feeling. And all of a sudden, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve been sucked away, back to the time we were fighting that monster, and I was being lured into that pool¡­


    I must have passed out for a few minutes, and I come to lay on the bench, feeling short of breath, Hannah firmly holding my hand.


    ¡°Kevin?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I say. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°You were hyperventilating,¡± she explains. ¡°Did you get too¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­ uh, bad memory.¡±


    She frowns. ¡°Bad memory?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I uh¡­ I guess I never told you this¡­¡±


    Painfully, I give her a brief account about what happened last month with Ms. Truman.


    ¡°Mm,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of guys fantasize about getting with their attractive teachers.¡±


    ¡°Well, they don¡¯t understand that it¡¯s not fun in real life,¡± I say indignantly. ¡°And I didn¡¯t even want that. I just wanted someone to talk to, and she¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, I choke, and I feel tears start to roll out uncontrollably.


    Hannah¡¯s expression softens, and she pulls me into a close hug.


    ¡°I had heard people talking about that, but didn¡¯t know the full story,¡± Hannah softly explains. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you seemed like the type of guy to get yourself into trouble like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted trouble,¡± I say, still sniffling. ¡°I just have the worst luck in the world¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your luck is turning up now,¡± she says, giving me an encouraging smile. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone spread nasty rumors about you.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± I say, getting a warm, comforting feeling. ¡°Thanks for hearing me out and believing me.¡±


    We don¡¯t make out any more, but I nonetheless return to the school feeling good about things.


    <hr>


    <Collin>


    Meanwhile, at Bynum Intermediate school¡­ before our first class, we¡¯re all left to sit on the floor in the cafeteria in boredom. Except this morning, two boys are missing from their lines. Know which two?


    ¡°Is this¡­ really the best time to do this?¡± Jason asks anxiously.


    ¡°Bitch, when else are we going to do it?¡± I ask seriously. ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°What if someone sees?¡± he blithers.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the curtain¡¯s for!¡± I insist.


    ¡°But¡­ uh¡­¡±


    I get tired of waiting and lunge forward for my kiss.


    So yeah. We snuck onto the stage to make out. And then we did.


    Do I really have to go into more detail? What, do you want to see eighth graders making out? Sicko.


    Honestly it¡¯s really awkward anyway, neither of us are really that good at it. But I don¡¯t care. I keep trying.


    The bell rings. I ignore it.


    ¡°Hey, we should go. We¡¯re gonna be la-¡±


    ¡°One more minute.¡±


    So we keep going.


    Hey, that one was good. I¡¯m gonna hold on that¡­ and now let me try-


    ¡°HEY!¡± shouts a voice that rings across the stage.


    ¡°You gotta be shitting me!¡± I say aloud.


    It¡¯s Mrs. Sato, one of the science teachers. I had her last year, she¡¯s a bitch. Like me, she has curly blonde hair, and also like me, her face is red with anger as she looks at us with that annoying-ass ¡®hands on my hips¡¯ gesture.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°You are not supposed to be here,¡± she states. ¡°You know well by now that in the morning, you are to wait in line with your class.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Sato¡­ it wasn¡¯t what it looks like,¡± says Jason meekly. ¡°We weren¡¯t doing anything, it just¡­¡±


    ¡°I expect this kind of behavior from Collin,¡± she interrupts. ¡°But you should know better, Jason.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I challenge.


    ¡°Because you are irresponsible,¡± Mrs. Sato chides. ¡°And honestly, this is foolish even for you. Have you thought about how much you¡¯d embarrass your family? Your uncle just became the mayor, and your parents have gone through enough already.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? They¡¯ve put me through enough!¡± I retort. ¡°Hey, wait a minute. They¡¯d only know about this if you said something. So why don¡¯t you just¡­?¡±


    She sighs at me. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a warning today,¡± she explains. At once, I give a huge sigh of relief. ¡°But no more PDA, or I¡¯ll have no choice but to write you up,¡± she threatens.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t even in public!¡± I protest.


    ¡°Collin¡­ don¡¯t dig us any deeper into the hole!¡± Jason mutters.


    ¡°I suggest you both get to class before you¡¯re late,¡± she orders. Then, having nothing else to say, she stomps back to her classroom.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ probably good advice,¡± Jason says. ¡°C¡¯mon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t want to push our luck any more,¡± I agree.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    Left¡­ right¡­ left¡­ up¡­ And we¡¯re moving around the corner¡­ OH SHIT! That one almost got us.


    ¡°Whoah. Nice reflexes,¡± Anja comments. ¡°How¡¯d you even see that one?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± I say. ¡°I just look at the whole screen at once.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± she complains.


    ¡°Hey! Cover me!¡± I say.


    A whole bunch of aliens start running at us. I get all the ones on my side.


    The screen starts flashing red. Anja must have missed some.


    ¡°Hey! I said cover me!¡± I complain.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± she cries.


    ¡°INCOMING!¡± I shout. I start firing at as many as I can get¡­ and we''re dead.


    ¡°Hey! Why¡¯d you let those guys through!¡± I ask, irritated.


    ¡°Oh, fuck this!¡± Anja hisses. She slams her gun controller back into the slot, jumps off of her chair, and disappears.


    Oh. Damn.


    ¡°Hey, uh¡­ we could try again! I have another quarter!¡± I call after her.


    I hear her feet stamping away.


    Ouch¡­ I was really hoping taking Anja to that arcade in the mall would help her be less depressed. Guess that didn¡¯t work out.


    I step away from the booth we were in and find her the next row over, putting her head down on a 4-player Pac-Man table.


    ¡°Hey, Anja?¡± I say timidly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was being mean. I didn¡¯t mean it. I just get so into the zone when I¡¯m gaming, you know how it is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Anja says. She picks her head up and sighs. ¡°I¡¯m just sick of feeling so useless all the time.¡±


    Oh¡­ I never know what to say when she gets like this. Unfortunately, it seems like saying, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re actually not useless¡± doesn¡¯t seem to work. Even though it¡¯s true. I mean, come on. She¡¯s Anja. You already know.


    ¡°Well, uh¡­ wanna do something else?¡± I say, not having the faintest clue what else we could possibly do, since we already went to GameStop.


    ¡°Whatever you wanna do. Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she says passively.


    What else is even here? A bunch of clothing stores and shit¡­ uh¡­


    ¡°Wanna go¡­ dress me up in girl¡¯s clothes or something?¡± I ask. ¡°I dunno.¡±


    She pauses for a moment, and then looks at me suspiciously. ¡°Wait, you want me to dress you up in girl''s clothes?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Well I just thought maybe you¡¯d enjoy it, you know. Torturing me and all.¡±


    Her eyes unfocus for a few seconds. And then, I see a smile slowly slide onto her face, as the light behind her eyes seems to flit back on for a moment.


    And then, I see something behind her that makes me gasp out loud. She notices and quickly turns her head to look too.


    It¡¯s Lily and another one of my old friends, Nathan. I hadn¡¯t seen him in MONTHS. He¡¯s wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, and his curly brown hair is messed up like he forgot to brush it.


    ¡°No way!¡± I say. ¡°I know you guys!¡±


    ¡°Whoah. Is that Nova?¡± Nathan asks. ¡°And uh¡­ sorry, I forgot your name.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my cousin Anja,¡± Lily says helpfully.


    ¡°Hey Lily,¡± Anja greets. She doesn¡¯t look happy to see them; she seems to be avoiding making eye contact.


    ¡°How have you been, man?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh, pretty good,¡± Nathan answers. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Better than ever,¡± I answer. ¡°What brings you guys here?¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s making me get new shoes,¡± Nathan says, sounding aggrieved by this. I look down and notice that his current tennis shoes have several holes in them, and the sole on one of them is halfway off. ¡°But I convinced him to let Lily come so we could go have for a bit after.¡±


    ¡°Nova, you had friends who were lesbians, right?¡± Lily asks. ¡°Are they doing okay?¡±


    ¡°Uh, about the same as usual,¡± I answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of homophobia recently,¡± Lily continues. ¡°I think I have some ideas about what¡¯s going on. Wanna come visit this weekend?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I should be able to,¡± I confirm.


    ¡°People have been so paranoid recently,¡± Nathan agrees. ¡°Oh hey, if you¡¯re coming down, maybe you can take part in our Smash Bros tournament. You still play, right?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah I do!¡± I say. ¡°That sounds dope.¡±


    ¡°See you this weekend, then!¡± Lily says.


    Nathan and Lily go into the arcade, while Anja and I decide it¡¯s time to head back.


    ¡°You do realize that Lily is trying to butt in on our Metaverse business, right?¡± Anja asks as we head in the direction she parked.


    ¡°Huh. You think so?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah, why else would she want a full in-person conference to discuss the increase of homophobia?¡± she continues. ¡°I¡¯m sure she has some sort of ¡®theory¡¯ about it¡­¡±


    ¡°To be fair, she was right about that apartment,¡± I say. ¡°And about what happened to¡­¡± I trail off, not wanting to talk about her mom out loud.


    ¡°Yeah, she was,¡± Anja says. She makes a heavy sigh. ¡°Which is bound to embolden her conspiracism even further.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe she¡¯s getting better at knowing what¡¯s worth looking into and what¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Antarctic Nazis?¡± Anja suggests.


    This gives me a chuckle. ¡°Yeah,¡± I say.


    A faint smile comes to Anja¡¯s lips. ¡°I guess there¡¯s only one way to find out,¡± she admits.


    <hr>


    <Third-person>


    Like the courthouse, city hall was one of the older buildings in Enchantment City. The white stone building was immediately recognizable in its antiquated elegance. Inside, the recently elected mayor, Mr. Harold Parker gazed out the window. From there, one had a good view of the library, the sprinklers where children liked to play in the summer, of cars going back and forth on one of the main roads through town, and further down the street, a baseball field where a few kids were currently practicing. Mr. Parker thought it was a beautiful town. Preserving the town he loved so was a responsibility he treated with utmost seriousness.


    His admiration is interrupted by the phone ringing. After gazing out the window for just a few more seconds, he presses a button to put the call on speaker.


    ¡°Mr. Parker, someone here to see you says he knows you personally,¡± the secretary says. ¡°It¡¯s a Harold Stephenson?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes! Send him right in,¡± Mr. Parker says.


    ¡°Sure thing. Just wanted to check with you,¡± the secretary says.


    Mayor Parker took a seat in his chair. He straightened the red tie that added a splash of color to his white suit. He checked his hair on a small mirror on his desk. Although it was brown, it curled in a manner not unlike that of his niece and nephew. Pleased to find his hair and short goatee in order, he patiently waited for his guest to appear.


    Soon enough, Mr. Stephenson bustles through the door. ¡°I hope this is an alright time for you,¡± he says. ¡°I would¡¯ve come by yesterday, but it seemed too late in the day to start something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a fine time. And don¡¯t you believe that I won¡¯t have time for an old friend just because I¡¯m mayor,¡± Mr. Parker reassures warmly. Other than sharing a first name, both Harolds had gone to the First Baptist church in town for decades, and have daughters who are close friends. ¡°What troubles your mind, my old friend?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had concerns about some of the things going on in the public school system as of late,¡± Mr. Stephenson explains. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the stories. Teaching things that are¡­ age-inappropriate. Pushing agendas. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll agree with me that the matter is a particularly sensitive issue for our town, after the news of that¡­ promiscuous teacher.¡±


    Mr. Parker grimaces. The incident was a bit of a sore spot with him, as his out-lesbian niece had been in the teacher¡¯s class, and had even been seen with her on the day of the incident. ¡°Well, that teacher is¡­ out of our hair now,¡± Mr. Parker says. ¡°But, I do agree. We don¡¯t want anything like that to happen again.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe this, Harold,¡± Mr. Stephenson says in a low voice. ¡°I was talking with a kid who goes to school with our girls yesterday. There are students there identifying as lesbian, transgender, all sorts of stuff. Where do they learn about all this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re seeing it all on the internet,¡± Mr. Parker reasons.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right. But I wonder if the teachers are playing a part in it too. You know how liberal those schools tend to be. And again, after what happened a couple months back¡­¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s better safe than sorry,¡± Mr. Parker agrees. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. I¡¯ll place a call with the high school principal right away. I¡¯ve found Mrs. Gibbs quite reasonably to work with, so I¡¯m sure we can work something out.¡±


    ¡°Might want to pass it on to the Intermediate school as well,¡± Mr. Stephenson. ¡°Kids are getting exposed to this stuff earlier and earlier. It¡¯s a wild world we live in, I tell you.¡±


    ¡°True, best to be proactive,¡± Mr. Parker said. ¡°Well old friend, anything else I can do while you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t take up any more of your time. I know you¡¯re a busy man,¡± Mr. Stephenson says courteously. ¡°Thanks for hearing me out. It¡¯s good to have someone with a conscience in local power for once.¡±


    ¡°You know I am a servant of God first and foremost, and a servant of our town second,¡± Mr. Parker says.


    And as promised, Mr. Parker began work at once, holding a lengthy phone conversation with Mrs. Sheila Gibbs, the principal of Enchantment City High School, over what can be done to reassure parents of the safety of their children¡¯s minds.

 Chapter 98: Storm Warning (January 29 Part 1)

    <Anja>


    By the time we got to school, we had all heard the news. The school district sent out an email to our parents announcing their new procedure to ¡°protect the rights of parents to raise their children,¡± which included requiring teachers to ¡°share and consult with parents on any matter that impacts their son or daughter¡¯s health and development.¡±


    ¡°What do you think is making them send out something like this?¡± Kevin asks, scratching his chin.


    ¡°Well, if you look past all the waffling, it¡¯s clearly designed to prevent kids from keeping any secrets from their parents,¡± I hypothesize. ¡°So¡­ any one of you got something that a teacher knows about you, but your parents wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Why would I tell my teacher something my parents don¡¯t know?¡± Ashley asks, crossing her arms.


    ¡°They¡¯d know many of my thoughts on the world from grading my essays,¡± Ruth says. ¡°But I doubt that¡¯s the kind of thing they¡¯d feel the need to share.¡±


    ¡°Good thing Charlotte¡¯s parents know about her being trans already,¡± Kevin comments. ¡°This would be a really awkward way for them to find out.¡±


    ¡°Could be worse than awkward,¡± I say. ¡°Imagine if she was from a family that was really anti-trans, and then the school told them she''s going by another name and whatnot. This is honestly a really stupid policy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, true,¡± Ashley says. ¡°Some kid from an abusive family somewhere¡¯s probably gonna get the shit beaten out of them because of this.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re already done with all of that, right Ashley?¡± Zoe responds nervously.


    ¡°So are all of your parents aware of your sexual orientations and stuff already?¡± Kevin asks.


    ¡°Yeah, Dad knows,¡± I say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my dad knows, but how would any of my teachers either?¡± Nova asks. ¡°I¡¯m dating a girl! If one of them saw me going at it with a guy, maybe, but I don¡¯t even know anyone here who¡¯s into that.¡±


    Suddenly, Zoe gasps loudly and tenses up. ¡°Oh¡­¡± she says weakly, before covering her mouth with her hands.


    ¡°What?¡± Ashley asks anxiously.


    ¡°Collin¡­¡± Zoe says. ¡°He and Jason got caught by a teacher¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I say.


    ¡°Here we go again¡­¡± Ashley says darkly.


    Zoe says nothing else on the subject, instead hastily bringing out her phone.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    This sends Zoe into a tizzy that I suspect is going to continue the whole day until she¡¯s able to go to her parents¡¯ house after school and try to mediate things.


    We ultimately leave the library so Zoe can find a quiet practice room in the band hall to call her brother before school. I leave her to it, figuring that she can catch me up on what they discuss throughout the school day.


    Unsure of what to do in the meantime, I leave the band hall. I see a familiar face as I get to the entrance to the fine arts hallway; Charlotte has arrived at school. She sees me from across the hall and gives me a serene smile and wave. I intend to go and say hello, but unfortunately someone else gets to her first.


    ¡°I have good news everyone!¡± Terra is calling. ¡°Freaks like this are gonna get what¡¯s coming to them! It¡¯s a joyous day!¡±


    Sigh. To think that of all the shit I have to deal with, she still has to be part of it.


    ¡°Just leave me alone, please,¡± Charlotte says firmly.


    But Terra¡¯s outburst has already caused a stir, as many heads turn towards them. I decide I should intervene.


    ¡°Hey Terra, riddle me this,¡± I call out. Terra looks at me at once with an instant look of annoyance, and I see many heads of the bystanders turn to me as well. ¡°If the goal is to protect children from grooming, why is it that the only thing that ever gets accomplished is the bullying of those same children?¡±


    ¡°You call it ¡®bullying.¡¯ I call it my last ditch desperate effort to save you,¡± she says maniacally.


    ¡°Save her from what?¡± I challenge. ¡°Being happy with herself?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Terra asks, frowning, looking thrown off. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the real reason you hate her, isn¡¯t it?¡± I continue, pressing my advantage. ¡°She still comes to school with a smile every day despite everything that¡¯s happening. She¡¯s more confident in her womanhood than most cis-women I¡¯ve ever met. She¡¯s the opposite of you. You¡¯re miserable, and you have no idea what to do about it except try and make everyone else like you.¡±


    Terra¡¯s face is rapidly turning red. ¡°What makes you think you understand a single thing about me?¡± she questions.


    I shrug. ¡°Takes a mean bitch to know one, I guess,¡± I say. ¡°You can only rant at someone in the hallway so many times before they start to figure you out, you know. Any time you¡¯re challenged you lash out, because you¡¯re afraid of losing the illusion that you have any power. That¡¯s why people like Charlotte live rent free in your head. Well, I¡¯m done giving a shit about your rehashed, regurgitated opinions, and I can tell you based on the short time I¡¯ve known her that Charlotte never did. You¡¯re an insecure young loser who acts as a cartoon caricature of your ideology because you don¡¯t have any real beliefs.¡±


    ¡°EXCUSE ME?¡± Terra screeches. Looks like I found the self-destruct button. ¡°How DARE you. I have been bathed in the blood of the lamb and unlike YOU I have never taken that for granted! Every day I wake up and get out of bed because THE LORD CALLS ME TO IT! And for you to SUGGEST that everything I do every day, every prayer, every stand I take, ISN¡¯T REAL? IT IS ALL I AM! And maybe YOU don¡¯t understand that because you¡¯d rather LIVE in this DEATH! That girls can kiss girls and boys can become girls! And you even have the GALL to suggest he¡¯s MORE of a woman than me! WELL HE DOESN¡¯T KNOW THE DAMN FIRST THING ABOUT BEING A WOMAN, BECAUSE HE ISN¡¯T ONE! WHAT DOES BEING A WOMAN HAVE TO DO WITH SMILING? WOMANHOOD IS SUFFERING! THE IGNORANCE THIS MAN DISPLAYS EVERY DAY BY ACTING LIKE JOINING US WILL MAKE ¡®EUPHORIC¡¯ IS DETESTABLE! IT¡¯S AN INSULT AND I WON¡¯T STAND FOR SHIT PEDDLED BY THE ENEMIES OF GOD AND ALL WHO ENABLE THEM!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Who is yelling over here?¡± a woman¡¯s voice says.


    Everyone, Terra still panting and red in the face, turns at once turns to the voice, which is that of Principal Gibbs, a tall, middle-aged woman with a stern, freckled face, blue eyes, bright blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, and a business casual jacket and tie accompanied by a long skirt. She looks between Charlotte, Terra and I with a scowl.


    ¡°Terra was,¡± I say coldly. ¡°She may need to see a counselor before class.¡± Then, without looking back, I grab Charlotte by the elbow and lead her away.


    <hr>


    After all the drama, we decide to step outside into the pleasant warmth for a moment before class starts. Zoe will be upset if I show up to English class angry, so a little relative peace and quiet seemed like a good idea.


    ¡°She, uh. Wow,¡± Charlotte stammers. ¡°She has¡­ issues. Nice jacket, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say, feeling a surge of pride. I bought this jacket with Christmas money that¡¯s made out of the same material most blue jeans are. I thought it would make me look cool.


    ¡°Smarties?¡± Charlotte offers, holding out two wrapped up candies.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Tssk, tssk. What would Kevin say?¡± I tease, as I take one. Charlotte giggles and looks dreamy for a moment while we open up our wrappers. By the time I¡¯ve put the first one in my mouth, Charlotte has dumped the whole thing in, which she chews up with loud crunching sounds.


    ¡°Not to be mean, but I don¡¯t know how she has any friends,¡± Charlotte comments. ¡°Then again, I¡¯m one to talk, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Why? You do have friends,¡± I point out.


    Charlotte says nothing to this, but simply smiles and blushes a little.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m done giving a shit caring about what people like her think,¡± I say.


    ¡°Did you ever?¡± Charlotte asks, puzzled. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re a strong girl, right?¡±


    I feel a buzz of annoyance as I chew up a candy. ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t,¡± I say. ¡°But now I¡¯m¡­ extra done. You know what I like about you, Charlotte?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s that?¡± Charlotte asks nervously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t give a shit. People hurl this transphobic shit at you, and you just kinda shrug and keep doing your art stuff in the corner.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ yeah?¡± Charlotte says. ¡°That¡¯s all I can do, really. Or, you know, it was.¡±


    I nod. ¡°And aside from the occasional supernatural foray, I suppose all I can do is try and keep my grades good and further myself as a musician. Do you think you¡¯ll be a professional artist someday?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Charlotte answers. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know if work suits me. Being a housewife sounds like the perfect life for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s hard to do nowadays, given the rise in cost of living,¡± I comment. ¡°But maybe if you marry someone with a cozy job, it¡¯d be possible. Do you¡­ see yourself with a man in the future?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Charlotte says. ¡°If any man will have me¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Men are obsessed with trans women,¡± I point out. ¡°Uh, not always for the right reasons though. So be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what worries me,¡± Charlotte says gloomily.


    ¡°Honestly, I thought that most trans-women were lesbians,¡± I say, thinking of Lucy. ¡°It makes sense, right? If you want to become feminine, that¡¯s also what you¡¯d find most attractive.¡±


    ¡°I guess I just don¡¯t see it that way,¡± Charlotte replies. ¡°My attraction and my envy are¡­ clearly distinct.¡±


    ¡°For whatever it¡¯s worth, I¡¯d have no problem dating a trans woman, hypothetically. If she were my type, that is,¡± I explain. ¡°I¡¯m attracted to girls, not just vaginas. That¡¯s something that guys, uh, don¡¯t always get.¡±


    At this point, our heart-to-heart is interrupted by the ringing of the bell. I bid Charlotte goodbye, and find Zoe to walk with her English.


    <hr>


    <Collin>


    Hey. What do you call a gay kid whose teacher snitches on him? Homeless.


    ¡­Damn, that wasn¡¯t funny. Then again, I don¡¯t really think anything I say is ever funny. I just say them because¡­ idk. Okay, this is getting too deep, let¡¯s just get to the story.


    I ride home from school with Zoe. She decided that¡­ she wanted to be there, saying she doesn¡¯t want a repeat of last time. Well, her being there last time didn¡¯t stop anything, but whatever. I¡¯d rather have her there.


    I spend the car ride wondering if they know yet. Then, as we pull up to my house, I recognize our uncle¡¯s car out front. I think they know.


    ¡°Ready to go in?¡± Zoe tells me, squeezing my hand.


    ¡°Yeah. Okay, fine,¡± I say. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±


    So like the worst thieves in the world, we walk through the front door. In broad daylight, no less.


    My parents and uncle are all in the living room. Despite the both of us immediately getting a look like we¡¯re the last people in the world they wanted to see, Mom and Uncle Harold at least try to fake a smile.


    ¡°Zoe, how nice of you to stop by,¡± Mom says stiffly. She gets up from her chair and comes to give us a hug.


    That¡¯s, uh, not exactly what I expected.


    ¡°Are you, uh, keeping up your grades?¡± Uncle Harold asks nervously.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zoe says with a brave smile. ¡°School¡¯s been going well.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it!¡± Uncle Harold says, speaking too quickly.


    ¡°Not that we aren¡¯t glad to see you kids,¡± Dad begins, ¡°But we were just having a conversation about some municipal policies we believe were¡­ hasty.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Huh?¡± I say, feeling dumbfounded. ¡°Are you, uh, taking our side???¡±


    ¡°Sides? Oh goodness no, there are no sides here!¡± Dad says in a measured way. ¡°We only wish we had been informed before the implementation of policies that may get us into criminal trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Criminal trouble?¡± Zoe questions, frowning.


    ¡°Hey! Zoe¡¯s here!¡± Derrick¡¯s voice rings out. My second-oldest brother obliviously lumbers into the hall with his hand outstretched.


    ¡°Hey Derrick!¡± Zoe says cheerily, taking his hand.


    ¡°How¡¯s band going?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Oh, good! Especially for Ashley,¡± Zoe explains. ¡°She made the all-state band! I¡¯m so excited for her!¡±


    ¡°As a freshman?¡± Derrick rolls his eyes. ¡°What a freaking try-hard.¡± He turns to our parents as if hoping they¡¯ll agree, only to finally notice the tension in the room and suddenly adopt a serious expression with his hands folded in front of him, like a goody-two shoes kindergarten kid walking through the hall.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t keep you from spending quality time with your children,¡± Uncle Harold says, hastily getting up. ¡°I¡¯ll be-¡±


    ¡°Hold up. You¡¯re not getting off the hook this easily!¡± Dad challenges.


    ¡°Honey¡­ not in front of the kids,¡± Mom says out the side of her mouth.


    ¡°Abram, my brother, I didn¡¯t anticipate something like this!¡± Uncle Harold says defensively. ¡°And I¡¯m certain you didn¡¯t either. You would never simply allow something like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Allow it? Of course not!¡± Dad chides. ¡°But anticipate it? I mean, look at the kid! Of course we anticipated it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know,¡± I say sarcastically.


    ¡°Wait, what are we talking about?¡± Derrick asks.


    ¡°Nothing, Derrick,¡± Mom says in a hiss.


    ¡°What did you mean about criminal trouble?¡± Zoe asks calmly to Dad.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I suppose this is something that may affect you as well¡­ so fair warning,¡± Dad says. ¡°There¡¯s a bill the Texas state legislature is voting on today that would classify teaching your children to change their gender and sexuality a form of child abuse. A long overdue move¡­¡± he says in a growl. ¡°But, those folks you live with were to be caught in the crossover, you should know that your mother and I would welcome you home. Is what I WOULD say!¡± he suddenly explodes. ¡°Except my brother has gone about making our case MUCH more difficult, so sadly I can¡¯t make a concrete promise at this time.¡±


    ¡°Child¡­ abuse?¡± Zoe asks, her face going white.


    ¡°Well you guys should be fine then,¡± I point out. ¡°Nobody¡¯s taught us anything.¡±


    ¡°So why did you have to go and do that?¡± Mom says, looking at me hurtfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you got a message today from Mrs. Sato?¡± I guess.


    ¡°You¡¯ve put us in a very difficult spot!¡± Dad chides. ¡°And you¡¯re right, we certainly did not teach you to do any of this! Do you think that because of what your sister did, you¡¯d be off the hook as well?¡±


    ¡°Do what, kiss a girl?¡± Derrick asks, looking puzzled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be good if he did it?¡±


    ¡°Derrick, you¡¯re not helping,¡± Mom tells him sharply. ¡°Go back to your room.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± he says. Derrick slumps back to his room without further ado.


    ¡°So you never listened to me all those months ago, then,¡± Zoe says, her voice calm but clearly disappointed. ¡°When I told you that sometimes, these things are unchangeable. Don¡¯t try and blame me; there¡¯s nothing I could¡¯ve done to cause or prevent it. It¡¯s nobody¡¯s ¡®fault.¡¯ All you can do is learn and do better. Don¡¯t put Collin through the hell you put me through.¡± She puts one arm around me.


    ¡°You say that,¡± Dad challenges. ¡°But we know that you two were always closer to each other than your older brothers.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a reason for that,¡± I point out.


    ¡°Look at what you¡¯re doing with your life, while Patrick studies to become a pastor, and Derrick has already made varsity football!¡± Dad continues. ¡°And here you are¡­ spiritually lost. You¡¯ve wandered off the path your mother and I set you on. And now¡­ there are going to be consequences.¡±


    ¡°I still believe in God, and in the redemption of Christ,¡± Zoe says firmly. ¡°I feel stronger in my faith now than ever before. Because I¡¯ve seen how our pride holds us back. I see a place in the kingdom of heaven for all those you¡¯d rather vilify. I see hope for all those you¡¯d allow to die in the streets. And I see a lifetime ahead of me as God¡¯s hands in the world. It¡¯s¡­ all I can think of when I picture my path forward.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah! What she said!¡± I say sheepishly.


    Mom sighs. ¡°Let¡¯s not fight about this, please,¡± she begs defeatedly. ¡°Please just¡­ allow us to finish our discussion with your uncle. We have¡­ much to work out.¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± I say. ¡°Wanna come to my room?¡±


    We hear a scratching sound coming from the backdoor which makes a glowing smile form on Zoe¡¯s face.


    ¡°I think someone else may want to join us too,¡± Zoe says cheerily.


    ¡°By all means, let the dog in, please,¡± Mom says tiredly, hand over her face.


    Which Zoe is only too happy to do. So Zoe, Shadow and I retreat to my room. We talk about what happened as Zoe aggressively scritches his thick golden fur. And we get to the Skype group chat right away to let everyone know about this law that¡¯s supposedly being voted on¡­

 Chapter 99: The Exception That Proves The Rule (January 29 Part 2)

    <Objective>


    ¡°Er¡­ What¡¯s this about a law that¡¯s supposedly being voted on?¡±


    In the Austin capitol building, State Representative Adam Casey stands by his secretary¡¯s desk, fastening his tie. He looks unhappy- he hadn¡¯t expected the legislature to be in session this late.


    ¡°My apologies. I only just got the notification,¡± says the secretary, a Chinese woman named Mrs. Bell. ¡°It seems as if voting will be held today.¡±


    ¡°Why did nobody send me a draft?¡± Rep. Casey complains, tightening his tie with one jerking motion and nearly choking himself. ¡°Er, of course that¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t take it that way.¡±


    The phone on Mrs. Bell¡¯s desk rings, and she picks it up at once. While she goes through her usual responses, Rep. Casey slips on his coat.


    ¡°The constituent wants to speak with you,¡± the receptionist says.


    ¡°Er¡­ I suppose I can take a few minutes,¡± Rep. Casey relents. He takes the phone from her.


    The voice on the other end belongs to Gregg Davis, who somewhat unusually has dispensed with all usual niceties. ¡°Are you voting on a bill today regarding expanding the definition of child abuse?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Davis. I believe it¡¯s something to that effect, yes.¡±


    ¡°You believe?¡±


    ¡°To be frank, I haven¡¯t gotten an opportunity to look over the bill yet,¡± Rep. Casey explains sullenly. ¡°It¡¯s being voted on without going through committee.¡±


    ¡°If what I¡¯ve heard about the bill is true, you MUST vote against it,¡± he urges. ¡°My very own livelihood and that of my family could be at stake¡­ and the same would be the case for countless others.¡±


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s nothing there that could implicate you,¡± Rep Casey says, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re an upstanding citizen.¡±


    ¡°Thirty seconds, sir,¡± Mrs. Bell chants.


    ¡°Please- you will understand what I mean when you see it,¡± he says hurriedly. ¡°I can tell you are in a hurry. Just please, take into consideration how it will affect parents of gay and lesbian children who merely want the best for them.¡±


    Rep. Casey frowns harder. Parents of gay and lesbian children?


    ¡°I will¡­ look over everything before making a decision,¡± he says. ¡°Thank you for your call.¡±


    Rep. Casey hurriedly hangs up the phone and darts out of his office. He absentmindedly scurries to the party meeting, planning to give the committees a piece of his mind for rushing this out.


    By the time he arrives, though, there¡¯s already an uproar.


    ¡°...is too aggressive. Does he expect us all to just go along with this?¡± Rep. McCullough, a middle-aged female Senator from the DFW metro area, is saying. ¡°Some of us live in swing districts, you know.¡±


    ¡°We can re-draw those districts if you¡¯re really concerned,¡± offers Rep. Benavides of the Rio Grande valley region.


    ¡°Not until the next census. And by the time we get there, I suspect this will be a losing issue,¡± McCullough continues. ¡°We must think long term about our party!¡±


    ¡°Trust me. The voters don¡¯t think long-term about anything,¡± a Rep from the panhandle jokes, causing several others to chuckle.


    ¡°I am confused why this did not go through the proper committee process,¡± Rep. Casey interjects.


    ¡°Ah, I see another RINO has appeared,¡± a rep from the gulf coast comments snidely.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be belligerent about this,¡± Rep. McCullough defends. ¡°He¡¯s quite right, you know. This isn¡¯t how we pass laws here in America. You lot are acting an awful lot like communist China if you ask me.¡± This comment is met with several groans and shaking heads.


    ¡°We should table this if we do not yet have the votes to pass it,¡± Rep. Benavides reasons. ¡°Speaker?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t dilly dally on an issue of this importance!¡± Speaker Lewis chides. ¡°May I remind you that we found a human trafficking ring in our backyard?¡±


    ¡°I would like to at least read the bill first,¡± Rep. Casey protests. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if this bill is about human trafficking. I have heard all sorts of things!¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ we really should at least give a brief recess to review the bill,¡± Rep. Benavides urges, looking to Speaker Lewis for support. The Speaker looks away, his expression stormy.


    A pair of footsteps are heard from the hallway. The demeanor of everyone in the room shifts at once.


    Governor Richard Schneider steps into the room. A man in an impeccable suit, with a square jaw, a lightly freckled face, light brown eyes that sweep the room as if to assure everyone there they are being watched, and short dirty blonde hair.


    ¡°Has the party¡¯s caucus reached a consensus?¡± he asks in a low, drawling voice.


    Nobody speaks up at once. After looking back and forth around the room, Rep. Benavides says, ¡°We may need some time to look over the bill in more detail. There was a request for clarification.¡±


    ¡°Who requested this?¡± the governor asks.


    ¡°I¡­ I did!¡± Rep. Casey says bravely. ¡°I am not even aware of the contents of this bill. And I have heard strange things. What is-¡±


    ¡°Has anyone else failed to look over the bill?¡± Gov. Schneider asks.


    The room is silent. Rep. Casey looks to Rep. McCullough for support, but her eyes are firmly fixed on the floor.


    ¡°Are we to back up our entire legislative agenda because a single representative was too lazy to look over a bill?¡± the governor asks.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not¡­ not the¡­ I only mean¡­¡± Mr. Casey stammers, taken off guard.


    ¡°The great empires of history,¡± Gov. Schneider states. ¡°The Romans. The Ottomans. The Mongols. The Persians. The British. Even the Soviets. All have fallen, or are a shadow of their former selves. What happened to them? Were they invaded and conquered by a great enemy? No. They ended not with a bang, but with a whimper, falling apart due to their failure to address internal disease. Complacency! This is what kills the largest empires, the global hegemons of yesteryear. Now we, the United States of America, are the world¡¯s greatest republic. Yet those of you educated in history may have noticed there was a major empire I did not mention. Why omit the Chinese? Because they survived. Through dynasty after dynasty, they eventually became the terrifying communist state we know them as today. And they are nipping at our heels, determined to take the throne of the main global hegemon. They are watching us, waiting. They are ruthlessly efficient. They rule with an iron grip. They don¡¯t take silly chances. Is the fledgeling United States of America to prevail over this ancient adversary? Or will we too fall to complacency, to this obsession with proceduralism and civility above all other values?¡±


    He pauses for a moment, letting the silence ring for a moment. Mr. Casey scowls. All he had asked for was a couple hours to read over a bill. What is this policy that the governor is so self-serious about?


    ¡°Amen to that, Mr. Governor,¡± Speaker Lewis fawns.


    ¡°Let us take the floor,¡± Governor Schneider says simply. And without further ado, he takes his leave.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    ¡°It¡¯s as I expected¡± Dad states, sighing as he hangs up the phone. ¡°The bill has not so much as gone through committee.¡±


    ¡°Bastards,¡± Mom spits. She hurriedly grabs the TV remote and starts flitting through news channels.


    She arrives at one covering the story- a pretty newscaster with bright, curly red hair, heavily freckled cheeks, round-rim glasses and warm brown eyes is inside what looks like the capitol building in Austin.


    ¡°...an extensive investigation, after an adult entertainment club in downtown Austin was found to be engaging in the illegal exploitation of children. With human trafficking becoming an increasing issue in major Texas cities such as Houston and Austin, the state government launched into action this legislation session, with a slew of bills giving increased funding to law enforcement, strengthening the state¡¯s mandated reporter laws, and authorizing law enforcement to conduct no-knock searches of businesses suspected to be involved. There have already been dozens of raids on-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, we know this already!¡± Mom huffs impatiently. ¡°Talk about the damn bill!¡±


    Laying on the carpet, my eyes glaze over for a while as I simply stare at the newscaster¡¯s cute freckles. Despite it being more common among gingers, I don¡¯t get many freckles. I got some during marching band boot camp, but they faded pretty soon after we went back to school.


    Is this our fault? This wouldn¡¯t be happening if we hadn¡¯t busted up that operation. Of course, there was no way in hell we weren¡¯t getting Zoe out of there. And Zoe¡¯s right, we couldn¡¯t have left all those other children there. But now look at what''s happening. This ratfuck government is using it as an excuse to try and get all of us. Being a Thief In The Night is a thankless job. I¡¯m going to remember the names of every single one of these dipshit Republicans who actually votes yea so that I know to never vote for them under any circumstances once I¡¯m of age.


    In fact, why don¡¯t we retaliate with force? Imagine us going into the Metaverse and hunting down the worst of the worst of these guys. Some of them have got to have a palace. And even if they don¡¯t, can¡¯t I just do that ¡°echo¡± thing I did with Charlotte¡¯s mom? I never tried to fight her in that state, because I didn¡¯t need to, but I wonder if I could? We can enter the mind of someone. Like that one Senator Anja hates, Di Stefano. The one who allegedly abuses his daughter. We go into his mind, and beat the shit out of him. I bring him to the tip of his sword and make him beg for mercy. I tell him he¡¯s going to¡­ God, where do I even start? Drop all of your problematic policies and be an actual father to your daughter, I suppose? But wouldn¡¯t he then just get voted out and replaced with some new dipshit? Okay, new plan. Let¡¯s just nuke the Earth. We¡¯re too far gone, there¡¯s no point in trying to fix this. It¡¯ll take too long. I just want us to be put out of our misery.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡­I should probably get a therapist.


    ¡°She looks genuinely incensed here,¡± Dad comments.


    This startles me briefly, as at first I think he¡¯s talking about me. But then I look back at the screen and notice that the ginger is interviewing someone. The graphic at the bottom reads, ¡°State Representative Sasha Klaradoch (D-TX-111).¡± Klaradoch is a fierce-looking woman with long, smooth dark brown hair, green eyes, and a fancy pink jacket. Why can¡¯t the hotties be from our district?


    ¡°...Well, Valerie, it¡¯s certainly been a shocking day for us,¡± Klaradoch is saying. ¡°LGBT rights advocates have been working tirelessly up to this point to make sure that we do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We all agree that human trafficking is a huge issue. In fact, I co-sponsored a bipartisan bill requiring the training of all service workers in the state who deal with children in recognizing signs of child abuse and trafficking. But the governor and his party have tried inappropriately to link this trafficking to the LGBT community. There is no link- no reliable source has procured data suggesting that being abused is a major cause for later development of LGBT identities. Which makes this latest move a baffling miscalculation.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to speak on this as a mother for a moment,¡± the reporter named Valerie says. Dad is right- she seems to be struggling to maintain her professional composure. I don¡¯t blame her. ¡°Given that you are currently Texas¡¯s only gay legislator, would you agree with the notion- supported by all studies on the matter- that a child who questions their identity should be treated with love and affirmation?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Klaradoch states.


    ¡°Do you believe that some across the aisle disagree?¡±


    ¡°They are not acting in accordance with the science on this issue,¡± the representative states plainly.


    ¡°If one of my daughters came to me and told me that she¡¯s asexual, or something else under the LGBT umbrella- do you believe that the response from some legislators in this body would be to have me imprisoned for the crime of still loving my daughter?¡±


    ¡°I believe most of the legislators in the chamber- even ones in my party- don¡¯t know what the word ¡®asexual¡¯ means as it pertains to human beings,¡± she states, her lips pursed. I snicker at this. She¡¯s probably right, but it¡¯s not like it¡¯s that hard of a thing to learn. How stupid are these people?


    ¡°So they¡¯re acting on this issue without first educating themselves on it?¡± Valerie asks, her voice tightening into somewhat of a hiss.


    ¡°Absolutely. Without a doubt,¡± Klaradoch states bluntly. Her head then turns to something off screen. ¡°I appreciate your time, but I must be going.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. This was reporter Valerie Marsden with your on-the-scene update. Dylan, how do you think this vote is going to go down?¡±


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    Anja: Vote hasn¡¯t happened yet just some news personality filling time at the moment


    Kevin: You sure the vote¡¯s happening today?


    Zoe: That¡¯s what my dad said. And my parents are always in the know about these sorts of things.


    Ashley: Jesus Christ, over 200 unread messages.


    Nova: WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN


    Ashley: Watching the news. I think it¡¯s the same channel Anja¡¯s on. Also, my dad called our local representative. Seems they¡¯re rushing the vote on this.


    Kevin: Ah, that¡¯d explain why none of us heard about it before.


    Ashley: I suppose we¡¯re some sort of authoritarian country now.


    Anja: Shenanigans like this have never been above us, don¡¯t kid yourself


    Kevin: I doubt it¡¯ll pass. That one brunette representative they had on was tearing it to shreds.


    Anja: She¡¯s not exactly the majority opinion, repubs control both chambers


    Kevin: This seems too stupid even for them, though.


    Nova: prety sure that¡¯s a oxymoron


    Ashley: That¡¯s not what oxymoron means.


    Collin: ??


    Ashley: Why is he still here?


    Nova: because ur gay


    Ashley: No, you are.


    Anja: @Charlotte Do your parents know about what¡¯s going on?


    I can¡¯t bring myself to respond right away. I slam my phone down onto my desk and take a deep breath. Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t really do anything to stop the rushing feeling of intense dread in my stomach.


    I get up and barge out of my room.


    Mom and Dad are both laid out on the couch, watching TV. Not the news; just some game show. They both look exhausted.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­?¡±


    Mom blinks sleepily and then turns her head to me. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, CharChar?¡±


    ¡°Have you been¡­ keeping up with the news today?¡± I ask tentatively.


    ¡°Hell with the news,¡± Dad says.


    ¡°There¡¯s something scary happening¡­¡± I say nervously.


    ¡°Take a seat and tell us what¡¯s going on,¡± Mom says kindly.


    So I sit on the couch between them and explain what¡¯s going on in Congress to the best of my ability. I stammer constantly, and have to constantly look back at the group chat and reference things people said there to keep my story in order. But Mom and Dad are patient with me; they listen, and look between me and each other with increasing concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried that¡­ they¡¯re going to try and¡­ separate us,¡± I say. By this point, tears are streaming down my face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you¡­¡±


    ¡°Charlotte,¡± Mom says. She hugs me close, wrapping her arms around my waist. I wait, hoping so badly that she¡¯ll say, ¡®Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ll always be together.¡¯


    But she isn¡¯t. She can¡¯t, can she? There¡¯s nothing any of us can do.


    ¡­Wait. There¡¯s one thing I can do.


    I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s concerning. That¡¯s all. I thought you guys should know about this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± Mom says, smiling at me sympathetically. ¡°You can always talk to us. Let¡¯s hope that¡­ it never comes to that.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ better not,¡± Dad says, shaking his head. ¡°The three of us? You see, we¡¯re all weirdos. For a bunch of reasons.¡± He scowls. ¡°Nobody looks after the weirdos.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to¡­ look after each other then,¡± I say, trying to sound brave.


    Dad gives me an approving nod. ¡°Yeah,¡± he says simply. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    <hr>


    <Objective>


    Governor Richard Schneider sat at a magnificent marble table, a magnificent Texas state flag to his left, an American flag to his right. Mounted on the wall across from him was a large television screen, where the results of the vote were broadcasted. He watches with a blank expression of polite interest as Rep. Benavides votes ¡®aye.¡¯ Through the windows behind him, the sky was turning dark.


    Seemingly a strictly party line vote so far. Until¡­


    ¡°Casey?¡± Speaker Lewis calls out.


    There¡¯s a pause. Agonizing seconds go by.


    ¡°...Nay.¡±


    Schneider chuckles to himself. It was no bother- they could afford to lose a single vote.


    Things otherwise continued along party lines. Rep. Klaradoch says her predictable ¡°nay¡± with a growl. Rep. Lucas gives his ¡°aye¡± with particular enthusiasm. Rep. McCullough gives hers with trepidation.


    Around the time of Robinson¡¯s aye, it occurs to Gov. Schneider that there may truly only be one defector. He looks for Casey at his seat in the chamber. It was hard to tell through the zoomed-out camera, but Schneider thought he seemed unsure- maybe embarrassed. Was he regretting destroying his whole political career yet?


    With Shackleford¡¯s aye, the bill had enough votes to pass.


    Schneider curtly stands up from his seat and closes the blinds to his windows.


    He looks around the office. It is empty.


    ¡°Kierstyn?¡± he says softly.


    At once, a woman with short, black hair, brown eyes, and a punkish attire seems to appear out of thin air. Upon realizing where she is, she falls to her knees at once, entering a formal bow. ¡°The governor has summoned me?¡±


    ¡°Phase three has begun,¡± he says. ¡°Status?¡±


    ¡°La Murga is being dealt with swiftly,¡± she says. ¡°The dark lord is making his return to our state, preparing himself for the feast.¡±


    ¡°Never mind him. What of those former colleagues of yours?¡± the governor asks.


    ¡°If Lucas dares venture here to lead his mindless followers, we will be ready for him,¡± Kierstyn says assuredly, smirking slightly. ¡°I quite anticipate the chance to enact my revenge at last.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. What of the lady from a few weeks back?¡± he questions.


    ¡°Ah. Yes, her,¡± Kierstyn says. ¡°I assure you, her involvement was a one-time affair. She has not so much as lifted a finger for decades, only intervening when that adoptive daughter of hers was in peril.¡±


    ¡°Are you playing dumb with me?¡± Schneider asks haughtily. ¡°Don¡¯t you think she and her husband may feel once again as if their direct family may be in peril?¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right. I had forgotten,¡± Kierstyn says apologetically. ¡°I take it your bill has passed?¡±


    ¡°I plan to sign it into law this evening,¡± he says. ¡°We will move with haste. Make sure that the Patel woman cooperates. If she doesn¡¯t, kill her.¡±


    Kierstyn nods solemnly. ¡°With ease.¡±


    ¡°That is all from you. You are dismissed.¡±


    With a final bow, Kierstyn seems to dissipate into the air. Unbothered by this, the governor returns to his desk and waits patiently for the arrival of his staff.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Dad and I watch as, sickeningly, the bill passes with the support of every Republican in the chamber, barring one- ironically, our own representative voted nay. No democrats or independents voted aye. Apparently not even the more conservative, swing-y ones could stomach this.


    ¡°This government is clearly only interested in one thing- not the safety of any children, but attacking the LGBT community,¡± Rep Klaradoch is saying, addressing the chamber. ¡°For those of you who voted aye- understand that the outcome of this bill makes things worse for a lot of families out there. When children starve to death because their parents stand accused of absurd charges, or when they choose to take their own lives rather than endure the torture of their repressed existence, there will be blood on your hands.¡± She¡¯s spot on, of course. But that didn¡¯t stop half of the chamber from erupting into boos and jeers.


    ¡°What is this, a hockey game?¡± Dad comments disapprovingly, shaking his head.


    ¡°Hey Dad. I just wanted to, you know, throw something out there,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m currently dating a boy. So, for all legal intents and purposes¡­¡±


    ¡°Anja, there¡¯s no chance things will go far enough for that,¡± he interrupts. ¡°This is blatantly unconstitutional. It will be held up by courts at once.¡±


    ¡°I hope you''re right,¡± I say, feeling bitter. If there¡¯s one thing I have to knock my dad for, is that he¡¯s way too trusting of the current system. But, I suppose he was from another time and all.


    The news coverage has cut to something new- our governor, Richard Schneider, signing this abomination into law.


    ¡°In our tireless war against the human trafficking degeneracy that has infected our state and threatens our children, I have called upon Congress to pass a bill strengthening further our ability to identify abuse in our homes and schools,¡± he states. ¡°Sadly, it has been shown through recent news stories that abusers will lure children in with a grooming process, in which children are fed lies harmful to their development that allow the groomer to then control aspects of that child¡¯s identity. We have seen increasing evidence of pornographic material and destructive ideologies being proliferated to children. Now, the law has the power to recognize this grooming process and put an end to it, so that our children may be uncorrupted by these misguided actors.¡± With a firm stroke of the pen, he adds his signature. Faceless, off-screen people in the room break into applause.


    My fists tighten. Determination flows through my veins like blood.


    This is our next target. There is no pretense about that. He is unforgivable.


    While we traveled through Austin, we saw a massive structure, floating in the air. I¡¯m certain of it- that¡¯s the capitol building. That¡¯s him.


    It feels like destiny. Nine years ago, my mom ran to defeat him. Now he is my opponent. I¡¯m finishing the battle that my mom d-


    That my mom died fighting.


    ¡°Maybe there was someone in power who didn¡¯t want her to win,¡± Lily¡¯s voice says in my head.


    I pause. I look back to the television screen, to Schneider. The man who won that election.


    ¡°She could¡¯ve won one of the reddest states in the union. But my boss was not having that. He wanted to kill her.¡±


    My boss, Aunt Kierstyn had said.


    ¡­


    She confessed that to my face. Can I deny it any longer?


    My mom¡¯s death¡­ was because of him.


    ¡­


    This truly is destiny.

 Chapter 100: Moral Panic (January 30 Part 1)

    <Anja>


    ¡°We can¡¯t waste any time,¡± I say, addressing the gang at our usual place in the library. ¡°Governor Schneider will be our next target. The livelihoods of a few of us may depend on it. It has to be now.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too late?¡± Ashley questions. ¡°The law has already passed. And even if we take out this guy¡¯s palace, they¡¯ll just replace him with some new dipshit.¡±


    ¡°No- it¡¯s not that simple,¡± I argue. ¡°Schneider is uniquely dangerous. Some generic politician taking his place will at least be a reversion to the status quo.¡±


    ¡°If nothing else, we gotta do it for Anja¡¯s mom,¡± Nova adds.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not saying we shouldn¡¯t do it,¡± Ashley clarifies. ¡°I¡¯ll smite his wretched ass out of spite. I just don¡¯t know how much it will change. If it¡¯s really gonna save Charlotte and I.¡±


    ¡°It has to!¡± Charlotte pleads.


    ¡°Even merely slowing down the process is worthwhile,¡± Ruth says in agreement. ¡°And, if we give the defeated Schneider the correct stipulations, we may be able to totally prevent the worst of the damage.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tell him that he has to stay in power and just not enforce the law against anyone innocent,¡± Kevin suggests.


    ¡°But that¡¯d be up to the Attorney General,¡± Ashley retorts.


    ¡°Even then, if there is infighting within the executive branch, it would slow the process,¡± Ruth continues. ¡°There¡¯s only potential upside.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ how are we going to get up there?¡± Zoe wonders aloud.


    ¡°Up where?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°Onto that ship,¡± Zoe elaborates.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Charlotte asks.


    ¡°We saw what we think is Schneider¡¯s palace while rescuing Zoe,¡± I explain. ¡°It was sort of an airship being propelled by these huge fans. Gave off steampunk vibes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can fly,¡± Nova offers. ¡°I¡¯ll just ferry you guys up there one by one.¡±


    ¡°And get shot down?¡± Ashley argues.


    ¡°Do they have anti-air guns?¡± Charlotte wonders.


    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t see any?¡± Zoe says uncertainly.


    ¡°So we¡¯ll just hope they don¡¯t have any, and then if they we do, we¡¯re fucked. Got it,¡± Ashley concludes sarcastically.


    ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ have to think that one over,¡± I say. ¡°We probably won¡¯t be able to do anything today anyway, since it¡¯s a school night, and we¡¯ll have to go out of town for this.¡±


    ¡°And what if they come for us today?¡± Ashley asks coldly. Charlotte gasps.


    ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± Kevin says assuringly. ¡°Laws don¡¯t take effect until the start of the next year.¡±


    ¡°Depends on the law,¡± Ruth points out. ¡°I¡¯m sure if they¡¯re willing to rush this through Congress, they wouldn¡¯t have written in a delay to its effect.¡±


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, my dad thinks it¡¯s going to be blocked by the courts,¡± I say.


    ¡°It probably will be,¡± Ruth agrees. ¡°This is a pretty flagrant violation of multiple rights. It¡¯ll be easy to contest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but how long is that gonna take?¡± Ashley questions.


    ¡°Nothing we can do about that, I suppose,¡± I say, sighing.


    The bell rings. I reluctantly go to class, wishing that I could¡¯ve given everyone more assurances.


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    Time has come for my speech. The timing of this was¡­ either lucky or unlucky, depending on how you want to evaluate it. I had to make some last minute changes last night.


    As a boy in his senior year is awkwardly fumbling through his own speech as I look it over one last time off stage. I think I¡¯ve managed to say what I want to say while establishing a bulletproof connection to the prompt at hand, that being the importance of education in our adult lives. Reading between the lines, this is clearly meant to be a promotion of the NHS itself, with the student body held as a captive audience by the assembly. It¡¯s supposed practice for public speaking, but isn¡¯t that what speech class is for? Anyway, I digress. It seems as if it¡¯s my turn, so I walk to the mic, setting my paper down on the podium, and begin.


    ¡°Good afternoon, fellow students of Enchantment City High School. If you don¡¯t know me, my name is Ruth Antunez. I am a tenth grade student in the National Honor Society. I¡¯m in the National Honor Society because I believe that education for its own sake is worthwhile. I believe that all subjects we learn in school, whether it be mathematics, reading and writing, social studies, science, and even the fine arts, help us build invaluable skills that will be useful in our lives and careers. I would like to use social studies as an example. We are often told as students that we are tomorrow¡¯s leaders. Yet, often I have heard a peer complain, ¡®Why do we need to do any of this? Why does it matter who the founding fathers are, or what dates that wars happened on, or who was president at what time?¡¯ My belief is that the learning of social studies is valuable because nothing that happened in the past, nothing that exists in our history books, exists in isolation. Stories of both American and world history are not merely tales to be told. These events have ripple effects that can affect us even to today. Furthermore, many historic events were caused by factors that in some ways can be similar to things happening in the world today. Therefore, similar events could happen again in our future. It is often said that ¡®history repeats.¡¯


    ¡°One pattern that reoccurs across history is the occurrence of ¡®moral panics.¡¯ A moral panic is a widespread and often irrational fear of an evil person, group or idea that threatens the well being of society. The Salem Witch Trials from early in American history are an example. In Salem, Massachusetts, over two hundred people were accused of witchcraft during the 1690s, which led to thirty people being found guilty, and nineteen being hanged, most of whom were women. This was not the last moral panic in American history. More recent examples include the Red Scare and the Satanic Panic. Both of these were events that our parents lived through. Moral panics frequently lead to people being unfairly accused and mistreated, so as the future leaders of America, it is our responsibility to learn about these historic events in hopes that this part of history does not repeat.


    ¡°While the Salem Witch Trials only affected a small number of people, the outcomes of moral panics such as these could potentially become far worse if continued over a long stretch of time and in the right circumstances. For example, moral panics were part of the causality behind the Holocaust, an event that happened in Germany in the 1940s in which an estimated seventeen million people, of which about six million were Jews, were killed. Part of the justification for the Holocaust were beliefs that Jewish people controlled the banking system and used this power to subvert society. Other groups killed in the Holocaust included political enemies of the Nazi party, people with disabilities, some ethnic groups such as the Romani, and homosexuals. What often gets neglected when teaching about this history is that LGBT people were one of the first groups to come under fire.¡± I begin to hear muttering in the crowd of students, but I push on. ¡°The archives of the at-time-time ground-breaking research done by the Institut f¨¹r Sexualwissenschaft were among the first to be destroyed by Nazi book-burnings. As the Texas state government and many municipal governments spread moral panic around LGBT people and attempt to ban all literature discussing LGBT topics from public libraries, I urge us all to be mindful of the potential outcomes of-¡±


    I notice that my microphone isn¡¯t working and stop. The auditorium is in near-uproar. Many students in the crowd are talking to each other, some looking worried, others laughing.


    ¡°Thank you, Ruth,¡± Mrs. Gibbs tells me through her own microphone. ¡°You may be seated. Students, as principal of Enchant-¡±


    ¡°YOU CUT HER OFF!¡± a voice yells from the crowd. ¡°LET HER FINISH!¡±


    I look to the crowd to see that the shout came from Anja, who has risen to her feet. For a fleeting moment, I feel the infatuation I once felt three years ago flush through me once again. Nova is by her side, grabbing her hand and saying something into her ear.


    ¡°Sit down!¡± Mrs. Gibbs snaps at her. ¡°This is unacceptable behavior for an assembly! Everyone be quiet at once!¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Why should we? You interrupted her!¡± Anja snaps back. Some of the other students laugh.


    ¡°You are both suspended!¡± Mrs. Gibbs says coldly.


    ¡°WHAT? WHAT DID I DO?¡± Nova protests. The auditorium erupts once again.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    We¡¯re chaperoned into the hallway by the assistant principal. Mrs. Gibbs strides out soon after, looking livid, her high heels clicking against the floor like the march of an army.


    ¡°You know you¡¯re proving Ruth correct right now, right?¡± I snark at her.


    ¡°Not another word from you, Beulen,¡± Mrs. Gibbs commands.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, this is a bunch of bullshit,¡± Nova explains defensively. ¡°I was literally just trying to calm her down-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use such foul language in these halls, you good-for-nothing cretin!¡± Mrs. Gibbs reprimands.


    ¡°Wooow,¡± Nova says incredulously. ¡°Okay, Mom.¡±


    I¡¯m about to unload onto her for daring to speak to Nova that way, when a girl¡¯s voice interrupts with, ¡°Mrs. Gibbs, you can¡¯t suspend them. They only wanted to stick up for their friend.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get involved, Hannah,¡± Mrs. Gibbs says exhaustedly.


    Sure enough, none other than Kevin¡¯s new girlfriend Hannah strides out into the hallway.


    ¡°Mrs. Gibbs, we can¡¯t treat our gay or bisexual students any differently than our straight ones,¡± Hannah pleads.


    ¡°Our school¡­ must comply with state law. We have no choice,¡± she says. ¡°And what these two did was disrespectful, disruptive, and uncouth.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Nova retorts.


    ¡°Go ahead and suspend me. I don¡¯t give a fuck,¡± I tell her bluntly.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Mrs. Gibbs questions, temper visibly rising.


    ¡°I¡¯m not coming back here anyway, if you¡¯re going to start picking on all the queer kids. It¡¯s not safe!¡± I challenge.


    ¡°I¡¯m with you, Anja,¡± Hannah says confidently.


    Mrs. Gibbs sighs. ¡°Don¡¯t you get yourself into trouble too, Hannah.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do a walkout, with anyone else who wants to join,¡± Hannah suggests. ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone.¡±


    ¡°Like the ones they do after school shootings?¡± I say, smiling. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Hannah!¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m already suspended, so whatever,¡± Nova agrees.


    Looking defeated, Mrs. Gibbs merely shakes her head, and returns to the auditorium, beginning a desperate and doomed attempt to keep the peace by demanding the babbling student body be quiet. Hannah and I exchange a look. I didn¡¯t expect to gain her as a comrade in arms here, but I¡¯m grateful. I think people will listen to her- she¡¯s tall and pretty.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯re doing it together, huh?¡± I say.


    She nods seriously.


    The school has seemingly given up on the assembly, and students begin pouring out of the auditorium to go back to class. Nova and I part ways with Hannah soon after, and I start pondering how I¡¯m going to explain what happened to Dad¡­


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    Geez, what a bunch of drama. As soon as my row is dismissed, I look around for Ruth, but I don¡¯t see her.


    ¡°Whoa. That was crazy!¡± Mason says from behind me. Diana and Yonca, who must have been sitting nearby, are right behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say! I can¡¯t believe they cut her mic!¡± I exclaim. ¡°That was rude.¡±


    ¡°Someone must have gotten really offended,¡± Yonca says. ¡°Nobody likes being compared to the Nazis.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess not,¡± I say. ¡°Still, I see where she was coming from, with all that stuff about, uh, when people panic too much.¡±


    ¡°Kevin, I know that Ruth¡¯s your friend, but¡­ she was being a little absurd,¡± Diana says indignantly. ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t that kind of an extreme example? Does she think that the Texas government is going to put gay people in camps?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t get away with that!¡± Mason assures. ¡°The federal government would be like, ¡®uh, no. That¡¯s not cool.¡¯¡±


    ¡°But, nobody¡¯s even talking about that!¡± Diana continues. ¡°I mean, some books being banned from a library is bad, I get how it violates free speech and all, but¡­ it¡¯s not The Holocaust.¡±


    Her words seem sensible, but¡­ something nags at me when she says this. Like it brought back a memory, but I can¡¯t quite see it yet. Oh well.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Ruth wasn¡¯t expecting a warm reception to her points,¡± Yonca says enigmatically.


    ¡°Kevin!¡± Hannah says, cutting her way through the crowd to get to me.


    ¡°Hannah! Were you rowing with the principal?¡± Diana asks, sounding both horrified and impressed.


    ¡°Anja and I were talking,¡± Hannah explains. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re going to hold a walkout to protest the law that was passed yesterday, since Gibbs just told me that they¡¯re going along with it.¡±


    ¡°A walkout?¡± Yonca asks nervously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna get in trouble?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand to see the voices of women who speak up being silenced,¡± Hannah states seriously.


    Diana rolls her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is about women. Nova was being suspended too, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they punished the autistic kid who was just standing next to her and not doing anything,¡± Mason points out. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make them look bad at all.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Fair point,¡± Diana concedes, looking embarrassed.


    ¡°So. Are you guys in?¡± Hannah asks.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m kinda obligated to, am I?¡± I joke.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yonca starts to say, before frowning and cutting herself off.


    ¡°Wait, what law?¡± Diana asks.


    ¡°They passed a law yesterday, about, well, uh, wait a second,¡± I say, realizing something mid-explanation. ¡°I thought that law was about parents being arrested or something. What does that have to do with school?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only part of the law,¡± Hannah explains. ¡°Another provision is that schools are required to perform their own investigations into students they think have been groomed. And since the law says that being bisexual or gay is a sign of that¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s like, half my friend group!¡± I protest.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Hannah says. ¡°I could be targeted as well, given some of my past relationships with girls. Best to get ahead of the curve.¡±


    ¡°Whoah, she¡¯s bisexual? I didn¡¯t know that!¡± Mason comments.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m bisexual,¡± Hannah states. ¡°Understand why I feel so invested in this now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Diana says. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I dunno, this seems kinda crazy¡­¡±


    ¡°WALK AND TALK! WALK AND TALK EVERYONE! YOU SHOULD BE BACK IN CLASS!¡± A burly teacher with a southern drawl shouts near us.


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss later, okay?¡± Hannah says.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say.


    We share a brief hug, and then get to class before we become the next casualties of Principal Gibbs¡¯s wrath.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    As if I weren¡¯t on edge enough already. Now Anja and Nova have been suspended for some bullshit reason. I mean, come on, Taryn didn¡¯t even get a write-up when she shoved Zoe to the floor. I fucking hate this shitty school. Ruth¡¯s right, these fuckers are a bunch of nazis.


    And guess what. You¡¯ll never believe this. I¡¯m completely right to be paranoid. I always have been. Because everyone is out to get me.


    And I know this because a police car just pulled in front of our house.


    ¡°Mom... Dad... there¡¯s a police car outside.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Dad grunts, looking up from his newspaper.


    ¡°They''re here because of that new law. I¡¯ll bet anything,¡± I say.


    ¡°Ashley¡­¡± Mom starts to say, sighing.


    ¡°We need to do something!¡± I interrupt. ¡°Hide, run away. Get some of Mom''s guns and¡­¡±


    ¡°Ashley, we are not getting into a shootout with the police!¡± Mom whispers furiously.


    ¡°Then... the Metaverse! We can escape from there!¡± I say quickly.


    ¡°Now, get a grip on yourself, please,¡± Dad says in his usual infuriatingly calm tone. ¡°Your mom and I have contingencies planned for any worst case scenario that plays out.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I ask.


    Before I have any more time to wonder what the fuck he¡¯s talking about¡­


    Knock knock knock.


    ¡°I will answer,¡± Dad says, getting to his feet. He gives Mom a look. ¡°Alyssa.¡± Mom nods. Great, they¡¯re doing that telepathic communication thing again.


    Zoe emerges from her room, looking scared. ¡°Wh-who¡¯s at the door?¡± she asks.


    ¡°We need to go. Now,¡± I say, grabbing her by the wrist.


    However, Mom one-ups me and grabs my wrist. ¡°Ashley! You need to listen to me. We''re going to be okay. Running away or fighting is going to make things worse. We can fight this legally.¡±


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± I question, yanking my hand away. ¡°They''re coming for us, right now! This place has become fascist!¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Mom says coolly.


    I scoff at her. ¡°Mom! How don''t you understand what''s going on here?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± she whispers, getting close to my face. ¡°Your dad and I prepared for this. You are to calm yourself right now.¡±


    ¡°Dear? Kids?¡± Dad calls from the front doorway.


    Mom steps back. ¡°Come with me, both of you. Stay calm and don''t say a word.¡±


    I shake my head, and step back myself towards the back door. ¡°Fuck that.¡±


    I see Mom¡¯s fists clench. For a moment, I think she may scream. But then, she exhales deeply.


    ¡°Then go somewhere else, the house of one of your friends,¡± she says in a low voice. ¡°Your father and I will talk to the police.¡±


    I stare into her eyes. She¡¯s serious about this.


    I suppose she wouldn''t want to leave without Dad anyway. Whatever thing they''ve planned, I suppose they''re committed to it.


    ¡°Come on, Zoe,¡± I say, reaching for my phone.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ leaving?¡± Zoe asks, sounding close to tears.


    ¡°Go with her. We''re going to be okay,¡± Mom says reassuringly. ¡°You''ll be contacted soon. I love you both.¡±


    Zoe sniffles. ¡°I love you too,¡± she says.


    I can¡¯t bear to say anything at the moment, so I simply take Zoe and I into the Metaverse.

 Chapter 101: Thieves Vs. The System (January 30 Part 2)

    <Ashley>


    Zoe and I emerge in the Metaverse. It looks the same as usual; the outline of our house in its dark, veiny monotony. I don¡¯t know what I expected, exactly. Maybe for the house to be on fire? For a squad of Metaverse-cops to be ready to ambush us? But no.


    Next to me, the familiar sound of Zoe sniffling and crying makes me come down from my high. She has both of her hands over her face. This naturally wouldn¡¯t be easy for her.


    ¡°Um,¡± I say. ¡°We should go to Anja¡¯s. It¡¯s closest.¡±


    Zoe doesn¡¯t say or do anything.


    I guess I should say something.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I say. ¡°Mom and Dad are¡­ well, they said that they¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t lose everything all over again,¡± Zoe says weakly.


    ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯ll make it right, like always.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t even know if using the Metaverse will work,¡± she protests. ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡­ go back to reality, and go with them? Then at least we¡¯d be together.¡±


    For a moment, I suddenly feel crushed by the realization that a small part of me agrees with her. And suddenly I feel horrible for how shitty I was acting towards them.


    What was it Mom was saying? They were pretty confident that whatever plan they had would work. I guess they¡¯ve been right before. But should we have gone with them? They wanted us to. But¡­


    ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°Remember, the whole pretense of this is that they think we¡¯re being abused or something. We wouldn¡¯t be kept together,¡± I reason.


    Zoe exhales deeply. ¡°You may be right,¡± she says.


    ¡°Listen. Let¡¯s go to Anja¡¯s. And we can¡­ support them from the outside.¡± I say.


    After a pause, Zoe nods.


    We briefly return to the real world to quietly pack overnight bags, and then, one final time, we leave to travel the darkened streets of our neighborhood.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey Ted. We gotta go. Emergency,¡± I call out when Zoe and I arrive at the Methodist Church.


    He barrels out of the woods in record time. ¡°An emergency, you say?¡± he asks, one hand on his pistol.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been an insane past few days.¡±


    ¡°What troubles you, Jolene?¡± he says. I¡¯m confused for a moment as to who he¡¯s talking to, until I see that he¡¯s approaching Zoe. He reaches to pat her on the shoulder, but can¡¯t quite reach and instead pats her elbow.


    ¡°Our parents¡­ the ones who took me in¡­ they¡¯re being arrested!¡± Zoe explains in a strained voice. ¡°Over some¡­ bullshit law that was passed yesterday!¡±


    ¡°Just yesterday?¡± Ted questions suspiciously. ¡°That ain¡¯t how the law works.¡±


    ¡°Well, America¡¯s becoming a fascist country, so that¡¯s how it works now!¡± I say bitterly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s walk and talk.¡±


    We begin our route to Anja¡¯s place, walking through the streets because who gives a shit? Not like there are any cars here. Things are quiet at the moment. I almost wish that a shadow would appear so I could have something to tear apart.


    ¡­Nope. Stupid thing to wish for, I take that back.


    ¡°Woulda made powerful allies, those two,¡± he comments.


    ¡°Yeah. I guess so,¡± I say. Then, I gasp as a realization hits me. ¡°Wait. I bet that¡¯s why they got arrested so fast. They knew.¡±


    ¡°Cops don¡¯t know nothin¡¯ about the supernatural,¡± Ted argues.


    ¡°Some of them do. Sheriff Hurt did,¡± I say. ¡°The one who helped us save her. And died for it.¡±


    Ted bows his head, as if doing his own private vigil.


    ¡°It¡¯s ironic,¡± Zoe says. ¡°They hailed him as a hero, only to then hurt the people he was fighting to protect.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to law enforcement in America,¡± I say. ¡°Uh, no offense, Ted.¡±


    ¡°What pretense do they even have for this?¡± Ted questions.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Something strange occurs to me at that moment. ¡°Hey Ted. You know that Zoe and I are a lesbian couple, right?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t that what the whole shindig at the church was about?¡± he responds.


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, it was,¡± I confirm. ¡°It¡¯s just, you were from another time and all. Are you¡­ cool with that?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®another time?¡¯¡± he asks.


    ¡°You¡¯re from the past,¡± I say. ¡°Before most people accepted gay people. Well, okay, I guess a lot of people still don¡¯t. But still.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t accept me either,¡± he says. ¡°Nobody thought an American and a Mexican should be wed.¡±


    ¡°You married someone Mexican?¡± I ask. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s right, people were racist back then too. Well, more so than today. You know what I mean.¡±


    I look at Zoe, hoping to see her smile at this news. I¡¯m disappointed, however. Her face is still stony with the shock and pain of what had happened.


    <hr>


    To ensure that nobody sees us defy the laws of space and time, we emerge right next to the fence to Anja¡¯s backyard, stuff Ted into Zoe¡¯s bag, and then walk around to the front and knock on the door.


    Anja¡¯s dad answers. ¡°Good afternoon!¡± he greets us cheerily.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Hi Mr. Beulen!¡± Zoe says. ¡°Um, my apologies for the short notice, but¡­ we were wondering if we could stay the night tonight.¡±


    ¡°That should be alright,¡± he says, smiling at us. ¡°Anja will be happy to see you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say.


    He points us to Anja¡¯s room, where I¡¯m not entirely surprised to see that Nova is also there, laying flat on her bed and playing his 3DS moodily.


    We recap what had happened, and the realizations we had about it while on route to Anja¡¯s house.


    ¡°Aunt Kierstyn could¡¯ve told them about your parents,¡± Anja points out stormily. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think about them using the new law for an attack of opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Well, we better launch our assault as soon as we can, then,¡± I say. ¡°You guys are suspended anyway, and I don¡¯t really care about going to school right now.¡±


    ¡°We still need to figure out how to get  on  to the airship, though,¡± Anja points out. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t just count on the palace not having any defenses.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t be an issue if we spawned there,¡± Nova points out, eyes still glued to his 3DS.


    ¡°How are we supposed to do that?¡± I question. ¡°That would require entering the Metaverse from  inside  the capitol building.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could ask for a tour?¡± Zoe suggests.


    ¡°That¡¯ll take too long. And they wouldn¡¯t give a tour to a bunch of children without a chaperone,¡± I refute.


    ¡°If there was a way to swing it, it does seem like entering directly from the capitol would be simplest,¡± Anja says. ¡°But as for how to do that¡­ well¡­¡±


    And then, unexpectedly, my phone rings.


    I quickly pull it out, expecting it to be one of my parents. But, instead, I read from the caller ID that it¡¯s Sarah, my trumpet teacher, of all people.


    ¡°Um¡­ I better see what this is about,¡± I say. I step out of the room and answer.


    <hr>


    I answer the phone in the hallway outside Anja¡¯s room, standing right across from a black and white photo of two people I¡¯m assuming are Anja¡¯s great grandparents or something.


    ¡°Ashley?¡± she asks once I pick up the phone.


    ¡°Speaking,¡± I say. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve heard about what happened?¡±


    ¡°Where are you right now?¡± she inquires. ¡°Are you safe?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I¡¯m at a friend¡¯s place,¡± I confirm.


    ¡°Good,¡± she says. ¡°Stay there for right now- don¡¯t return to your house.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on it,¡± I say.


    ¡°Zoe¡¯s with you, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she says. ¡°So. First of all, I need to tell you that everything¡¯s going to be alright. Your parents and I planned for this possibility. I have gotten them in touch with my lawyer, George Wang. He¡¯s a great lawyer and he specializes in civil liberties cases. He has connections to the ACLU, who are currently working to combat the recent law.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s great. But how long is it gonna take?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You never know with this type of thing,¡± Sarah admits. ¡°Our first priority right now is to ensure that you and Zoe aren¡¯t going to be transferred to an orphanage.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d probably send at least Zoe back to live with her folks,¡± I say. ¡°But yes, I¡¯d rather not have to go through all of that.¡±


    ¡°Your parents also wanted me to tell you not to use your Persona and to trust the legal process. Of course, I uh, can¡¯t actually stop you from doing anything-¡±


    ¡°Wait. What?¡± I exclaim. ¡° You¡¯re  in on that too? You gotta be kidding me!¡±


    ¡°You mean your father didn¡¯t mention me? Tsk tsk. How ungrateful,¡± she complains.


    ¡°How many people in my life have been hiding things from me?¡± I demand. ¡°First my parents, then you, who else?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, I uhh, probably nobody else you know,¡± Sarah stammers. ¡°You¡¯ve already met Lucy, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Of co- you know Lucy?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh yeah. She never leaves me alone,¡± Sarah explains, a hint of annoyance in her voice.


    ¡°So if you knew about her, why didn¡¯t Mom know?¡± I question.


    ¡°Because your Mom only ever knew ¡®Lucas,¡¯ and I only ever knew Lucy,¡± Sarah says enigmatically.


    ¡°What- This is stupid. Okay, fine, whatever. Well, you can tell my mom and dad that I¡¯m not sitting around on my ass while they¡¯re in jail.¡±


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d say that,¡± Sarah says, sighing. ¡°Oh well. I can tell them I tried now.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they want me to do anything, anyway?¡± I rant. ¡°If I¡¯d had this attitude before, Nova would¡¯ve been forced to move back with his abusive mom, Zoe would¡¯ve been tortured in conversion therapy, something far worse could¡¯ve happened to Kevin¡­¡±


    Sarah cuts me off. ¡°Because not everything can be solved by targeting just one person. Sometimes it¡¯s best to let the system run its course.¡±


    ¡°Well, fuck the system.¡±


    Sarah scoffs. ¡°You¡¯re becoming such a teenager. Listen. Your parents and I know how this shit works. I don¡¯t know what you think you know. But you need to  trust them . Or at least trust me. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about you,¡± I say. ¡°Why would I put any trust in the people who just arrested my parents? The people who sat around and jerked their cocks while children were being kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re over-generalizing,¡± Sarah says tiredly. ¡°I mean the  court system . The state has many arms, and they¡¯re meant to balance each other out. Just¡­ let us handle this. I personally don¡¯t even care if you get you and your Persona friends on this too. Just don¡¯t do anything stupid. I know you won¡¯t. You¡¯re a smart girl. Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I say. I suddenly feel very tired and sad. ¡°Also, tell my parents that¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ashley. I will,¡± she agrees. ¡°And remember. Don¡¯t be stupid.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you posted. Talk to you soon.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She hangs up.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Ashley¡¯s departure leaves an awkward silence in its wake. That is, until Zoe¡¯s bag starts rustling, seemingly of its own free will.


    ¡°Oh, right. Sorry,¡± Zoe says, unzipping it and letting Ted out.


    ¡°T¡¯was too quiet in here,¡± Ted comments, as he rolls out of the bag and attempts to look dignified as his paws grip my carpet.


    ¡°You have been very quiet since getting here,¡± I comment to Zoe. ¡°I would ask if you¡¯re okay, but¡­ obviously you¡¯re not.¡±


    Zoe shakes her head, her eyes dead and blank.


    There¡¯s another awkward pause, as I struggle to think of anything I can say.


    Instead, it¡¯s Zoe who speaks first. ¡°Why did it have to end like this?¡± she begs, a tear rolling down her cheek.


    ¡°Well¡­ I saw Ashley¡¯s parents in action. They are absurdly powerful. They could incapacitate a crowd of people in the blink of an eye,¡± I say.


    ¡°Would¡¯ve been a lot of help against the palace,¡± Nova complains into his 3DS, teeth clenched. ¡°But, I guess they¡¯re like, Uber-powerful¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is it always palaces?¡± Zoe asks, staring at the floor.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what do you mean?¡± I ask, not following.


    ¡°People, places, out there in the world, making everything worse. Who¡¯s out there trying to make it better?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always people making things better,¡± I say. ¡°We fight, we sweat, we bleed, we die, and we never stop. And things never get better as much or as fast as we want. But they get better.¡±


    Zoe nods curtly. ¡°Could we do that¡­ in the Metaverse, too?¡± she wonders aloud.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯ve been doing?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°No, I think I know where Zoe¡¯s coming from here,¡± I interject. ¡°What we do is stop things from getting¡­ worse. Palaces make things worse. We don¡¯t really make things better than they were before.¡±


    Zoe nods.


    ¡°What¡¯s a palace, but a temple to man¡¯s sin?¡± Ted comments sagely.


    ¡°But does just being without sin make you good?¡± Zoe asks, seemingly more to herself than anyone else. ¡°What is ¡®good¡­¡¯¡±


    ¡°Pizza¡¯s good,¡± Nova comments flippantly.


    I roll my eyes at him. ¡°Nova, that¡¯s not what she meant!¡±


    At this point, Ashley re-enters. She sighs, looking more exhausted than I¡¯ve ever seen her.


    ¡°Just found out about another person who¡¯s been lying to me,¡± Ashley says. ¡°My trumpet teacher, Sarah, knows about Personas too.¡±


    ¡°She does?¡± Zoe says. ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°Your family has a lot of connections,¡± I say. ¡°I guess that¡¯s a double-edged sword.¡±


    ¡°Anyway. Where are we even going to sleep?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°Should be able to all fit in my bed,¡± I offer. ¡°I call little spoon!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Ashley protests.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I ask, grinning a little despite everything.


    ¡°Nova¡¯s a boy,¡± Ashley points out simply.


    ¡°That¡¯s racist,¡± Nova says.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re gonna be like that, I have sleeping bags,¡± I say. ¡°Oh, this will be fun! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a sleepover.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Ted inquires.


    ¡°You usually sleep outside, don¡¯t you?¡± Ashley points out.


    ¡°Eh, my house is further from the woods,¡± I say. ¡°You can stay here for tonight. I¡¯ll find a nice blanket for you.¡±


    ¡°I greatly appreciate it, madam,¡± Ted says, tilting his head as if tipping an imaginary hat to me. Not knowing what else to do, we spend the rest of the evening talking, first about our plan for tomorrow, and then about random stuff. It¡¯s a weird atmosphere. Like normally this would be fun, having all my friends over. But the overarching sense of tension and dread goes a fair way towards dampening that, sadly.

 Chapter 102: Good Ally (January 31 Part 1)

    <Kevin>


    Well¡­ this is a bit awkward. It¡¯s a quiet morning in the library as Ruth, Charlotte and I are the only ones in the group who came to school.


    ¡°So. Uh¡­ if Anja and Nova got suspended, and Ashley and Zoe are uh, not here,¡± I say, ¡°What are we gonna do for the walkout thing? Will it just be us three and Hannah?¡±


    ¡°I think she planned to rope her friends into it too,¡± Ruth says. ¡°Still, it is quite awkward without Anja here.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find her, then!¡± Charlotte says anxiously. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to look at my weanus!¡±


    This statement makes me feel like I got hit by a truck. ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°But¡­ who¡­¡±


    ¡°Schools are authorized to perform genital inspections if they feel that students are being groomed in a way that ¡®misleads him or her about gender or gender norms,¡¯¡± Ruth explains. ¡°Putting two and two together, that essentially amounts to trans people being permitted to exist.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s¡­ nobody said¡­¡± For some reason, my heart starts beating like crazy. But like¡­ I¡¯m not even the one who¡¯s in trouble.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Charlotte asks.


    ¡°Uh¡­ yes¡­ I¡¯m gonna¡­ go find Hannah,¡± I say. ¡°See you soon.¡±


    Feeling like I can no longer sit down, I fast walk out of the library, and start looking around the school.


    I dart down the hallway to the right, thinking that Hannah would be out at soccer practice. I get a few weird looks as I jog through, but I ignore them. One teacher I don¡¯t recognize yells at me to slow down, so I pull up to the backdoor while speedwalking. Looks like there¡¯s no practice this morning, though. Where could she be? Oh! The cafeteria!


    I go around the outside for time¡¯s sake, passing by a weird little indention in the wall with a generator in it, and then go into the cafeteria through one of the side doors. My eyes scan the crowd¡­ Luckily, she¡¯s so tall that it doesn¡¯t take me long to find her chatting animatedly with her friends near the middle of the room.


    ¡°Hannah!¡± I call out as I approach, panting. .


    ¡°Kevin!¡± she calls back. ¡°What¡¯s up, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°When area we¡­  huff ¡­ doing that¡­ walk thing?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Wow, look at you! Getting pumped for it like a good little ally,¡± she tells me, giggling. ¡°Well, I was just waiting for Anja to get here.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ uh¡­ she¡¯s not coming today,¡± I explain. ¡°You see¡­ two of our friends¡­ their parents got arrested, and, uh, so¡­¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Hannah says. The rest of her friends gasp dramatically in tandem with her shocked expression. ¡°What¡¯d they do?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it was because of that one law,¡± I explain. ¡°They¡­ er¡­ they allowed their daughter to be in a lesbian couple, so I guess that counted.¡±


    ¡°No  way! ¡± Hannah repeats angrily. ¡°Well, they all should¡¯ve come then! We could protest this together!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought the plan was,¡± I agree. ¡°But, I guess they really had to get out of town. Anja¡¯s letting them hide out with her.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Hannah swears. ¡°That means we¡¯re down four people¡­ this isn¡¯t going to be as impressive as I hoped.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I say. ¡°But¡­ well, Ruth is here, and Charlotte too. And Charlotte thinks we should really do it, because¡­¡±


    ¡°Charlotte? Charlotte who?¡± Hannah asks, puzzled.


    ¡°Oh! I think that¡¯s what Maurice started calling himself!¡± Vanessa comments eagerly.


    ¡°Herself¡­ but yes,¡± I confirm. ¡°Remember, from lunch that one time? She¡¯s the one with the curly black hair.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hannah says, frowning.


    ¡°She¡¯s afraid that they¡¯re gonna¡­¡± I stop to take a deep breath. ¡°Well, nothing good. They might, like, uh, investigate her¡­ trust me, it¡¯s really bad¡­¡±


    ¡°Kevin? How about you take a seat?¡± Hannah asks softly. She reaches across the table and slaps Sally on the shoulder, who immediately scoots over and makes a place for me across from her.


    ¡°Oh¡­ sure,¡± I say. I sit down and sigh heavily.


    ¡°So. This Charlotte is your friend?¡± Hannah asks.


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends since during the break.¡±


    Hannah nods. ¡°Listen. I think she¡¯s got a¡­ bit of a different set of problems than someone like me does. Or, your friends Ashley and Zoe.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I say stupidly. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°How do I explain this without sounding harsh¡­¡± she says.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t want to help her?¡± I ask weakly.


    ¡°Well, n- I wouldn¡¯t say- Look.¡± Hannah makes a huffing sound with just her nose. ¡°There¡¯s a big difference between two guys, or two girls, just being in love and being a normal couple, and¡­ a guy¡­ someone who  was  a guy, wanting to use the women¡¯s restroom,¡± Hannah explains. ¡°Just being gay doesn¡¯t hurt anyone. But¡­ well, a lot of women are really uncomfortable when men¡­ or, people who¡­ when they try and encroach into the spaces that are just for us.¡±


    I¡¯m dumbfounded for a moment. Then, I say stupidly, ¡°But Charlotte doesn¡¯t use the bathroom,¡± I say.


    ¡°Wh¡­ what are you talking about?¡± Hannah replies crossly. ¡°Everyone does.¡±


    ¡°She said that she holds it until she gets home,¡± I say.


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, still. A lot of her kind want that,¡± she says stubbornly.


    ¡°Um¡­ but¡­¡± I feel like my brain is collapsing in on itself trying to understand what¡¯s going on.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be mean!¡± Hannah says defensively. ¡°But if people see us out there with¡­ Look. Anja¡¯s not here anyway. Let¡¯s maybe¡­ do it some other day.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Charlotte said the school might¡­¡± both of my fists tighten. ¡°Start looking at her private parts.¡±


    ¡°What? No, they wouldn¡¯t,¡± Hannah responds, laughing.


    ¡°Ruth said so,¡± I respond. ¡°I trust her on this.¡±


    ¡°Over me?¡± Hannah challenges.


    ¡°She knows a lot about this stuff,¡± I say. ¡°And listen¡­ I don¡¯t want that to happen to anyone after¡­¡± I¡¯m surprised to find a tear rolling down my face.


    ¡°Hey hey¡­ it¡¯s okay,¡± Hannah says soothingly. ¡°Men don¡¯t get raped or harassed. Well, usually. You were kind of a¡­ freak occurrence.¡±


    ¡°I, uh¡­ I need to go and¡­ tell¡­¡± I get up from my seat.


    ¡°Yeah, go and calm down, okay?¡± Hannah says. ¡°And, let them know we¡¯ll do it some other day.¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything else. I skulk back to the library, feeling kinda like I just ran off a cliff, the chatter of the rest of the cafeteria sounding like it¡¯s coming from inside a cave.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    Kevin comes back a few minutes by himself. Something¡¯s wrong. He has this blank, hollow expression. He doesn¡¯t look at either Ruth or I and just sits down in the chair stiffly. He doesn¡¯t lean back or anything, he just sits on the end.


    ¡°Can¡¯t find her?¡± I ask nervously.


    ¡°I found her,¡± he responds blankly. ¡°She¡­ uh¡­ doesn¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± I say.


    ¡°She, uh¡­¡± Kevin looks up at me, like he¡¯s appraising me or something. ¡°Well, I told her about¡­ what you said¡­ but, she thought that¡­ that was a separate issue, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I mean, technically?¡± I respond. But then, I feel my temper spike as I connect the dots. ¡°Wait! She doesn¡¯t care about me because I¡¯m trans?¡±


    Kevin doesn¡¯t say anything, which answers my question.


    ¡°Disappointing,¡± Ruth says.


    ¡°Well, shit! I guess it¡¯s just the three of us!¡± I say. ¡°Er, no offense Kevin, but¡­ wow. That¡¯s cold of her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ yeah,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    And then he gets up and starts walking away.


    ¡°What?¡± I say to Ruth. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s in shock,¡± Ruth guesses. ¡°He doesn¡¯t react to confrontation well.¡±


    I put my face in my hands, feeling like I want to scream.


    ¡°Is there even any point in doing this anymore?¡± I question.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so,¡± Ruth responds bluntly. ¡°Very disappointing. We¡¯ll have to talk to Kevin later about the kind of people he chooses to date. Once he¡¯s calmed down, of course.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but.. What are we gonna do then?¡± I plead, feeling panicked.


    ¡°After school, we¡¯ll plan with the others what we want to do tomorrow,¡± Ruth explains. ¡°I was contacted by my cousin Sam recently, and I think I have an idea of how we¡¯re going to get into that palace.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ TOMORROW? WHAT IF THEY GET ME TODAY?¡± I explode.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything we can do. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she says, still infuriatingly calm.


    ¡°YOU DON¡¯T CARE EITHER, DON¡¯T YOU?¡± I challenge, tears rolling down my face. ¡°AS LONG AS IT DOESN¡¯T AFFECT YOU!¡±


    ¡°I do care. I think intersectionality is vital,¡± she says. ¡°I just don¡¯t think we have any options available to us.¡±


    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know, why don¡¯t we¡­ go out there and see if anyone else will do it with us!¡± I suggest wildly.


    ¡°You saw how well that went yesterday,¡± Ruth responds solemnly.


    ¡°WELL, WE HAVE TO TRY SOMETHING!¡± I urge.


    ¡°Unfortunately, sometimes you¡¯re going to run into moments where you just can¡¯t get through to people,¡± Ruth explains morosely. ¡°I tried to warn everyone in my family that my cousin Roberto was in danger, and they ignored me. I tried to warn everyone yesterday about the direction things could go in, and well, most people laughed at me. Climate scientists have known about climate change since at least the 1950s. Corporations have spent the decades sense paying people off and constructing propaganda to hide it. No, nobody listens. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re right or wrong. We all suffer the same.¡±


    ¡°NO, WE DON¡¯T!¡± I shout, leaping to my feet. ¡°JUST ME! I HAVE TO GET DIDDLED, AND YOU GET TO JUST SIT THERE!¡± Having completely and totally lost my shit, I storm out of the library, unable to stand Ruth¡¯s calm acceptance of doom any longer.


    <hr>


    Today has not been a good day, let me tell you. I basically just sit there terrified all day that at any moment I¡¯m going to be called down. I don¡¯t even really do any work. I can¡¯t focus enough to doodle on my notes much. I just wonder. What is the inspection going to be like? Will it at least be short? Are they going to lock up my parents? Do Kevin and Ruth even care? Does anyone care?


    ¡­No. I think they care. Those two do, at least. And Ashley and Nova, and everyone in our group. But they just¡­ can¡¯t do anything, or don¡¯t think they can. We¡¯re all in a bad state. I try to not let myself be too mad at them. They¡¯re the only friends I have, after all. They¡¯re all scared too, I¡¯m sure. Ruth got hated by the rest of the school for calling out what¡¯s happening. Kevin¡¯s probably worried that Hannah is going to dump him. (At this point, though, good riddance if she does. I don¡¯t think I could bear to hang out in the same group as her.)


    Still, lunch is super awkward. Nobody really says anything. I don¡¯t talk to Ruth or Kevin again until art class. When we came back from Christmas Break, Kevin had been moved into my class. At first, we just half-heartedly pick away at our projects, which is planning a design for some sort of clay thing that¡¯s supposed to be about the things that make you yourself. Neither of us really have much down so far.


    Kevin breaks the silence.


    ¡°Hey Charlotte. I was just thinkin¡¯. I¡¯m sorry about Hannah. We should try and talk to her after school today.¡±


    I ponder this for a moment before responding. ¡°Can¡­ you talk to her on your own? I kinda dread the idea of trying to calmly talk to someone who hates me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she  hates  you,¡± Kevin says. ¡°But I don¡¯t think she understands what you¡¯re going through. I mean, I could try it on my own, sure. I just thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to describe it as well as you.¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything to that. I just keep looking down at my blank paper. I¡¯m just wondering if I¡¯d get in trouble for putting a trans flag as one of my things, when a different voice says, ¡°Charlotte?¡±


    I look up. It¡¯s the art teacher, Ms. Lavelle. One of the few teachers who actually uses my real name. She has a phone in one hand and is making eye contact with me.


    I go to the front. ¡°Yes, Ms. Lavelle?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You¡¯re needed in the front.¡±


    I feel a chill run down my spine. ¡°Wh-what for?¡±


    I don¡¯t know. Here, I¡¯ll write you a pass,¡± she says.


    A short while later, she puts the pass into my trembling fingers, and tries to give me an encouraging smile.


    I nod, and head to the front.


    <hr>


    I step into the front office. One of the secretaries, Mrs. Walsh, is there.


    ¡°Hello Maurice!¡± she greets, smiling at me. ¡°You were called to the nurse¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°Wh-why?¡± I ask.


    ¡°They just need to check some things out with you,¡± she continues, the smile still plastered onto her face. ¡°Know where to go?¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s through the door right acr-¡±


    ¡°No! I mean, I¡¯m not going,¡± I say, my heart starting to beat. ¡°I know what this is about.¡±


    She tilts her head at me. ¡°Wanna take a seat? I can call the nurse and-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I say. I feel a strike of inspiration, not unlike what I¡¯d feel for my art. Suddenly, I know exactly what I¡¯m going to do.


    I leave the office and run straight out the front doors.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    Charlotte never came back to art after that. She never shows up to English next period either.


    I feel a sort of desperation come over me. Surely they didn¡¯t¡­ but no, she would¡¯ve been back by now. What happened?


    If they¡¯re gonna do¡­ that¡­ they can¡¯t. It just can¡¯t happen. I realize that as I wait for the bell to signal us for home. More than anything else.  That  can¡¯t happen. To anyone.


    When the bell does ring, I feel calm for the first time all day. Still, I make a point of moving with purpose.  I need to get to Hannah before she leaves school,  I think to myself.  I have to try to convince her.


    Weaving in between other students, I make my way for the front, where I know she¡¯ll be parked.


    ¡­And I¡¯m surprised to see that there¡¯s some kind of crowd hanging around the front. Oh boy. It¡¯s gonna be like that one time Ashley and Terra fought, isn¡¯t it? I wonder who¡¯s fighting this time.


    I once again see Hannah¡¯s head poking above the crowd, and go straight to her.


    ¡°Hannah! Hey, before you go, we need t-¡±


    ¡°Kevin!¡± she says. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s your  friend  over there, right?¡±


    I look where she''s pointing, trying to crane my head over the crowd. I notice that the principal is outside, and she¡¯s talking to someone. Someone who¡¯s sitting on the ground.  Charlotte  who¡¯s sitting on the ground. And she¡¯s just sitting in a fetal position and ignoring Mrs. Gibbs.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I say. ¡°About her¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see now, Kevin? This is just embarrassing,¡± she says disdainfully. ¡°I guess they heard Eufemia and I talking during class¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ listen. It¡¯s really important to me that we help her out,¡± I say. ¡°I was thinking, and-¡±


    ¡°You still want to help her?¡± she challenges.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± I say. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want anyone to have to go through that. Not any girl, any boy, or any¡­ trans¡­¡±


    ¡°Well,  I  am a feminist,¡± she says haughtily. ¡°And I¡¯m not getting involved with a man who wants to invade women¡¯s spaces. Come on, Kevin. Let¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this, Hannah,¡± I say, speaking more calmly than I feel. ¡°I¡¯m not letting this happen. You can either respect that, or not.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re giving up our struggle for¡­ for his?¡± Hannah says, staring me in the eyes.


    ¡°What ¡®our¡¯ exists that doesn¡¯t include her?¡± I ask, standing my ground.


    She shakes her head. ¡°That¡¯s it. We¡¯re finished. I  thought  you were a good ally. But I guess you¡¯re not.¡±


    Without wasting another moment, she turns away and starts pushing her way through the crowd.


    I¡­


    I¡¯ll have time to process that later. Charlotte first.


    (Did I do the right thing there?)


    I make my way through the crowd, and I get to the front.


    ¡°...listen to their principal. This isn¡¯t a game. We¡¯re not in Kindergarten anymore, Maurice,¡± Mrs. Gibbs is saying.


    ¡°Mrs. Gibbs!¡± I say.


    ¡°Kevin, we¡¯ll talk later,¡± she says, not looking at me.


    ¡°No, Mrs. Gibbs! Please, just leave her be. She just-¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you, Kevin,¡± she cuts me off.


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s just¡­ hear me out, please.¡±


    Mrs. Gibbs sighs.


    ¡°You¡¯re here because Charlotte¡¯s supposed to have an¡­ ¡®inspection,¡¯ right?¡± I say.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because she¡¯s not following directions,¡± Mrs. Gibbs says, finally turning to me.


    ¡°But that¡¯s because she¡¯s afraid of what¡¯ll happen to her,¡± I say. ¡°Please, just don¡¯t make her go through that.¡±¡¯


    ¡°Kevin¡­¡± she sighs again. ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with you or me, Kevin. But the school was given a protocol.¡±


    ¡°It does have to do with us!¡± I say. ¡°Last month¡­ a teacher here violated my trust. She¡­ got me alone, and she touched me¡­¡±


    Mrs. Gibbs looks extremely uncomfortable. She turns away from me and is going red in the face.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want anything like that to happen again here,¡± I say. ¡°And you¡¯re the principal. It¡¯s your job to protect us. Can you help her?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± she hangs her head down. ¡°I don¡¯t want that either, Kevin. And I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She takes one look back at Charlotte.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ go home, Maurice,¡± she orders. ¡°That was the last bell¡­ we¡¯ll call your parents to pick you up for today.¡±


    Without waiting for any answer, she begins shooing the other students away, before heading back into the school.


    When everyone¡¯s gone, Charlotte stands up. She doesn¡¯t say anything. She just smiles and gives me a painfully tight hug.


    And there¡¯s only one stupid thought I can muster as my ribs crack.


    Why did Mrs. Gibbs spend all that time arguing with Charlotte¡­ only to listen to me and let her go anyway?

 Chapter 103: The Leader, Part 1 (January 31 Part 2)

    <Ashley>


    Well, after discussing among ourselves, and messaging with Ruth- for some reason, Kevin and Charlotte haven¡¯t been online today- we come up with a rough plan. First, the five of us exiles go to New Braunfels for the evening. Anja¡¯s cousin Lily is there, and they have business with her. She may be able to help us in some way, too. Then, the next day, we learned via Ruth¡¯s cousin Sam that there will be a pro-LGBT protest against the recent law held outside the capitol building in Austin. This will, if nothing else, provide a convenient excuse for us to be at the capitol building to enter for our infiltration.


    Traffic on I-35 is miserably slow, and none of us really feel like talking much. If you didn¡¯t grow up here, I-35 is the most infamous road in Texas. Specifically the north part from Austin to Dallas is considered the most dangerous stretch of road in America. Thankfully, we¡¯re on the other side of it, which is only the second most dangerous stretch of road in America. (Probably.)


    Things lighten considerably when we finally make it through Austin, though. There are a few more suburbs we pass through until we make it to New Braunfels. Anja takes us to the Northwest side of town, and soon we are in the heavily wooded outskirts of the city; a welcome change in scenery from the concrete jungle.


    The house we pull up to has longer grass than many around, but otherwise has a noble stature to it. A brick first story with a second story painted over white with a brown V pattern. Two impressive old oak trees guard the front entrance.


    ¡°Your cousin¡¯s place is nice!¡± Zoe compliments, as we step out of the car. ¡°This neighborhood is so pretty.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I ask Nova, watching him start walking towards the back patio door.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± he says. He stops and walks with us to the front, looking unbothered.


    So we walk to the front door like normal people, and quickly get an answer to our knock. Anja¡¯s cousin Lily has brown eyes just like Anja¡¯s, which look at Zoe and I questioningly, eyebrows raised. Her ruffled brown hair is tied back in a tight ponytail. She has a freckled face and is both large in stature and a couple inches taller than Anja, making her close to Zoe¡¯s height.


    ¡°Greetings, Thieves,¡± Lily greets, doing a slight bow. ¡°Come to my quarters; we have much to discuss.¡±


    Nova giggles and Anja rolls her eyes as we¡¯re led dramatically to Lily¡¯s ¡°quarters,¡± which consist of the bedroom right next to the front door. Lily takes a seat in a computer chair, leaving us seemingly nowhere to sit but on the bed, since the only other chair is piled up with Magic the Gathering cards. Nova and Anja, unbothered by this, sit on the bed. Zoe seems unsure of what to do and simply remains standing next to me for now.


    ¡°So. It is good to finally meet the rest of you,¡± Lily says.


    ¡°Not the rest of us,¡± Nova interjects. ¡°You haven¡¯t met Ted, Ruth, Kevin and Charlotte yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me,¡± Zoe says. She takes off her backpack, pulls Ted out, and places him on one of the arms of the Magic the Gathering chair.


    ¡°Ah yes. The wise old mentor,¡± Lily acknowledges, bowing her head. She turns to me. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing that you''re the leader of the group?¡±


    At the exact same time, I answer ¡°Yes¡± as Anja says ¡°We don¡¯t really have a leader.¡± We make eye contact afterward, and I realize then that we¡¯ve never really discussed the matter before.


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m not the leader?¡± Nova challenges.


    ¡°You were, no matter what way we look at it, the fourth person to join,¡± I say.


    ¡°So? Maybe I rose through the ranks after,¡± he argues.


    ¡°What ranks¡­?¡± I question.


    ¡°Oh! Do you guys have codenames?¡± Lily asks. ¡°You should really have those, being rebels and all.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no?¡± I say. ¡°What, is saying my name in a palace supposed to reveal who we are in the real world or something?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be Red One from now,¡± Lily says. ¡°Armadillo guy can be Blue Two. Anja, you¡¯re Brown Three.¡±


    ¡°Brown???¡± Anja says, pouting. ¡°Can I be Green instead?¡±


    ¡°If you call me Black Four I¡¯m gonna fucking punch you in the gut,¡± Nova threatens.


    ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t going to!¡± Lily says defensively. ¡°You can be Orange Four.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nova says, pleased.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be Pink Five!¡± Zoe offers helpfully.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lily says. ¡°Alright, now that¡¯s sorted out. Let¡¯s discuss the mission.¡±


    ¡°We know the mission,¡± I say. ¡°The governor of Texas is trying to create the Fourth Reich and arrested my parents because their power level was too high for him to handle, so we have to go beat him up.¡±


    ¡°Right on!¡± Lily says. ¡°But there¡¯s some¡­ inconsistencies with this story. First of all, we know that Schneider has the ability to carry out remote assassinations.¡±


    ¡°Uh, do we?¡± I question.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anja says somberly. ¡°He ordered my mom to be killed. I¡­ I figured it out the other day.¡± Zoe gasps.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Lily nods at Anja, looking impressed. ¡°I agree completely,¡± she says. ¡°But that presents the issue. Why wouldn¡¯t he just do that to Ashley¡¯s parents, instead of risking everything to pass this law and hastily arrest them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re too strong. Kierstyn can¡¯t touch them,¡± I say simply. ¡°They would¡¯ve wrecked her shit. Also, he probably wanted to pass that law anyway.¡±


    ¡°Given she was my mom¡¯s sister¡­ there¡¯s a good chance she didn¡¯t exactly win a fair fight against her,¡± Anja says, her eyes haunted.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Lily says. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you guys to have an answer to that¡­ Well, point number two then. What is his end goal? Why attack homosexuals? Why do any of this?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Because everyone hates us?¡± I guess.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably planning a presidential run in 2016 or something,¡± Anja explains. ¡°As the highly experienced governor of one of the largest states, Schneider is well-positioned to enter as a frontrunner in the presidential race right out the gate. Especially if, during the ¡®shadow campaign¡¯ part of the election season, he starts passing attention-grabbing legislation that¡¯ll make him famous with the conservative base.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that,¡± Lily says. ¡°Damn it, you guys aren¡¯t making this fun!¡±


    ¡°Wait. If he¡¯s going to run for president, that¡¯s really bad,¡± Nova says. ¡°Imagine him doing this shit everywhere in the country. We better stop him now so he never gets a chance.¡±


    ¡°Rightly said. Rightly said,¡± Ted comments.


    ¡°Uh, is he hungry or something?¡± Lily asks.


    ¡°Can you not¡­ understand him?¡± Zoe asks, tilting her head.


    ¡°Sounds like animal noises to me,¡± says Lily, shrugging. ¡°But I guess to you guys he just said something super profound. ¡°


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I say. That is consistent with that one time at the apartments.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯d be so cool if, like, there was a spy who secretly knew everything, and you caught them because they heard something the armadillo said!¡± Lily says.


    ¡°We could¡¯ve gotten my parents with that if we had thought of it,¡± I point out. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s with the twenty questions, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Well, /x/ has been on fire,¡± Lily explains. ¡°I¡¯ve been fighting with people all week about what¡¯s actually going on and who the baddies are. There¡¯s this other guy, Dark_Steven, who thinks the governor is right, and that there¡¯s some sort of conspiracy between the human traffickers, the global elite, and the LGBT community to try and ¡®convert¡¯ children to it to weaken the country.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the most retarded thing I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± I say bluntly. Anja shoots me a glare.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Lily agrees. ¡°There¡¯s another guy, Polylith, who¡¯s super influential in the community, and Stevie and I have been fighting to try and convince him of who¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So you¡¯re picking our brains to have ammo in your 4Chan flame war,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that!¡± Lily says defensively. ¡°I wanna know what to tell people on my blog too. Oooh! You guys should help me write something!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll have to wait until after the tournament,¡± Nova says. ¡°Isn¡¯t that supposed to start soon?¡±


    ¡°True that,¡± Lily says. ¡°Alright. You guys coming too, Red and Pink?¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± I say.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Zoe says.


    ¡°They¡¯re not really that into games,¡± Anja says. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t want to play and probably would get bored.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Lily says. ¡°Well, you guys can use the TV while we¡¯re gone. Here, let me get you set up there¡­¡±


    <hr>


    As promised, Lily lets Zoe and I use the TV. Zoe¡¯s been really into this show called ¡°Steven Universe¡± recently. I think Anja got her into it. Zoe sits right next to the TV on an audubon, while Lily, Nova and Anja pack up the controllers and shit they need for their gaming thing.


    ¡°Hey Ashley. A word, please,¡± Anja says from the kitchen.


    I step into the kitchen with her. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to strong arm you into staying home, but¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed that Zoe has been off since yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well¡­ you should take this time to talk to her,¡± Anja suggests.


    Hmm¡­ you know, she¡¯s right. We don¡¯t want this to end up like Christmas break did.


    ¡°I will,¡± I promise.


    She nods, then gives me a parting hug, which I return.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    The tournament takes place at a high school. Never been there, I moved in between eighth and ninth grade. It¡­ doesn¡¯t look particularly interesting. It¡¯s just a generic building. With another one off to the side that has a bunch of garage doors. Across from a field of dead grass.


    Lily, Anja and I make our way to the room for the tech club. I could tell immediately when we got to the right one, ¡®cause there were computers lined from wall to wall. In the middle, a TV was wheeled in on one of those carts with a WiiU connected to it. A variety of smelly boys are all sitting in chairs chatting nearby.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Nova?¡± Anja says in a whisper, as Lily walks straight in and starts greeting people. ¡°Can I ask you something before we go in?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Can you make sure you don¡¯t stray too far from me during this?¡± Anja requests in a low voice.


    Huh. She¡¯s not usually the clingy type. But I don¡¯t mind. ¡°Sure,¡± I agree.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she says.


    ¡°Nova! How does it feel to be back in New Braunfels, man?¡± greets Nathan, who looks about the same as when I saw him at the mall.


    ¡°Uh, fine, I guess,¡± I say. ¡°Have we started yet?¡±


    ¡°Nah, you¡¯re good!¡± he says. ¡°Let¡¯s do a warm-up match while we¡¯re waiting on Pedro to get here.


    Sadly, King Dedede, my longtime main in Brawl, has been super-nerfed in this game, and he sucks now. So I¡¯ve been trying out other characters. I decide for today I¡¯m gonna try to lock in on Rosalina.


    Nathan picks Pikachu, just like in the old days. He loves to use this ¡°annoyer¡± strategy, which thankfully should be nerfed now that Pikachu¡¯s down B is different. We¡¯re about evenly matched in our practice match. Near the end, I keep fumbling some of Rosalina¡¯s tecs and end up losing narrowly.


    ¡°Haha! I¡¯m catching up to you!¡± Nathan gloats.


    ¡°Yeah, you did good,¡± I say.


    Thankfully, it¡¯s not long after that when Pedro, the organizer of the tournament, arrives. He¡¯s a tall and wide upperclassman with square-rimmed glasses and messy black hair kinda like mine. His friend Eric comes in right after, a skinny black guy with a buzz cut. According to Lily, he was the champion when they did this last year.


    ¡°Ey! My n***a!¡± he says when sees me. Idk why I got that reaction, this is the first time we¡¯ve met. Still, he puts his fist out, and I bump it in greeting.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nova. Came here with Lily,¡± I explain. ¡°You¡¯re Eric, right?¡±


    ¡°My reputation precedes me!¡± he shouts, triumphantly pumping his fists.


    ¡°Alright¡­ everyone who¡¯s playing come give your names, and we¡¯ll make the bracket,¡± Pedro calls, pulling out a clipboard. Excitement buzzes through the air as we all take turns putting down our names. I¡¯m ready to Smash some motherfuckers!

 Chapter 104: The Leader, Part 2 (Janury 31 Part 3)

    <Nova>


    The tournament starts pretty quickly after that, and we get matched into our first round brackets. I get matched with this weasley emo kid named James. His Robin falls to me easily, and I¡¯m onto round 2.


    Anja is much less lucky. She¡¯s matched up with Pedro in the first round. He claims that he''s never played the game before and has only played Melee, but I think that''s bullshit personally. Right when they were starting, someone bumped into her from behind, causing her to startle and pause the game.


    ¡°Pausing, that¡¯s a forfeit,¡± Pedro says without hesitation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Anja says defensively.


    ¡°Come on, man!¡± I say. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that dude bump her?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ we¡¯ll let it slide,¡± Pedro relents. ¡°Unpause and we¡¯ll finish the match.¡±


    Anja nods seriously, and does just that.


    Anja¡¯s playing as Sheik, who now has been mercifully separated from Zelda, while Pedro picks Marth. Anja switches to Sonic for the second round. Anja does pretty good, all things considered. While she lost both rounds, she at least put up a fight and made it close.


    Lily, who¡¯s sticking to her tried and true Samus main, loses her first round and is out of the tournament with Anja. Nathan¡¯s Pikachu gets past the first round, but then gets crushed by Eric¡¯s Diddy Kong in round 2. I¡¯m already the only person left in the tournament from our group¡­


    I manage to get into the semifinals, but I¡¯m up against Eric next, who just sent Pedro out of the tournament in a seriously hype match. Some guys, including Nathan, get bored and start playing some game called Undertale on one of the lab computers. Lily starts one up to play Halo: Combat Evolved. Wait a minute¡­ how did they get that on a school computer?


    As expected, I eventually lose to Eric, but at least I got 1/3!


    ¡°Nice playing, man!¡± Eric congratulates afterwards. ¡°You should come back next year!¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I say, shaking his hand.


    Realizing for the first time that I really freaking hate Diddy Kong, I look around the room, unsure of what to do now.


    ¡°Hey Nova! Come over here!¡± I hear Nathan say from the other side of the room.


    I go to him. He¡¯s sitting at a computer relatively by himself now, playing some kind of Touhou fighting game. Wait, how did they get that on a school computer???


    ¡°Wanna play some with me?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I say. ¡°Idk what this is, but it¡¯d probably be good to take a break from Smash Bros. after all that.¡±


    I pull up a chair to my side of the keyboard and look through the character selection. Boo, no Sanae! Oh well. I pick a cute looking one I don¡¯t recognize named Sumireko and we start playing. Nathan chooses Marisa.


    ¡°So, Lily said that you¡¯re dating Anja now?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say.


    ¡°How did that happen?¡± he asks.


    ¡°I asked her out, and she said yes,¡± I explain.


    ¡°I figured that bit out,¡± he says, sighing. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed much, huh?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve changed a lot, actually,¡± I respond.


    ¡°But you¡¯re still a smartass.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Not true. I¡¯m more of a smartass now than I used to be!¡±


    He laughs. ¡°Man, I missed you.¡±


    We battle it out. This game is more like a normal fighting game than Smash Bros. I¡¯ve never played it before, so I just press random buttons to see what wacky things my witch girl can do against the other witch girl. Touhou is a weird franchise.


    ¡°I just wasn¡¯t expecting you to get a girlfriend so soon,¡± he admits. ¡°Did Lily set you guys up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I say.


    ¡°Really? How¡¯d you guys meet?¡±


    ¡°Lily is the reason we met,¡± I say. ¡°She told me she had a cousin in the town I was moving to. But we didn¡¯t start dating until a month ago.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should just ask out Silvia,¡± he laments. ¡°But¡­ what if she says no?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still going on about her?¡± I ask. Silvia was the same girl he was obsessed with last year!


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he grunts. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just wondering how you got a hot gamer girl as a girlfriend. It¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°I wonder that too,¡± I say. ¡°You could try asking her, she¡¯d probably¡­¡±


    Suddenly it hits me. Wait, where¡¯s Anja?


    I look around the room. I don¡¯t see her.


    ¡°Sorry. I better go find her,¡± I say.


    ¡°Whaaat?¡± he says incredulously. ¡°Bros before hoes, man.¡±


    ¡°Says who?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Says the bro code.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Fuck the bro code!¡±


    He shakes his head, disappointed. ¡°You¡¯re gay.¡±


    ¡°So what if I am?¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°Alright.¡±


    I slide and shimmy my way through the crowd and back into the hallway. I look up and down it, but don¡¯t see her anywhere. Damn, I don¡¯t know where to look in this school!


    I go to my phone and yank Skype open.


    whered u go?


    Anja: I told you not to leave me alone.


    I¡¯m in the cafeteria.


    be right there


    Damn it. I start looking around frantically for the cafeteria. Is she okay? What happened?


    Luckily I guess the right direction and find it quickly. The cafeteria here is¡­ boring looking. Ours is kinda round, with a stage near the front for when someone has to make an announcement, and it opens up to the nearby hallways. This cafeteria is just a big rectangle.


    The tables have already been put up for the day. She¡¯s just slumped over on one of the white walls on her phone.


    I run to her and plead, ¡°Anja! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    She looks up at me and puts her phone away. ¡®There¡¯s a reason I told you to stay with me. Please make an effort to remember next time I tell you something like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I say again, feeling close to tears.


    She hugs me tightly, and I hug her the same way back.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I ask. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she says. Her eyes narrow angrily. ¡°I didn¡¯t really feel safe. I know one of those guys kept looking at my ass.¡±


    ¡°I, uh¡­ I¡¯ll punch him for you!¡± I offer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to punch anyone!¡± she snaps at me.


    ¡°Waaah! Okay, I won¡¯t punch anyone. Sorry,¡± I say meekly.


    She takes a deep breath. ¡°You know, it¡¯s not always easy being a girl in a gaming space. It¡¯s generally seen as a boy''s thing. And, well, some of those boys don¡¯t have the best social skills¡­¡±


    ¡°Gaming isn¡¯t a boys thing!¡± I argue. ¡°What about Nintendogs and Cooking Mama and stuff like that? Hell, most Nintendo games are pretty unisex. When Sakurai made the first Kirby game, it designed it to appeal to both boys and girls.¡±


    ¡°Well Nova, games marketed specifically for girls are a pretty recent development,¡± Anja counters. ¡°Notice that both of your examples were on the DS. Not many games like that existed prior to that console generation. And yeah, girls can just play any video game anyway, but¡­ that doesn¡¯t change the cultural impression most people have. Look, the point is¡­ I was just a little nervous being there on my own. Make sure you listen to me.¡±


    ¡°I will, Anja.¡± I say. ¡°And I won¡¯t look at your ass anymore either.¡±


    ¡°Wh- Nova! You¡¯re my boyfriend!¡± she says, laughing. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I say stupidly.


    ¡°But you should never stare at some random person,¡± she says. ¡°Look, I know he¡¯s your friend, but¡­ I¡¯ve never gotten a good feeling from Nathan.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I ask. ¡°Wait, have you met him before that one time at the mall?¡±


    ¡°He was at one of Lily¡¯s birthday parties before,¡± she explains. ¡°And he, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Lily invited HIM but not ME?¡± I ask incredulously. ¡°What gives? I could¡¯ve met you and we could¡¯ve gotten our romance started way earlier!¡±


    Anja snickers. ¡°You¡¯re missing the point¡­ but that¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go find Lily and see if she¡¯s ready to go home yet.¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    I tactically wait for the episode we¡¯re on to end. The episode was about the main character, Steven, ¡°fusing¡± with one of his female friends. Which is a big deal or something.


    ¡°So Zoe. Why did everyone freak out when they fused?¡± I ask. ¡°Don¡¯t people do that all the time in this show?¡±


    ¡°Not humans,¡± Zoe explains. ¡°Only gems can. But¡­ because Steven is half-gem, half-human, I guess he can.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I say. ¡°Anyway, Zoe¡­ while it¡¯s on commercial break. I can tell that you¡¯re not doing well.¡±


    She nods solemnly.


    ¡°I mean. I get it. I''m worried about Mom and Dad too,¡± I explain. ¡°Of course, I''m... the reason we''re separated right now. So, I''m sorry about that. But like I said. They were gonna do that anyway. So... really I just wish I didn''t act like that for the last time we saw them until... this all blows over.¡±


    ¡°I''m not upset with you,¡± she tells me softly. She hangs her head. ¡°I just can¡¯t help but to feel like I lost everything all over again.¡±


    Oohhh... yeah.


    ¡°Well, that''s why we have to win,¡± I say.


    Zoe doesn¡¯t say anything at first. She just stares blankly at whatever dumb commercial this. ¡°We shouldn''t have to fight people just to get our parents back,¡± she finally says. ¡°I don''t like fighting.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Well right now, it''s fight or get eradicated,¡± I say honestly. ¡°Yeah, it''s terrible. We should live in a world where we can just do whatever without being bothered.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she says plainly.


    ¡°You know. I used to think this was all kinda fun. No, really,¡± I admit. ¡°All this Metaverse stuff. A fun little adventure. And then... when you got involved, it became stressful.¡±


    She gives me an annoyed look. ¡°Really?¡± she questions.


    ¡°Yeah. I thought you were too innocent to... go fight against shadows and whatnot. You still are, I guess,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Not hardly anymore. I''ve been doing it. I''ve gone to scary places with you. And... without you, too,¡± she argues.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I just mean... Uuugh. I have sort of a confession. I do like fighting. When we beat something down... I feel good.¡±


    Her eyes go wide. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That''s what I mean by ¡®innocent,¡¯¡± I say. ¡°You''re not like me.¡±


    ¡°But... at least in the Metaverse, nobody''s real,¡± she says nervously. ¡°So maybe that''s okay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought at first too,¡± I say. I turn away from her. ¡°And then, someone in the real world died. Granted, a truly horrible person. But still.¡±


    ¡°She deserved a second chance,¡± Zoe says firmly.


    ¡°Well, it didn''t exactly help anyone that she died. She never got to properly turn herself in and explain everything in full detail. Now look at how everyone treats Kevin. Because none of them know what happened. None of them know what she was like.¡±


    Zoe doesn¡¯t say anything to that.


    Feeling unsatisfied, I say, ¡°...But here¡¯s the thing. We can say all of this now because we changed her heart. What if we couldn''t do that? If we didn¡¯t have this power? What would we do about someone like her?¡±


    Zoe starts biting her lip a bit. ¡°Well¡­ we couldn''t let her hurt anyone else. So¡­ she should go to prison.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agree. ¡°But what if there''s no time. She''s about to rape someone. Now or never.¡±


    ¡°Then... maybe there¡¯d be a way we could restrain or distract her, long enough for help to come,¡± she suggests innocently.


    I think on this for a moment. ¡°You see, Zoe. This is what I mean. You''re... always gonna look for some other way. I... don''t know if I''d be able to have that restraint. When I''m mad, or... scared... it''s like I just see red.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°God damn it. I was supposed to be cheering you up. But I only talked about my own problems.¡±


    She smiles at me. ¡°No, it''s okay. I do feel better. You reminded me that I need to have hope. And... I think I understand you better.¡±


    ¡°Not sure if that''s good or bad,¡± I say.


    She leans over and puts her head on me. ¡°It¡¯s good. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know if I should actually be considered the leader of this group¡­ as much as I hate saying it,¡± I admit. ¡°When I lose my shit¡­ I don¡¯t make good decisions.¡±


    ¡°It''s definitely not me either,¡± Zoe says. ¡°I''m not assertive like you.¡± She picks her head back and looks back at the TV, on which the next episode is playing. ¡°If only we could fuse, like Steven and Connie,¡± she comments wistfully. ¡°Then we''d be a perfect gem.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... so you want to fuse with me, huh?¡± I remark, smirking. ¡°Noted.¡±

 Chapter 105: One Of The Boys (January 31 Part 4 and February 1 Part 1)

    <Charlotte>


    I crash as soon as I get home. Good thing it¡¯s Friday, because I am way to braindead to get any homework done. Or really anything. I just get on my computer and space out watching a bunch of those art timelapse videos. Mmmm yeah, so satisfying.


    I feel a jolt when I hear a knock on my bedroom door. Mom came to get me because one of my friends came over. Slightly apprehensive, I go to the front door¡­


    It¡¯s Ruth. Still in the modest purple dress and leggings she wore to school, she stands in the doorway looking at the ground.


    ¡°Oh¡­ hey!¡± I greet uncertainly. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how things went today,¡± she begins. ¡°Kevin told me about what happened after school. You were right. I could¡¯ve figured out something if I had put my mind on it. But¡­¡± she trails off, still looking towards the ground gloomily.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not really mad at you,¡± I say. ¡°I was just panicking. It all worked out okay in the end, so¡­¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°No thanks to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, hey! You don¡¯t have to personally do everything, right?¡± I say to reassure her. ¡°And I mean, you had just had people mad at you from that speech, so I understand that you probably felt discouraged.¡±


    ¡°I still feel discouraged,¡± Ruth says. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do about anything anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay! I don¡¯t either!¡± I say. ¡°I just make it all up as I go along!¡±


    A different voice says, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty much how Charlotte rolls.¡± Jason approaches, wearing his usual favorite cardigan.


    Ruth looks up at them. ¡°Jason, right?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± he confirms. ¡°And you¡¯re Ruth.¡±


    ¡°We were just talking about what happened at school today,¡± I explain. ¡°Oh boy, I have a story for you¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hold you up any longer,¡± Ruth says. ¡°I best be getting home.¡±


    ¡°No, you can stay and hang out if you want!¡± Jason pleads.


    ¡°Thank you, but I must decline,¡± Ruth says. ¡°We¡¯ll see each other tomorrow, and I have things to do between now and then.¡±


    So Ruth climbs into her rusty old truck and drives away, leaving me to summarize the events of the day to Jason as we walk around the complex. They are a very good audience, gasping and sighing with relief at all the right moments.


    ¡°...Thankfully, Kevin managed to convince her to just let me get picked up by my parents, since it was after school anyway. So I came home and pretty much just zoned out until Ruth got here!¡±


    ¡°Oh man!¡± Jason says nervously. ¡°That¡¯s scary¡­ are you going back to school next week?¡±


    ¡°I guess that depends on how tomorrow goes!¡± I say.


    ¡°I wanna be there tomorrow too,¡± Jason says. ¡°We all have to stand together right now. I¡¯ll be cheering you guys on!¡±


    ¡°That means a lot to me,¡± I say, smiling at him.


    By this time, we¡¯ve circled back around to where the lake is. When we get to Jason¡¯s apartment, they stop.


    ¡°Oh yeah. I came by because I wanted you to meet someone,¡± they say nervously. ¡°Promise not to freak out, okay?¡±


    ¡°Trust me. Nothing can freak me out more than what¡¯s already happened,¡± I assure them.


    ¡°Er, well¡­ it¡¯s my mom¡¯s boyfriend,¡± Jason explains. ¡°He has a new job, and they think they might make it official soon. Which means¡­ he¡¯ll be my stepfather.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Congratulations!¡± I say.


    ¡°The thing is¡­ her boyfriend is¡­¡± He looks around to make sure nobody else is around. ¡°His name is Isaac Everheart. He used to be a teacher at your school.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! I never had him, but I¡¯ve heard about what happened,¡± I say. ¡°He was framed by that one other teacher.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ good,¡± Jason says, breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you knew he was innocent or not¡­ Let¡¯s go say hello, then.¡±


    They lead me to their apartment. Jason¡¯s mom is there with the man I only vaguely recognize. She¡¯s wearing a cute, clean blue blouse. The man with her has neat dirty-blonde hair, glasses over his deep blue eyes, an athletic physique (which makes sense since he was a coach,) and a matching blue polo shirt. Honestly they make a cute couple!


    ¡°Isaac? This is my best friend, Charlotte,¡± Jason says.


    ¡°Hi!¡± I greet. ¡°I had Mrs. Kellerman for biology, so we never met. I¡¯m Charlotte.¡±


    ¡°These two have been friends as long as we¡¯ve lived here,¡± Ms. Ives explains to him.


    ¡°Yeah, no problem,¡± Isaac agrees. He stretches out a friendly hand of greeting, which I shake.


    ¡°So you two are getting married?¡± I ask. ¡°You look cute together. Are you having more children?¡±


    Ms. Ives laughs nervously. ¡°Let¡¯s not jump the gun here, Charlotte. I¡¯m getting old enough to where I¡¯d have to have a serious talk with my doctor before considering something like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t pester them like that, Charlotte,¡± Jason says. ¡°Hmm¡­ that reminds me, though. If you ever want to have children, but you can¡¯t¡­ you know, the normal way¡­ I do know two kids who used to live here and are now in the foster care system.¡±


    Ms. Ives smiles sympathetically. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk about that after we move into our new house. We¡¯re not all going to fit in this apartment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ moving?¡± I ask, feeling a pang in my stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re staying in town! I¡¯ll still go to ECHS next year!¡± Jason says.


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good at least,¡± I say, relieved. ¡°When I get my driver¡¯s license, I¡¯m gonna bug you every day!¡±


    Ms. Ives giggles. ¡°You¡¯ll always be welcome where we live, Charlotte. And hey- if anything ever happens with your family¡­ you have us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Ives!¡± I say, feeling sad, relieved and happy all at once.


    ¡°It was great to meet you!¡± Isaac says. ¡°I never had kids before, so I¡¯m trying to figure out what kids are into. Being a teacher gave me some idea, at least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do great!¡± I say. I put one arm around Jason. ¡°They¡¯re a good kid! Never gets into trouble or does drugs or anything.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Jason laughs nervously, looking embarrassed.


    I hang out with Jason¡¯s folks for the evening. They even have me over for dinner! Jason¡¯s mom is the best cook. Grilled salmon on a bed of rice¡­ it made my mouth water!


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    It¡¯s midnight, and Lily is still furiously typing on her computer. ¡°That stubborn ass! What¡¯s he not getting about this?¡± She looks close to tears.


    ¡°Honestly, just ignore him at this point,¡± Ashley comments wisely. ¡°Not every idiot on the internet can be won over. I mean, look at this!¡± Ashley gestures at the screen, showing a lengthy series of increasingly angry forum posts. ¡°These people are a bunch of Neanderthals.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were a community, though,¡± Lily says sadly. ¡°Now they all think I¡¯m a ¡®Jew,¡¯ whatever that means.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± I interrupt. I crane my neck over to look at his screen. ¡°¡®The fall of the west?¡¯ ¡®Degeneracy?¡¯ Lily¡­ you know this is just nazi rhetoric, right?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone here¡¯s like that,¡± Lily defends.


    ¡°Is this still on that 4Chan site?¡± Zoe asks, laid out on Lily¡¯s bed and looking only barely awake.


    ¡°No, no. We¡¯re on the Gatekeeper¡¯s Remorse forum now,¡± Lily explains. ¡°It¡¯s a community of people who try to find hidden truths about the world.¡±


    ¡°Not finding many of those right now,¡± Ashley snarks.


    Lily sighs, turns her chairs around, and puts her hands over her face. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I care about this so much.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I think you should care about this,¡± I say. ¡°All of us here either could be, or have been, affected by these horrible laws.¡±


    Looking unsatisfied, Lily wheels around again and gets back to keysmashing.


    Zoe retires to bed, taking up the couch I slept on last time. Ashley goes with her. Nova has passed out on Lily¡¯s bed. I find that I don¡¯t feel tired. And clearly, neither does Lily.


    1 AM comes. I watch the argument roll on.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AgarthaAmbassador


    </td>


    <td>


    Okay let me drop a bombshell on you guys then.


    I¡¯m not a religionfag but I actually know for a fact that there are dark spiritual forces at play here. I won¡¯t out my sources for privacy reasons. But people I know have been at the front lines of a spiritual war. They¡¯ve met the demons who are helping human traffickers kidnap children. The same ones that have ties to the governor. Doesn¡¯t that seem suspicious to you?


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    dark_steven


    </td>


    <td>


    Either you¡¯re just making shit up at this point or you¡¯re legitimately retarded. Can you prove the demons have ties to the governor?


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Polylith


    </td>


    <td>


    Of course she can¡¯t. How could you prove something like that?


    I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s a spiritual war, but if something like that were happening, it¡¯d be beyond our comprehension.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AgarthaAmbassador


    </td>


    <td>


    I¡¯ll get my friends to testify if you¡¯re not convinced. I think they¡¯re all asleep right now though so it¡¯d have to wait until morning.


    But someone they knew got kidnapped and taken to Play Hard. She was on the inside. And they saw someone who I know for a fact works for the government there.


    She had something about the will of ¡°the governor¡± and ¡°the queen.¡± The people she said it to are older and didn¡¯t understand what she was saying. But at least the ¡°governor¡± part is pretty obvious. And that person was 100% working for the government. She¡¯s my mom, and she always refused to go into detail about what she does at work.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    dark_steven


    </td>


    <td>


    Agartha Ambassador said: I¡¯ll get my friends to testify if you¡¯re not convinced. I think they¡¯re all asleep right now though so it¡¯d have to wait until morning.


    That¡¯s convenient.


    Agartha Ambassador said: She¡¯s my mom, and she always refused to go into detail about what she does at work.


    Yeah, just like my uncle who works at Nintendo.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    SimonSaysTruths


    </td>


    <td>


    Agartha Ambassador said: She had something about the will of ¡°the governor¡± and ¡°the queen.¡±


    Any idea what this ¡°the queen¡± part was about? Is that some feminine manifestation of this ¡°Moloch?¡±


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AgarthaAmbassador


    </td>


    <td>


    SimonSaysTruths said: Any idea what this ¡°the queen¡± part was about? Is that some feminine manifestation of this ¡°Moloch?¡±


    I know it¡¯s a spirit who¡¯s in league with Moloch, but not Moloch himself. Otherwise I don¡¯t know.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    SimonSaysTruths


    </td>


    <td>


    When you talk about spiritual wars, it made me wonder about the legend of the Wetigo or Wendigo. A spirit who causes greed and evil to spread in people. Just because Natives aren¡¯t around anymore doesn¡¯t mean that their spirits aren¡¯t.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    dark_steven


    </td>


    <td>


    Great, you convinced the fag who¡¯s obsessed with savage cave people drawings.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AgarthaAmbassador


    </td>


    <td>


    Okay now you¡¯re just being racist. Mods?


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    SimonSaysTruths


    </td>


    <td>


    Dark_steven said: Great, you convinced the fag who¡¯s obsessed with savage cave people drawings.


    They were not savages, they were better than white people in some ways, like taking care of the environment better.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Polylith


    </td>


    <td>


    Okay, let¡¯s get back on topic, this discussion of native people isn¡¯t going anywhere.


    Even if this story is true, it¡¯s not really enough to prove that the governor is some puppet of Moloch or the Wendigo or whatever we think it is now. I don¡¯t know what the context your mom would¡¯ve said that is. Also, if she works for the government, couldn¡¯t we say she was trying to investigate the traffickers?


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Lily loses her temper and slams her fists on the desks. ¡°I don¡¯t know, okay! I wasn¡¯t there! Shut the fuck up you piece of shit-¡±


    ¡°Hey, no more slurs, please,¡± I say. ¡°Although I can see that¡¯s popular here.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna say a slur,¡± Lily says. ¡°I¡¯m just so sick of Steven. He¡¯s a piece of shit retard.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ some people consider that a slur, you know,¡± I point out.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Lily says. ¡°I give up. Fuck this website.¡± She spins around in her chair furiously.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s a reason we haven¡¯t been telling people about this,¡± I say. ¡°I mean¡­ it really is impossible to explain to anyone who hasn¡¯t been there. Nobody would ever believe us.¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Lily says defiantly.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ you were an unusually easy person to convince, since you already believe supernatural stuff exists,¡± I say. ¡°Also, ¡®religionfag?¡¯ That¡¯s a new one.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people in this forum hate religion,¡± she explains. ¡°Well, the ¡®main¡¯ ones, anyway. They¡¯re all into paganism and gnosticism and shit like that.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No,¡± she says. ¡°I don¡¯t believe any religion is right. But, obviously some supernatural stuff exists.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t really deny that at this point either,¡± I say. ¡°My point is¡­ talking about spiritual wars and stuff probably isn¡¯t going to convince many people. Maybe there¡¯s something else you can do to help.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± she asks, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°You have a blog, right? Make a post telling anyone who lives in the area to show up at our protest.¡±


    ¡°I dunno, Anja,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯ve never done activism before. I don¡¯t post about LGBT whatever stuff.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ now¡¯s a good time to start,¡± I say. ¡°This is really important.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± she says. ¡°It¡¯s just, a lot of people who post about that kinda stuff are kinda cringey and annoying.¡±


    ¡°Wh- does that outweigh the importance of what¡¯s going on???¡± I say indignantly. ¡°It¡¯s the internet. I¡¯m pretty sure you can find all sorts of people who are ¡®cringey and annoying!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Eh, you got a point there,¡± Lily admits. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it. And if they call me gay or something for posting it, whatever.¡±


    ¡°There are worse things to be called,¡± I say. ¡°Believe me, I know from experience.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m basically gay anyway,¡± she rambles. ¡°I¡¯m into guys, and yet I only ever hang out with guys. Nova, Nathan, Pedro, all of those assholes on the internet¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s interesting,¡± I say. ¡°Why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°Because girls are annoying,¡± she explains. ¡°Honestly, I hate most of them.¡±


    ¡°Rude,¡± I say, narrowing my eyes at her.


    ¡°Oh, come on. You know what I mean. All those annoying floozy girls with their gossiping and their purses and makeup. It makes me sick,¡± she rants.


    ¡°Why does it bother you so much how other people live their lives?¡± I challenge.


    ¡°Because they always sneer at me like I¡¯m from another planet,¡± she says. ¡°Bunch of cultists.¡±


    I suddenly get a brain wave. ¡°It sounds like¡­ what you really hate is the expectation that you need to be like them.¡±


    She stops for a moment and thinks about this. ¡°Yeah, maybe if they just left me alone, I wouldn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m a tomboy, Lily. I don¡¯t gossip, or wear purses or makeup. But I don¡¯t¡­ hate other girls. They can be very pretty. You don¡¯t have to conform to that.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll try and make me,¡± Lily says bitterly.


    ¡°Then, ignore them! You can hang out with boys and play games, and be yourself!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± she says.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®yeah, right?¡¯ That¡¯s what you do anyway!¡± I question.


    She shakes her head. ¡°Listen, you don¡¯t get it. You¡¯re a tomboy because you date other girls, and they¡¯re into that. I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Straight girls can be tomboys too,¡± I point out. ¡°Nova says he likes tomboys.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s Nova,¡± she dismisses. ¡°None of my guy friends have ever tried to hit on me.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s actually¡­ kinda surprising,¡± I say. ¡°Gamer boys have a reputation for being¡­ desperate.¡±


    ¡°They just see me as one of the boys at this point,¡± Lily declares. ¡°That¡¯s why they were weird about you at the tournament, and not me. Also, I¡¯m a fatass, and nobody wants to date those.¡±


    ¡°And does that bother you?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Being a fatass? Eh, well, I don¡¯t really-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I interrupt. ¡°Being seen as ¡®one of the boys.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± she says without hesitation. ¡°Fine with me. I didn¡¯t want to date any of them anyway. Just not my type.¡±


    I stop for a moment, thinking hard.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± she asks, sounding slightly scared.


    ¡°Do you¡­ wish that girls also saw you as one of the boys?¡± I ask.


    ¡°What kinda question is that?¡± she asks, frowning. ¡°You mean they¡¯d want to date me? I told you, I¡¯m straight.¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± I say quickly. ¡°In the sense that they wouldn¡¯t expect you to be ¡®like them.¡¯ If they saw you as a gay man, basically.¡±


    She thinks about that. ¡°Maybe then they¡¯d stop sneering at me,¡± she says. ¡°That¡¯d be nice.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I say.


    She yawns. ¡°Anyway. We should probably go to bed. I¡¯m tired of arguing with these fucks, and I think everyone else is out.¡±


    I look over at Nova, who managed to sleep through that entire conversation, snoring lightly.


    ¡°Yeah. Good idea,¡± I say.


    ¡°G¡¯night,¡± she bids.


    ¡°Good night,¡± I say.


    I decide to just climb into bed next to Nova. Who cares anymore? Lily seems to be sleeping in her desk chair.


    Although I¡¯m tired, my brain is still active. I keep thinking¡­


    Maybe tomorrow, I should try and strike up a conversation between Lily and Charlotte. I just¡­ wonder how that¡¯d go, you know?


    <hr>


    <Objective>


    Hey everyone, Agartha Ambassador here. Today I¡¯m going to break my usual type of content and talk about something a little closer to home.


    If you didn¡¯t know, I live in Texas, and recently the Texas government has been passing laws targeting LGBT people. A bunch of LGBT people and their allies are planning to protest outside the capitol building in Austin. If you¡¯re in the area, it¡¯d mean a lot if you could show up. Some of my friends are in that community and they¡¯re pretty scared. But instead of just talking about them, I let each of them type something out. Enjoy.


    hey guys. i''ve known agartha ambassador for years, and i know she can exaggerate stories sometime. but you gotta listen to her on this one. i''ve seen, i''ve been there. those human trafickers prey on poor and broken families, and they don''t care who''s gay or straight or anything. schneider''s trying to make it seem like we''re your enemy, but we''re not. he''s the enemy. he''s using this as a bullshit excuse to grow his power and using us as a scapegoat. we gotta stop him however we can. if u have any friends who are gay or trans or bi or ace or anything like that u should tell them you stand by them and that their rights matter. we live in america the land of the free and ppl should be to do what makes them happy if it doesn''t hurt anyone. come to austin and help if u can if not stay safe.


    I''m a lesbian from central Texas. When I came out to my parents, they were furious, to the point I didn''t feel safe at home anymore and moved in with my girlfriend''s family. Now there are people trying to say that people like the ones who took me in are criminals who want to harm children. The truth is, they saved my life. I met the people who really want to hurt children. All they cared about was how I look. The people who took me in are nothing like that. They''ve only cared for me and loved me unconditionally. What the government''s doing is only going to harm more children by tearing them away from their loving parents. We have to change their minds before more lives are destroyed. Please, share my story and do whatever you can to help. May the lord bless you all.


    I''m the girlfriend of the person above, and my parents were arrested yesterday. For years I''ve heard that the Republican Party is the party of small government, the party of cutting government overreach, the party of freedom. That''s clearly a big fat lie. Does this look like freedom to you? Arresting people for the crime of permitting their children to be gay? What good does it do me to own a gun or pay low taxes if I don''t even have a home? It''s time for all of us to overcome this mass psychosis that''s overtaken our state and see what''s really happening. This is an authoritarian power grab, and if we don''t stop it now it could be the end of the free world as we know it. I''m gonna fight with everything I''ve got, and I hope you all do the same. Think I''m being hysterical? Pay a visit to the nearest Holocaust museum. Someday, it''ll be too late. Don''t be a bystander.


    Not sure what I can even add that hasn''t been said already. I guess I should say that, this is only possible if we believe it is. No one person can do this. Abraham Lincoln didn''t abolish slavery by himself. Susan B. Anthony did get women the right to vote by herself. MLK Jr. didn''t propel the civil rights movement by himself. All of these people had movements behind them. Armies, literal or figurative, who were behind them and their causes. One person can be defeated. But the ideas will outlive us all. We have strength in numbers. Even if you feel alone in your comminity, you''re not. There are hundreds, thousands, millions of people out there who share your struggle. We all have a shared interest in fighting for freedom. If you''re not queer, fight for your neighbors, friends, and family who are. It''s not only us who will be affected. If we lose our freedoms, everyone will be under constant scrutiny. Everyone will be under the boot. Everyone will be forced to follow the whims of the elite without so much as a hope of having their voices heard. We can''t let that happen. These forces and anti-humanity, so as humans we must come together against them. I look forward to getting to meet you in Austin. We can do this.

 Chapter 106: Liberty Looms (February 1 Part 2)

    <Ashley>


    On the road again. Zoe and I take up the back seat of Anja¡¯s car as she takes over to our state capitol, Austin. Unfortunately, Nova, being the skinniest, is forced to sit in between us, as Lily has taken up the passenger¡¯s seat, where she appears to have dozed off. He¡¯s playing on his 3DS as usual.


    I¡¯m in sort of a weird mood. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to feel about everything. I guess I should ¡®get angry.¡¯ I mean, they took my parents. They¡¯re going to pay for that. But, I don¡¯t know. It isn¡¯t coming naturally to me. Because there¡¯s something else, some stupid thought that I can¡¯t get over.


    Up to now, we¡¯ve all been doing this by ourselves. Waging battles that only impacted a single person''s life, or a small group local to our community. Now, it¡¯s like we¡¯re fighting the whole state. And yet, we also, in a spiritual sense at least, have the whole state on our side. All the others who have been affected, could be affected, or are just sympathetic. I¡­ don¡¯t know how to feel about that. I guess more people on your side means more power, but also more chaos. I don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ll actually have in common with the people we meet there. But that¡¯s the point; different people coming together. And it¡¯s not like I have that much in common with anyone in my friend group anyway. So I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. And yet, I feel a little flutter in my stomach at the prospect all the same.


    My ruminations, thankfully, are interrupted by a phone call. Thinking it could be an update from my parents or Sarah, I answer right away.


    ¡°Ashley!¡± An elderly woman¡¯s voice says on the other end. ¡°How is my adorable granddaughter today?¡±


    I groan audibly. I hate it when she calls me that.


    ¡°Oh, keeping busy,¡± I say.


    ¡°Now, nobody¡¯s given me any updates!¡± she huffs. ¡°Have they released Gregg from prison yet?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no,¡± I say.


    ¡°Outrageous. Now I told your parents they never should¡¯ve moved to that state, but they wouldn¡¯t listen. Now I know California is expensive, but I still live here and I¡¯m doing just fine for myself!¡±


    ¡°Been able to afford that knee replacement yet?¡± I ask pointedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you take that tone with me!¡± she scolds. ¡°Where are you, anyway? They can¡¯t have left you home alone!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hanging out with friends for the weekend,¡± I explain. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if you¡¯re fine enough to sass me, I believe you!¡± she says. ¡°What about that other girl? Zephy, was it?¡±


    ¡°Zoe,¡± I correct. ¡°And yeah, she¡¯s fine. She¡¯s with me right now.¡±


    ¡°Can you put her on for me?¡± she requests.


    I hand the phone to Zoe. ¡°It¡¯s Grandma Milly,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Oh! Okay!¡± Zoe takes the phone, seeming taken aback. ¡°Hello! Yes, this is Zoe! Why, thank you! We¡¯re safe for now, yes¡­¡±


    ¡°She live in the area by any chance?¡± Anja asks as she steers off of 35 and into Austin¡¯s downtown area.


    ¡°Nope. Upstate California,¡± I say.


    ¡°Ah. Do you have  any  other family around here? Just in case, you know, they need to take you in?¡± Anja inquires.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s side lives out in the country down south,¡± I explain. ¡°I don¡¯t see them much, though. Bad blood. They¡¯re mad at her for marrying dad.¡±


    ¡°Down south? You mean, still in San Patricio?¡± Anja asks.


    ¡°...Yeah. Oh that¡¯s right. Your mom lived there too,¡± I remember. ¡°And¡­ I guess so did Lucy. And your Aunt Kierstyn. Kind of mind-bending, thinking about them all hanging out as normal high school kids, doing Metaverse stuff just like us.¡±


    ¡°What were the chances of you two meeting?¡± Nova inquires.


    ¡°Not bad, given how many people are rapidly moving to central Texas,¡± I reason.


    ¡°We should promise to not let it end the same way,¡± Anja says resolutely. ¡°We can¡¯t fall apart like they did. We¡¯ll always be friends, if nothing else.¡±


    I¡¯m about to say that we can¡¯t predict the future, that there¡¯s no way of knowing what¡¯ll happen, that it could all fall apart just like them, we could lose contact, die, or betray each other.


    But then, I stop myself. Because¡­ I don¡¯t know. It doesn¡¯t feel right. So I just say, ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    I use some allowance money to park in a garage near the capitol building. In times like this, I find myself wishing we had mass public transportation. Countries like the Netherlands and Japan can do it, why not us? Even the Soviets had a massive railroad network. But I digress.


    It was a bit of a squeeze getting myself, Kevin, Charlotte, Jason, Collin and Kat in the car together, but we just barely managed. A few blocks from the capitol building, we make our way there. It¡¯s recognizable as soon as we exit the garage, looming in the distance. Austin at least still has a fairly walkable downtown, so we have a pleasant walk in the cool morning breeze as we pass the city¡¯s various businesses.


    ¡°Hey, you alright?¡± Charlotte asks Kevin as we walk.


    ¡°Yeah. Just bummed about getting dumped,¡± Kevin answers, heaving a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Hey, I get that,¡± she says. ¡°Or¡­ I would. But I¡¯ve never really dated anyone before, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless I count!¡± Jason says, smirking from behind Charlotte.


    Charlotte chuckles. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really call that dating.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find someone at the protest,¡± Collin suggests. ¡°There¡¯s probably a bunch of hot¡­ what are you into, again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush,¡± Charlotte says. ¡°I want to take my time and find the right man.¡±


    ¡°But you won¡¯t know who the right man is unless you shop around a bit,¡± Kat says. ¡°Thanks to Devin and Nico, I now know of two men who  aren¡¯t  the right man. Fuckin¡¯ losers.¡± She rolls her eyes dramatically.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already had two boyfriends?¡± Kevin asks incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re in seventh grade.¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Kat asks, smirking.


    ¡°No¡­ I promise you I¡¯m not,¡± Kevin replies seriously. ¡°Just concerned. I¡¯ve had two and I¡¯m in ninth¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? Who was your first?¡± Collin asks.


    ¡°Er¡­ girl in my science class in eighth grade,¡± he says. ¡°Her name was Cheryl. She-¡±


    ¡°YOU DATED MY COUSIN?¡± Collin explodes.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kevin says obliviously.


    ¡°Cheryl PARKER? That¡¯s my cousin!¡± Collin storms.


    ¡°Oh. Huh, never knew you were related. There are a lot of Parkers in town,¡± Kevin says.


    ¡°Yeah! And we¡¯re all related!¡± Collin says. ¡°Blonde hair? Hello?¡±


    ¡°But hers wasn¡¯t curly,¡± Kevin argues.


    ¡°Because that came from my mom!¡± Collin says. ¡°Anyway, glad you broke up with her. She¡¯s annoying and kinda creepy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only on number one, my dude,¡± Kat teases Collin.


    ¡°Not that easy when you¡¯re gay,¡± Collin points out to Kat. ¡°You take what you can get.¡±


    ¡°Wow, rude!¡± Jason lashes out, looking offended.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Er- I didn¡¯t mean you!¡± Collin tries to correct. Sadly, the damage is done, and the remainder of the walk is very awkward.


    One block out, we notice that we¡¯re not the first ones here. There is a crowd amassing outside the gate. I scan through the faces to see if I can see Anja or any of the others who were supposed to be arriving from the other direction about now. Instead, my heart jolts as I see a different familiar face.


    Cousin Sam has changed quite a bit since I last saw her. She¡¯s grown out her frizzy brown hair long enough to reach down the back of her neck. She¡¯s holding a sign that appears to say ¡°trans people deserve healthcare.¡± We make eye contact as we reach the crowd, her dark brown eyes meeting my own.


    She gives me a big, red-lipstick smile. ¡°Ruth! I¡¯m so glad you came!¡± She reaches out her pale hand to shake with mine.


    ¡°Thank you for telling me about this,¡± I say. ¡°I brought friends. This boy is my friend Kevin, who¡¯s here as an ally.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Kevin greets, waving at her.


    ¡°This is my girlfriend, Jennifer,¡± Sam says, directing me towards the woman standing next to her. Jennifer has dark skin and her hair tied up in a unique bun in the back adorned with a flower crown and two braids hanging down on either side of her face. She shakes my hand as well, saying, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ruth. Sam tells me you¡¯re interested in environmentalism?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I confirm.


    Jennifer smiles at me. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m studying. We should stay in touch.¡±


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Sam says, pulling on my arm. I hadn¡¯t realized we were stopped still in the street, and an angry-looking man driving a truck is trying to drive past. Kevin and I step out of the street at once. The other four have already wandered off somewhere else.


    ¡°Hey Jelani!¡± Sam calls out. ¡°Any luck on that gate? It¡¯s getting crowded out here.¡±


    I follow her line of sight to a man with medium-brown skin and dreadlocks, who¡¯s standing near the gate leading into the courtyard and shaking his head.


    ¡°Well. Fuck it, then,¡± Sam says. She climbs onto the short brick wall around the fence, and reaches down her hand to Jennifer to do the same.


    ¡°Hmm. Seems like we¡¯re not supposed to do that,¡± Kevin observes. ¡°But we  do  gotta get closer to start our¡­ you know. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    We approach the capitol building, the large, ornate white building that towers over its surroundings. Its pillars and rafters continue upwards until it tapers into a dome, on top of which is the Goddess of Liberty, brandishing her star threateningly as if ready to join the fray. We see that a crowd has passed the gates and is amassing near the steps into the building.


    ¡°Good turnout,¡± Lily observes, yawning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see what¡¯s cooking!¡± Anja says confidently. She charges off for the crowd, Nova following her nervously.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I ask Zoe.


    She nods firmly. ¡°One thing first, though.¡± She takes my hand.


    I nod back at her. And so we make our way towards the action.


    There are all sorts of people here. A lot of college-aged people, which I expected, but there are also other teens like us here, and some older people, presumably either older gay couples or people here to support their children. Buttons and little flags are handed up with various pride iconography. I recognize the standard gay flag, the shades of red and pink that represent lesbians, and the bisexual, pansexual, transgender, and asexual ones, as well as some others I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever even seen before.


    ¡°¡®Bout time you showed up!¡± calls Collin, when he sees Zoe and I. He and Kat are near the back of the crowd. Collin is carrying a few pins in his cupped hands. ¡°Hey, question. What¡¯s the difference between bisexual and pansexual? Don¡¯t they basically just seem like the same thing?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± I say. ¡°Ask Anja.¡±


    ¡°Yo, Anja!¡± he calls out, pushing his way through the crowd with Kat to try and find her.


    ¡°Whoah! Ashley?¡± a different voice says from behind us. I turn and am jolted to see Laura Carter approaching the crowd, a very shy looking boy by her side.


    ¡°Laura,¡± I say. ¡°Fancy meeting you here.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, I remember you!¡± Zoe says. ¡°You were one of the other french horn players at all-region, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Laura confirms. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be seeing you in between now and All-State, Ashley!¡±


    ¡°Is that your boyfriend?¡± I ask, pointing to the boy by her side, who blushes and looks away.


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, about that,¡± she says.


    ¡°Laura¡­¡± the boy says weakly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! She¡¯s a friend,¡± Laura assures him. ¡°My partner here¡­ has been questioning her gender. That¡¯s why I wanted to come here, actually.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I say. ¡°So, you¡¯re okay with dating someone who might be a girl, then?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ upon further reflection¡­ I definitely like girls,¡± Laura admits, blushing a bit. ¡°So it works out either way!¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the club!¡± Zoe says cheerily. ¡°We have cookies! Awe, I should¡¯ve baked some for this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be a fantastic grandma someday,¡± I joke.


    ¡°You can call me Tommy for now, until I think of something better,¡± Laura¡¯s¡­ girlfriend says. ¡°But, I¡¯m not really supposed to be here.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of Senator Di Stefano,¡± Laura whispers.


    ¡°Sorry to hear that,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll keep your secret,¡± Zoe says reassuringly. ¡°Want a hug?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say no,¡± Tommy says, blushing. Zoe smiles warmly and wraps her into her arms. In the moment, I can¡¯t help but feel a little warm myself.


    ¡°What¡¯s all the ruckus about?¡± Laura asks, trying to peer over the crowd. I hear it too- raised voices coming from near the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out,¡± I say.


    I walk my way around the crowd and feel a flutter in my stomach as I make out the pretty red-haired newscaster from the news the other day. She¡¯s interviewing someone else I vaguely recognize from TV, a Texas state official with a messy red beard, ruddy nose, and thin rectangular glasses. Between the three of us, this must be the highest concentration of redheads this side of the Atlantic.


    ¡°...may hurt families in Texas?¡± The newscaster is saying, seemingly interviewing him live, holding a microphone to his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job as Attorney General to enforce the law, not make up my own,¡± the bearded man says. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to take any risks given what happened here in Austin.¡±


    ¡°And do you plan to defend these laws in court against the many lawsuits being filed against the state of Texas?¡± the reporters asks.


    Someone from the crowd interrupts by yelling out, ¡°You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!¡± There¡¯s a cheer by the rest of the crowd in response.


    ¡°Listen- this is not the place to talk!¡± the Attorney General says agitatedly. ¡°You are all on government property, and you must leave or be arrested!¡±


    Feeling inspired, I shout out, ¡°You declared war on us, now we are waging it back.¡± A few people near me cheer.


    ¡°Listen! Can¡¯t we all come to an agreement?¡± the AG pleads, starting to look scared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ban us from existing. That¡¯s the agreement!¡± a familiar voice shouts out, as Anja steps away from the crowd, looking as fierce as if we were already fighting the shadows. ¡°Until then, we will not be moved!¡±


    This seems to catch on with the crowd, and they begin vigorously chanting, ¡°we will not be moved!¡±


    The AG seems to get cold feet at this point. He checks his watch and turns to half-run towards the capitol building.


    ¡°Nice going!¡± I say to Anja.


    The reporter takes note of Anja and turns to face her. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Anja. Spelled with a J,¡± she says.


    ¡°What brought you out here to Austin today?¡± the reporter asks.


    ¡°I think destiny did, if I¡¯m honest,¡± she says. ¡°You see¡­ My mom ran against Schenider in 2006. And I¡¯m here now to finish what she started.¡±


    ¡°Could you be referring to Ellen Beatty, the gubernatorial candidate who tragically passed away mid-race?¡± the reporter asks. ¡°This is a remarkable development!¡±


    I watch with awe as, in front of my eyes, Anja gets a full standing interview with a nationally known reporter, something that¡¯s being seen and will be seen by God knows how many. While clearly a bit nervous, she takes to it quite well. She talks about her mother and about how harmful the laws have been. She¡¯s getting to speak her views on the greatest soapbox of all. And weirdly, I feel- of all things I could be feeling right now- proud of her.


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    ¡°You think anyone will really listen to her?¡± I ask, watching Anja speak to a reporter.


    I¡¯m a little bit outside of the crowd in a group with Sam, Jelani and Jennifer, Kevin having gone to parts elsewhere.


    ¡°We can hope so,¡± Sam says, giving me an encouraging smile.


    I don¡¯t say anything to that.


    She gives a meaningful look to Jennifer, who pulls out a bunch of little pride flags from Jelani¡¯s duffel bag and resumes passing them out.


    ¡°I miss him too, you know,¡± Sam says softly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I say. ¡°He was your brother. I can¡¯t imagine how hard it was for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you knew this, but he was my boyfriend too,¡± Jelani chimes in. ¡°Nice to meet you at last.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you as well,¡± I say, nodding. ¡°I¡¯m deeply, truly sorry.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry,¡± Sam says, putting a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°I tried to warn them that he was in danger,¡± I say. ¡°But nobody listened to me. And because of that, he¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only one person, Ruth,¡± Jelani says pointedly.


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s what I keep being told,¡± I say, sighing heavily. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time I quit, then. I only seem to make things worse, if anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Nuh-uh,¡± Sam says, shaking her head. ¡°¡®You can¡¯t do it alone¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean ¡®you can¡¯t do it.¡¯ You¡¯re here, look at everyone who came out! This is huge! It never would¡¯ve happened if we hadn¡¯t made our voices heard!¡±


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯ll make a difference?¡± I ask, my voice breaking as my grief and shame well up to the point of bursting. ¡°What if they ignore us? What if they just laugh us off?¡±


    ¡°Then we speak up anyway,¡± Sam says firmly. ¡°And we do it again. And again. As many voices saying it as many times as needed. And then, some people will listen. And then more people will. And then, someday, we¡¯ll win.¡±


    ¡°Well said, Samanta,¡± Jelani says approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s what keeps me in this fight. Not a day passes that I don¡¯t work to make sure Roberto is not forgotten.¡±


    That¡¯s what makes the tears break out. Sam and I hug closely as I wipe them away.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­ Ruth?¡± I hear Charlotte¡¯s voice say.


    I break the hug and look to my right to see Charlotte, along with Jason and a boy with white hair and cat ears that I don¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°We, uh, came here to do something,¡± she says vaguely. ¡°Is this a good time?¡±


    I nod. ¡°I think the crowd is big enough.¡±


    I turn to Sam and Jelani. ¡°Thank you both.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop fighting, Ruth,¡± Jelani says, punching me lightly on the shoulder.


    Charlotte and I round up the others. Anja¡¯s TV spot is over before too long, and soon everyone is assembled.


    We find a little enclave where we¡¯re hidden from view of the crowd by the building¡¯s many pillars, and then, we enter.


    <hr>


    ¡°Uh¡­ did it work?¡± Kevin asks, attempting to look around from under his red-brimmed hat. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything but¡­¡±


    Clouds. As far as the eye can see. It reminds me of a time I went on an airplane for a vacation to Florida, years ago. Except, on an airplane, you can only see from a tiny window next to your seat. You never get the overwhelming sense of being swallowed whole by the sky.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not dawdle near the edge,¡± Ashley advises. ¡°There are some¡­ buildings? Over this way. That¡¯ll be where our fight is.¡± I try to verify this with my Navigator senses, but I find that things are strangely fuzzy; I can only vaguely make out that there are a ton of cognitive people congregated behind us.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Anja, however, is looking down to the surface of the earth, a look of horror on her face. ¡°Guys? That¡¯s¡­ not how this looked before.¡±


    I follow her gaze and look to the ground so see that it is all on fire. Every inch of whatever dilapidated city existed here, every partially demolished building, is burning in an eternal fire.

 Chapter 107: Everything In Its Place (February 1 Part 3)

    <Anja>


    ¡°Wow¡­ be careful not to fall,¡± Nova says. ¡°Anja and I are the only ones who can fly.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t really even fly!¡± I point out. ¡°I can only fall with style.¡±


    ¡°They should really put up a handrail,¡± Kevin chides, carefully leaning forward to peer over the side. ¡°This is dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Well, the politicians here generally aren¡¯t thrilled about federally mandated regulations,¡± Ruth comments. ¡°So we can¡¯t expect everything to be up to OSHA code.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Wikipedia,¡± Ashley jokes. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s our plan? Where¡¯s the man of the hour?¡±


    I turn in the direction that Ashley¡¯s looking. There are several buildings, each a rather extravagant location you¡¯d expect to see in major metro downtown. Nearest to us is what appears to be a hoity-toity restaurant where people are entering and leaving in fancy suits and dresses. There¡¯s a stadium further down the¡­ what would you call this? A road? A pier? I don¡¯t have a name for a walkway that¡¯s suspended high in the air surrounded by clouds. We¡¯ll just call it a walkway, I guess. Anyways, down the walkway, there¡¯s a huge stadium, where I can faintly make out an announcer¡¯s voice shouting about something. Probably sports, idk. Further down, there¡¯s what might be a gym or something, and then the cloud cover kinda makes it hard to see past that.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think we¡¯d have a way of knowing where he¡¯d be,¡± I say. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to snoop around. My favorite pastime!¡±


    ¡°What readings are you getting, Ruth?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°...Unfortunately, there¡¯s something wrong with my navigation abilities,¡± Ruth says. ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time getting a clear picture. I can see that there are many people in the restaurant eating meals, but I can¡¯t make out what¡¯s beyond.¡±


    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll check the restaurant first,¡± I say.


    ¡°Thank god,¡± Charlotte comments. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    As a group, we make our way for the, making sure to keep towards the middle of the path. And I didn¡¯t even have to direct anyone with a whistle! Thank goodness for the AI updates in this installment.


    At the restaurant, a fancy little man with a curly looking blonde mustache stands outside the door. As we approach, he turns to us angrily.


    ¡°No pets are allowed in the restaurant!¡± he accosts us, looking down at Ted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m not a pet, sir,¡± Ted growls.


    ¡°No animals of any kind!¡± the man insists.


    ¡°Humans are a type of animal,¡± Ruth comments flatly.


    ¡°And you!¡± he continues, pointing at Ashley. ¡°What is that ridiculous outfit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, open carry of swords is legal in Texas now,¡± Ashley says, smirking. ¡°Look it up.¡±


    ¡°This is fine dining, not Dungeons and Dragons!¡± the waiter nags. ¡°And you!¡± he points to Zoe. ¡°Why are you dressed like some sort of African? Do you have any national pride?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I looked this up,¡± I chime in. ¡°Cleopatra was the ruler of what we now call Egypt, but she was part of a Greek dynasty who took over after Alexander the Great¡¯s passing. So, she¡¯s not really what we now think of as  African .¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m part Greek on my dad¡¯s side!¡± Zoe offers hastily, tapping her fingers together nervously. ¡°So¡­ maybe we can¡­¡±


    ¡°These children are holding up the line!¡± Says a rude lady behind us with a whole-ass animal skin slung around her neck.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys just wait out here with the animal, and we¡¯ll call for backup if needed?¡± I suggest. ¡°Nova and I should be fancy enough to enter.¡± I look down at my red dress and smooth it out a little.


    Ted gives me a reproachful look. Ashley rolls her eyes and says, ¡°Fine, we didn¡¯t want to eat at this frivolous place anyway. Come on, Zoe.¡±


    So Ashley, Zoe and Ted step out of line, as Nova and I enter with our arms linked.


    ¡°Ooh, am I fancy enough?¡± Charlotte asks, gesturing down at her fine yellow dress.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t accept drag queens,¡± the man says with a sneer. ¡°There are families here, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s not a drag queen!¡± Kevin says quickly. ¡°My friend here just has a smoking problem.¡± Charlotte catches on immediately and starts pretending to cough loudly.


    ¡°No smoking in the restaurant,¡± the man orders.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, sir!¡± Charlotte promises, saluting him. Kevin tips the brim of his red hat as he leads the two of them through.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just wait out here with Ashley and Zoe,¡± Ruth says, stepping away to join them.


    <hr>


    The place is so fancy that my wallet hurts just from looking around. Perfectly round tables with white tablecloths and sparkly clean wine glasses. Men in tuxedos and women fully dolled up with makeup wearing their finest dresses. Many of them are also decorated with gaudy earrings. A man with short trimmed hair, a suit and bowtie, and white gloves approaches us. He gives us a funny look at first, before dropping it and adopting a courteous demeanor. ¡°Welcome to Der Urlaub des Patrioten . May I find a table for four?¡±


    ¡°The patriotic what-now?¡± Nova asks, squinting, no doubt attempting in vain to procure foggy memories from German class.


    ¡°The  patriot¡¯s what-now,¡± I correct. ¡°That¡¯s what the conjugation would translate to. And yes, a table of four would be lovely.¡± I do a curtsy.


    ¡°Very well. Follow me, please,¡± says the waiter.


    He takes us through the center of the room, past a large, crystalline chandelier holding up dozens of candles, and around the walls, which are made of carved marble with intricate leaf-life patterns, and lit with soft golden lights. The dome-shaped ceiling is painted light blue with puffy little clouds to look like we¡¯re looking out into a picture book sky, and I briefly get a horrible flashback to that torture chamber in Pavia¡¯s palace. I can¡¯t help but to notice we¡¯re passing by several tables that seem to be unoccupied- what the fuck was wrong with  those spots?


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    It becomes clear to me how humongous this restaurant is when he takes us through another identical room, and then another. Only on the third one does he finally seem content to stop and direct us to a table that is right against the wall.


    Upon sitting down, however, I don¡¯t bother to peruse the menu. As soon as the waiter is out of sight, I say, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s split up and see if the governor is dining among us.¡±


    Kevin nods. Charlotte, who had the menu open in front of her, folds it and puts it down, looking disappointed.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s each pick a direction and walk,¡± Nova declares.


    ¡°Er, could you walk with me, actually?¡± I request. ¡°I fear there may be people even worse than gamers here.¡±


    ¡°Worse than gamers?¡± Nova asks incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s not even possible.¡±


    ¡°You wanna stay as a pair too?¡± Kevin asks Charlotte politely.


    ¡°Er, no, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Charlotte says, not meeting his gaze. ¡°They just think I¡¯m some sort of drag queen, remember?¡±


    ¡°Just be careful,¡± I advise. ¡°Don¡¯t initiate a fight until we¡¯ve met up again so we can make a plan. This is reconnaissance only.¡±


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    The more time I spend in this palace, the more I come to grips with the alarming fact that there¡¯s  definitely  something wrong with my powers. I can vaguely make out spots of what¡¯s going on in the restaurant, but otherwise I can¡¯t seem to find a damn thing anywhere here.


    ¡°They alright in there so far?¡± Ashley questions. There¡¯s no good place to sit down, so we snuck around the side of the restaurant to lean against the wall.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± I say honestly. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with my navigation here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ashley frowns. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°Aww¡­ How are we gonna know when it¡¯s time to help them?¡± Zoe wonders.


    ¡°Well, Anja and Nova can call me with their phones,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Hopefully they actually remember that¡¯s a thing we can do, since it¡¯s been a damn while.¡±


    ¡°We should have talked about this before entering,¡± I say, putting the palms of my hands on the side of the building to see if that helps. It doesn¡¯t.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Ashley says. ¡°But, oh well. We¡¯ll just have to listen for any signs of a scuffle.¡±


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    While my outfit is certainly fancy enough to fit in, I very quickly get the impression that nothing else about me does. For one, nobody else is wearing yellow. I guess it¡¯s too joyous of a color for this crowd. But, I have a weird feeling that maybe there¡¯s a different reason why people keep glaring at me as I pass. Even though I¡¯m 100% passing in this form, I¡¯m still very tall, and I¡¯m sure that makes people feel threatened. Also, I¡¯m black- half-black technically, but that tends to not make a difference to most people. Or maybe it¡¯s just a feeling. I don¡¯t  feel  like I belong, and they can just sense it. Like a bunch of queer-seeking bloodhounds, sniffing me out as a rabbit. I wonder if anyone¡¯s gonna just straight up pick a fight with me. I start walking faster.


    Okay, just focus. We¡¯re just looking for Schneider, so that we can¡­ what? We can what?


    Wait, really. What¡¯re we supposed to do, exactly? Uhh¡­ don¡¯t initiate a fight, okay, got it. Meet up again and plan¡­? How do I find them? This restaurant is so confusing! Every room looks the god damn same! I don¡¯t know how to find them or contact them or anything! I¡¯m just confused and hungry and at any moment someone¡¯s going to get up from their fucking table and kill me and I can¡¯t take it anymore! EVERYONE SHUT UP! JUST STOP LOOKING AT ME! GO AWAY!


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    I carefully step my way from table to table, room to room, scanning the crowd for the sandy-haired man I¡¯ve seen on TV. A few times I accidentally make eye contact with someone, and play it off by simply giving a small smile and nod and moving on. Seems like a bad idea to draw attention to myself. Although, I¡¯m the only guy here dressed in red, so it¡¯s sorta hard to avoid.


    I¡¯m startled to walk through an entrance guarded by two small potted palm trees and enter a room that actually looks different from the others. This room has a lower ceiling and dim lighting, as well as a bar area where several of the well-dressed waiters and waitresses are polishing glasses.


    I feel someone tug on my sleeve and hear a woman¡¯s voice call, ¡°Waiter!¡± I jump in surprise and turn to see it¡¯s a drunk-looking woman with splotched up makeup, whose husband is now chastising her. Shivering a little, I quickly shuffle away from that table and towards the back.


    ¡°Are you quite alright, dear?¡± A different woman¡¯s voice asks.


    My head quickly turns to see that the speaker is a serious-looking lady with straight, perfectly combed dirty blonde hair, whose dark blue eyes are looking at me with concern.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I say. ¡°Just got startled by something.¡±


    ¡°Nobody causing trouble here, is there?¡± a man¡¯s voice booms from across the table. A voice I know¡­


    I slowly turn my head around to see¡­ that¡¯s him. That¡¯s Governor Schneider. There¡¯s no mistaking that jawline with those lightly freckled cheeks. The conspicuous red tie is somewhat of a giveaway too.


    ¡°Uh, no. I don¡¯t think so,¡± I say. ¡°By the way, nice to meet you, Mr. Governor.¡±


    He¡¯s not listening to me however. His eyes are quickly scanning the room. I follow his gaze to find that he¡¯s found the woman who startled me. Somehow.


    He tilts his head towards the woman on his left, who immediately sticks out as someone who looks out of place. She has short, spiky black hair that matches her lipstick and dress, and tells her, ¡°Deal with that, please.¡± Without saying a word, the black-donned woman stands up and leaves.


    ¡°You seem like a model young man,¡± the governor says, his eyes turning lazily back to me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure, Mr. Governor,¡± I say, not really thinking of a way out of it. So I take a seat where the punky woman previously was, across from the lady who greeted me, who I can only assume is the governor¡¯s wife. She¡¯s currently very carefully eating angel hair pasta with small little bites.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, son?¡± the governor asks.


    ¡°Kevin,¡± I say.


    ¡°Kevin who?¡±


    ¡°Snyder.¡±


    ¡°Aha. Snyder and Schneider are two alike names,¡± he comments. ¡°Yes, I see a bit of myself in you, Kevin.¡±


    ¡°I mean, names aren¡¯t everything,¡± I say, ¡°but I guess they are pretty similar now that I-¡±


    I jolt a little as I hear what sounds like an explosion in the distance, followed immediately by screams reverberating from what sounds like several rooms away.


    ¡°Move aside,¡± Gov. Schneider says very curtly. Before I can even process what he said, his wife has slid out of her seat and stood up to allow him to pass, hands politely in front of her, like our elementary school teachers used to make us do.


    Schneider quickly slides out of his seat as well and stands up to address the other diners, who are craning their necks around the doorway and chattering in frightened tones.


    ¡°An internal enemy threatens us,¡± Schneider says in a booming voice, causing the other voices to quiet at once. ¡°But do not fear. These terrorists who seek to destroy our state, our country, our very ways of life, cannot prevail against us if we act as a United front. Do your parts, and I will do mine. Draw your arms and await orders.¡±


    Still quiet, the crowd nods to him and each other, and to my amazement, each and every one of them materializes a pistol and shotgun. Even Schneider¡¯s wife wordlessly procures a sniper rifle, which she sets up on the table and points at the entrance closest to the explosion. I draw my gun too, just to not look out of place.


    The black-haired punk woman re-enters the bar from a side door, to which Schneider immediately twitches his head towards the entryway and orders, ¡°Come.¡± She nods, and both of them briskly exit the room.


    <hr>


    <Ashley>


    The three of us are startled when a side door slams, and my heart really begins to race with fury when I see who it is.


    ¡°Two o¡¯clock,¡± I say to Zoe and Ruth in a low voice. ¡°That¡¯s her. Anja¡¯s evil aunt.¡±


    Zoe gasps dramatically and turns to see the black-haired woman, who seems to be dragging a woman out of the restaurant, a foot in each hand.


    ¡°But surely not the real one?¡± Ruth says.


    ¡°Could be either way. She¡¯s followed us inside before,¡± I say darkly.


    We watch in revulsion as Kierstyn, without hesitation, drags the woman to the edge of the walkway and pushes her off into the fire below, the woman screaming all the while. A man thunders out of the restaurant, shouting, ¡°WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO MY ALICE?¡±


    ¡°Get your woman under control, or you¡¯re next,¡± Kierstyn scolds him harshly.


    The man collapses to the ground crying, to which Kierstyn disdainfully leaves him sitting there like a disgusting thing she scraped off her shoe.


    ¡°Wh- what did she do to deserve that?¡± Zoe questions, mouth agape with horror.


    ¡°I dunno. She probably got an abortion or something,¡± I speculate. ¡°So naturally, the pro-life position was to kill her.¡±


    ¡°You realize what this means, right?¡± Ruth asks.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say. ¡°Schneider is a crazy megalomaniac who demands total loyalty, and doesn¡¯t hesitate to chuck people out for who knows what offense.¡±


    ¡°Well, probably yes, but I was referring to the fact that there¡¯s a secret way inside,¡± Ruth points out.

 Chapter 108: Terror And Peace (February 1 Part 4)

    <Alyssa>


    I don¡¯t belong in prison. They stuff too many people into these as it is without locking up every person who happens to have a gay kid. What was I supposed to do about that? Small government my ass.


    Anyway, it¡¯s only a matter of time before this absurd law is blocked by a court. But until then, I must rot away in this gray, boring hell. My cell mates probably think I¡¯m mentally ill since I spend all day wiggling my fingers, playing an imaginary saxophone.


    One of my rare reprieves is when I get to at least hear a friendly voice. A surly guard walks me to a row of phone booths, each separated by a glass barrier.


    I put the phone to my ear to hear Sarah¡¯s voice. ¡°Hello?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I say.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could get a hold of you. I have an update about the case, and Gregg¡¯s mother used up all of his allotted calls.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hear it,¡± I say.


    ¡°The district court is hearing our case,¡± she explains. ¡°We¡¯re not sure which way it will go. One of the new justices on the bench is somewhat of a wild card.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Justice Timothy Pavia,¡± Sarah says. ¡°He was just appointed to the position not long ago.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯re screwed. He was our Justice of the Peace. Man doesn¡¯t give a damn about anyone who can¡¯t donate to his re-election,¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll¡­ see what we can do,¡± Sarah says. ¡°We can always appeal it to the next level up. But if all goes well, you should be home to see your daughters again soon. However¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you talk to them?¡± I interrupt. ¡°They¡¯re not doing anything stupid, are they?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I relayed your message to them,¡± she says. But there¡¯s something about the way she said that¡­


    They¡¯re doing it. God damn it.


    I sigh.


    ¡°But yes,¡± Sarah continues. ¡°To avoid them being transferred into the foster system while we await the trial, we will need to designate some adult figure who¡¯s able to keep an eye on them. Is there anyone who can fill that role?¡±


    I stop and think about it. We don¡¯t have any family in town¡­ it would be rather uncomfortable to have Zoe¡¯s parents be the guardians, but it should probably at least be somebody who they¡¯re okay with so that they don¡¯t cause a stink.


    ¡°I think I know someone,¡± I say.


    <hr>


    <Charlotte>


    I wake up to see destruction all around. I¡¯m in the middle of a small crater, still smoking from the blast. I look down at my body- nothing seems to be injured, thankfully.


    ¡°Wh-what happened?¡± I ask to no one in particular. ¡°Were we attacked?¡±


    I brush the soot off my clothes and stand up to survey the room. The surrounding tables seemingly were blasted backwards, along with the people sitting at them. There are a bunch of people lined against the walls groaning, and at least one woman is crying hysterically.


    Who¡­ did this? I wonder.


    And I notice something else. There are new people coming into the room. Not with medical equipment or anything, but with guns. And they¡¯re all glaring straight at me. And their weapons are all pointed straight at me.


    Ah, I see.


    I¡¯m the bomb.


    Oops.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I have no idea how that happened!¡± I say, chuckling nervously, lifting my arms into the air like I¡¯m surrendering. ¡°Everyone okay?¡±


    They just keep glaring at me.


    I hear the click of someone¡¯s safety being turned off¡­


    I entomb myself by drawing the knocked-over tables to me as shields just in time to block the barrage of bullets.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    Nova and I arrive at the site of the explosion we heard just in time to witness a gunfight breaking out. Someone¡¯s barricaded in the middle of the room, hiding behind some of the restaurant¡¯s tables. I try to make out who¡¯s in the middle¡­ I think I see something yellow in between the tables¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s Charlotte!¡± Nova bursts out. His fists are clenching.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I say. ¡°On my signal, let¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE!¡± Nova shouts. He slowly and dramatically smashes the floor in front of him with his hammer, causing an electric pulse to knock back everyone in a five yard radius. About a dozen of the partygoers, several of whom had just been shooting at Charlotte, fly backwards and slam into the wall around the doorway to the next room, suits and dresses torn as they tumble to the floor.


    I yelp with pain as my shoulder catches a bullet from a new diner who charges into the room, sights now locked on us. I grab Nova by the arm and dive under the table for cover.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my signal,¡± I tell him with gritted teeth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your fuckin¡¯ signal is!¡± he spits at me.


    Gunshots begin grazing the legs of the chair nearest to me. I lay down on my front and start firing my Tommy in between the other tables in the room. I can only hit people in the legs and feet, but that¡¯s enough to knock several over and make the rest scramble around to avoid my range.


    ¡°Then you should¡¯ve listened to me!¡± I continue.


    ¡°Shit was happening too fast! I wasn¡¯t thinking!¡± Nova says defensively.


    ¡°Yeah. You weren¡¯t,¡± I snark at him.


    Then, from our left flank, a volley of grenades is fired towards our opponents, and the room is soon empty as the fancy people sprint away. A few don¡¯t make it and are instead unceremoniously blasted out of the room.


    ¡°We got company from behind me!¡± Charlotte calls out, seeing us and diving behind our table.


    Nova brings himself into a crouch and lifts the table we¡¯re under up, turning it sideway. I jump to my feet and take cover behind it, and Charlotte likewise takes the other side.


    ¡°What the fuck happened to you?¡± Nova asks her as bullets begin ricocheting off our table.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know!¡± Charlotte says. ¡°I think I just¡­ blew up!¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°You can do that?¡± Nova questions. ¡°I thought your ability was Earthbending!¡±


    ¡°It is!¡± Charlotte says. ¡°Like how I made those tables come to me without touching them!¡±


    ¡°Bitch, these tables aren¡¯t made of earth! They¡¯re wood!¡±


    ¡°Oh. How did I do that, then?¡± Charlotte asks, looking stumped.


    ¡°Can we figure this out later?¡± I urge. ¡°There¡¯s a ton of people coming that way!¡± I lean around our shield enough to take a few potshots at the people from the other room. Charlotte begins blindly chucking grenades over the table¡¯s rim. Nova doesn¡¯t dare put down the table as more shots ring out towards us every second.


    <hr>


    <Kevin>


    I¡¯m just wondering if I should go investigate what sounds like a full-on firefight coming from across the restaurant when a door slams behind me. I turn to see that Ashley, Zoe, Ted and Ruth managed to find their way in after all.


    Immediately, everyone else in the room points their firearms at them-


    ¡°No no no! Don¡¯t! They¡¯re with me!¡± I say hastily. They lower their guns back to a resting position.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s it going in here?¡± Ashley asks casually. ¡°Did you find him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I found him,¡± I say. ¡°But he went that way towards¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°The gunfire,¡± Ted finishes from Zoe¡¯s shoulder, drawing his own firearm.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s the others, do you?¡± Zoe asks nervously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know what else it¡¯d be,¡± Ruth says.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± says a familiar voice. The lady with the neat, dirty blonde hair I had sat with is approaching us, a look of polite concern on her face.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Ashley asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mrs. Schneider. The wife of the governor,¡± she says.


    ¡°Ah. Tell your fascist bastard of a husband to release my parents from jail,¡± Ashley snarks.


    A pang of pain crosses Mrs. Schneider¡¯s face, and she shakes her head at her. ¡°Can¡¯t we please be civil?¡±


    Ashley rolls her eyes at her.


    Mrs. Schneider turns to me. ¡°Please¡­ be careful who you associate with, Kevin. You¡¯re too fine of a man to get mixed up with these¡­ terrorists.¡±


    ¡°Terrorists?¡± Zoe cries indignantly. ¡°That¡¯s not who we are at all!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you knew the ones who just blew up one of our rooms?¡± Mrs. Schneider responds.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zoe asks, blinking confusedly.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, quite the contrary, I am an officer of the law,¡± Ted explains. ¡°And we didn¡¯t plan any such thing.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have a plan,¡± Ashley points out. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go pull our friends out of whatever shit they got into.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Zoe says, nodding resolutely.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Ted agrees.


    Ashley, Zoe and Ted charge away towards the sounds of the fighting.


    Ruth doesn¡¯t move. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be much help right now,¡± she explains. ¡°I¡¯ll bring up the rear.¡±


    ¡°Right. Er, one thing first,¡± I say. I turn back to Mrs. Schneider. ¡°Ma¡¯am, my friend wasn¡¯t trying to be rude.¡±


    She raises an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Well, okay, yes she was,¡± I admit. ¡°But, she¡¯s been through a lot recently. Her parents are in jail because of that law your husband signed, and a lot of my other friends have been terrified too. Everyone¡¯s just¡­ tense right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I certainly can¡¯t deny that things are tense,¡± Mrs. Schneider says. ¡°But that¡¯s no reason to start calling people names. With that sort of rhetoric¡­ why, who knows what might happen to our family.¡±


    ¡°Compared to having your parents locked in prison, being insulted a single time seems quite manageable,¡± Ruth interjects dryly. ¡°Listening to this whinging is a waste of time. Come on, Kevin.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I say. ¡°Um¡­ take care,¡± I tell the state¡¯s First Lady awkwardly, before dashing off in the direction I saw Ashley and Zoe go.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    It seems we¡¯ve cleared enough of them to where there¡¯s a moment of quiet. I carefully peek around our table to see that there¡¯s nobody pointing guns at us through doorways at the moment.


    ¡°You think these guys respawn endlessly?¡± Nova questions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say. ¡°But either way, we probably want to just get out of here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Charlotte says, sounding like she really means it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll worry about that later,¡± I tell her. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on getting to safety first, and regrouping with the others.¡±


    ¡°This could be our best chance to skedaddle,¡± Nova points out. ¡°Come¡­¡±


    Then, like clockwork, we hear a pair of footsteps from the next room.


    Nova and Charlotte visibly tense up, and I¡¯m pretty sure I just did too.


    And¡­ it¡¯s him. Governor Schneider. He steps into the room and glares at us through the table, hands behind his back as though he were here to give a speech.


    ¡°Put the table down,¡± he commands calmly.


    Nova scoffs at him. ¡°Make me,¡± he taunts.


    Charlotte and I both leap backwards as a saw materializes, seemingly out of thin air, and cuts the table into two. Nova leaves the halves to tumble to the floor, jumps back with us, and shrugs. ¡°Hey, man. It¡¯s your table, not mine.¡±


    Schneider is now standing right behind where the table had been in the same pose, although I didn¡¯t see him move. ¡°You have come here and slaughtered my people,¡± he says calmly. ¡®You will find that such crimes will not go unpunished.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not real,¡± Nova points out. ¡°They¡¯re just your cognitive people.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So it makes a difference to you after all?¡± he says.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I say. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend for a single second that you care about human life! You¡­ do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°All too well,¡± he says nonchalantly. He twitches his head up slightly, and¡­


    Aunt Kierstyn enters the room. Not bothering to hide her identity anymore.


    I bare my teeth. ¡°You¡­ both you of you. You¡¯re the reason my mother is dead,¡± I say. ¡°And your worldview is the reason I¡¯ve been bullied for years. You¡¯re the ones who need to be punished.¡±


    ¡°You and your mother brought this all upon yourselves. Why should I care about your sob story?¡± he says dismissively.


    My fists clench. ¡°You will,¡± I say.


    And before I even know what I¡¯m doing¡­


    I lift my Tommy gun up, and


    I point it straight at his chest¡­


    And I fire.


    And I keep firing¡­


    He shakes and shutters as the bullets tear through him¡­


    He¡¯s soon standing in a puddle of his own blood¡­


    And I empty the entire clip.


    And then the gun goes silent.


    And he stands there¡­ hunched over.


    Nova and Charlotte share a scared look, but they don¡¯t say anything.


    And then¡­


    He lifts his head.


    ¡°Only fools use their hearts to live,¡± he says.


    And I¡¯m mortified as I look to his chest and see¡­ something inhuman. Where human skin would¡¯ve been is a bloodstained metallic body¡­ a hole, made up of smaller holes, is ripped through the metal sheet, revealing a hollow interior.


    Suddenly, behind him, Kierstyn grunts.


    Ashley is here, and she¡¯s grabbed my aunt by her hair with one hand, and used the other to hold her sword to her neck. Zoe and Ted are here too, standing in the doorway. Zoe¡¯s holding her shotgun up and trembling, while Ted is perched on her shoulder like a parrot with his own pistol.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Schneider says. He turns his head to see the battle¡¯s new arrivals. He tilts his head at Ashley curiously. ¡°Are you going to kill my highest general?¡± he questions.


    Ashley turns her eyes at Kierstyn¡¯s face, who¡¯s glaring back at her. Kierstyn¡¯s expression is hostile, but¡­


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Ashley responds. ¡°If anyone should make the decision on her fate, it¡¯d have to be Anja.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s not the real one.¡±


    Ashley swings her sword into Kierstyn¡¯s neck¡­ and she dissipates, like any other shadow.


    Schneider continues to watch Ashley curiously. ¡°You¡­ you must be¡­¡±


    And in the blink of an eye, Nova has launched himself at our state¡¯s governor. He smashes Mjolnir into the side of his head, breaking it open¡­


    Schneider falls to the ground, and Nova sticks his foot right through the hole I ripped in his chest. Where the hammer had hit him, there is now a dented metal skull showing on half of his face, including a smashed LED lightbulb for the eye on that side.


    The rest of us quickly surround him, weapons drawn.


    ¡°Now, here¡¯s the part where we tell you where you fucked up,¡± Nova tells him. ¡°Listen carefully¡­¡±


    He¡¯s interrupted by a strange whirring sound.


    Something detaches from Schneider¡¯s gut¡­ a sort of cube with a propeller. Before any of us can think of how to react, it zooms away, crashing through the ceiling. And in its stead, a strange beeping noise¡­ one that¡¯s getting faster¡­


    I take in a confused flurry where everyone moves at once before I¡¯m tackled to the ground by Nova¡­


    Boom!


    <hr>


    My heart races and my breathing is out of control as I see the clouds below me¡­, stretching as far as the eye can see¡­ I¡¯m falling, I¡¯m¡­


    Not falling. They¡¯re not getting any closer, are they?


    I look up, and my eyes meet Nova¡¯s. We¡¯re suspended in air, Nova using Mjolnir as a propeller to keep us steady. Above him, I see that a huge, smoldering hole where the floor of the room we had just been standing in once was.


    And then I feel drops of water on my face¡­ I turn back to Nova to see that he¡¯s in tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Anja,¡± he says. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t wait for your signal¡­¡±

 Chapter 109: Whoah, Where Did The Party Go? (February 1 Part 5)

    <Anja>


    Nova lifts me back up to an unusual scene. Ashley, Zoe, and Ted, as well as Kevin and Ruth, who must have just gotten there, are all looking, perplexed, at the opposite wall of the now floorless room, where Charlotte is hanging on for dear life from a rope that  definitely  wasn¡¯t there before.


    Nova sees her, frowns, and then unceremoniously chucks me into the next room, where I crash into Ashley and knock her to the floor.


    We¡¯re face to face on the floor for a moment, blinking confusedly. Ashley frowns at me. ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I respond, smirking. Ashley pushes me off, rolling her eyes.


    Then, Nova emerges, flying through the air in an almost cinematic way, Charlotte slung over one of his shoulders. He gracefully lands on the floor in front of me, drops Charlotte on her feet, and looks around. ¡°That everyone?¡± he asks.


    Zoe breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°That was scary!¡± she says.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Ashley asks, standing up. ¡°I thought you guys were just going to look for Schneider then come back?¡±


    Charlotte looks away from her, sheepishly. ¡°Well, yeah, I kinda uh¡­ blew up?¡±


    ¡°Blew up?¡± Ashley asks, frowning. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ literally, I¡­ exploded into a fiery burst of flames,¡± she explains.


    Nova shakes his head. ¡°Charlotte¡­¡±


    Charlotte scrunches her face up, bracing for impact.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand your powers at all,¡± Nova says. ¡°We need to figure out what¡¯s going on here. You don¡¯t seem to control any one element¡­ So what''s the throughline here? First moving stone  floors, then summoning bottles, and now explosions?¡±


    ¡°You always fixate on the weirdest things,¡± Ashley chides him. ¡°What  I  wanna know is, why? Did it just happen completely at random?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ not exactly,¡± Charlotte admits. ¡°I was getting really scared, because¡­ I dunno. I don¡¯t belong in a crowd of Republicans.¡±


    ¡°And that caused you to literally explode?¡± Ashley asks incredulously.


    ¡°Like a chemical reaction?¡± Ruth asks. ¡°Or was the explosion a result of your emotions somehow affecting your powers?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I think more like the latter,¡± Charlotte says. ¡°But don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m fine now, so it won¡¯t happen again. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad,¡± I tell her. ¡°We all share an equal blame of the embarrassment for this failure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s supposed to make me not feel bad???¡± Charlotte questions, pouting.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault the most,¡± I say. ¡°I really thought I could avenge my mom by taking him out. But I failed¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ¡®cuz he¡¯s a robot,¡± Nova says matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Well, you can get revenge when we find him again,¡± Ashley says. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to sit around and mope. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I say. She¡¯s right of course, but¡­


    Are we even going to be able to beat him at all? Who  knows  what else he can do?


    We may be out of our depth here.


    But hey, if that¡¯s the case, and we die here¡­ at least we died fighting. Just like Mom.


    ¡°You coming?¡± Nova asks me.


    I look around to notice everyone else has followed Ashley to trek back towards the front.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m coming,¡± I say. I fake a smile as I take Nova¡¯s hand to follow the others.


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    Departing from the now deserted restaurant, the next destination along the path is some sort of stadium. That¡¯s what I can only assume it is, anyway. It¡¯s a hulking abomination of a building, a hovering disc of glass held into place by large metal pylons that connect it to the hovering complex.


    ¡°It kinda looks like a creature,¡± Charlotte observes.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kevin says.


    ¡°Yeah! Look, the windows on top look like eyes,¡± she explains, pointing. ¡°And those metal... things could be arms. Like they¡¯re trying to grab us!¡±


    ¡°Huh. Yeah, I kinda see it,¡± Kevin agrees.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come alive,¡± I say. ¡°That would not be out of the question at this point.¡±


    Zoe shudders.


    As we approach, we hear the cheers of the crowd interspersed with an announcer who seems to be describing some sort of fight, although it¡¯s hard to make out details. Getting closer, we see that the inside of the building is packed with people.


    ¡°Great,¡± Ashley groans. ¡°It¡¯ll take  forever  to find him in this crowd.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s here,¡± Kevin comments, daunted. ¡°Are you sure we don¡¯t want to check somewhere else first?¡±


    ¡°If  we check somewhere else and he isn¡¯t there, we¡¯d just have to come back anyway,¡± Ashley reasons. ¡°Let¡¯s just get it over with.¡± Nobody offers any disagreements, so we head inside.


    The inside looks almost like a carnival. Where you would expect to see concessions and ticket stands in a normal sports stadium, there are numerous stands, selling things that seem to range from sweets to alcohol and even illicit drugs. There¡¯s a tent which I think might be a brothel, and another where I can catch a glimpse of slot machines. It¡¯s a true Pleasure Island of all the vices of society.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Nova asks.


    ¡°This is the last thing I¡¯d expect in a place like this,¡± Kevin observes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too shocked, honestly,¡± Anja says dramatically. ¡°These people never live by their principles.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose we just need to find out what kind of degenerate this guy is deep down,¡± Ashley comments. ¡°Let me think¡­ Does he seem more like a cokehead, or a sex pest? ¡­I¡¯m gonna guess sex pest. Let¡¯s start by checking out the prostitutes.¡±


    ¡°No ulterior motives to that, I¡¯m sure,¡± Anja says, smirking slyly.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just walk into a gentleman¡¯s club!¡± Kevin protests. ¡°We¡¯re not of age! Except for Ted.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve walked into one before!¡± Anja says.


    ¡°Uh,  you¡¯ve  walked into one before,¡± Nova points out.


    ¡°You guys can go,¡± Zoe says dourly. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think that I should go alone,¡± I say.


    ¡°Why?¡± Charlotte asks, frowning.


    ¡°These palaces play mental tricks on people,¡± I explain. ¡°Fake versions of real people will appear, and you¡¯ve talked in the past about areas and figures that can have a strong psychological effect on you. I think I¡¯m the one among us who¡¯s the least likely to be affected by carnal, sexual urges; therefore, it¡¯s the safest for me to go investigate that area.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± Nova agrees.


    ¡°Awe man,¡± Anja protests. ¡°I wanted to see some naked ladies!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the problem, Anja,¡± Ashley retorts.


    Finding no further disagreement, I enter the tent alone.


    <hr>


    I start to resent the practicality of this decision almost immediately. The scene that meets me is rather woeful. Women, in various states of undress, dancing for the entertainment of men, on poles, on stages, and in laps, or otherwise walking about to take orders or deliver drinks. As I walk around, I have to look carefully at the faces of each man, as they¡¯re all wearing similar suits and it¡¯s difficult to discern which one is Schneider from a behind glance. I notice that they seem to show a sense of anger and disgust, as if the women are repulsive to them, but they¡¯re locked in a hypnotic trance nonetheless, unable to keep themselves from watching. The women, for their part, also look mostly rather indistinguishable. They¡¯re mostly white, a majority being blonde, only a few who seem to be of East Asian descent, and their faces, in addition to plastered-on smiles brushing over a sense of passionless resignation, often show characteristics of having had plastic surgery done to them. I can¡¯t help but think of the way that Anja and Nova make goo-goo eyes at each other- the dilation of the pupils, the reddening of the cheeks- and note that there seems to be no sign of any such energy, not even the strictly sexual energy of an appreciation of beauty. It makes me wonder why the men here are even here. Truly what some musical scholars might call a wonderful caricature of intimacy.


    At any rate, I stomach the inhuman vulgarity of the situation just as long as it takes to check the place thoroughly, and none of the passionless faces are his.


    <hr>


    I exit the tent to find, to my surprise, that most of the group is not there. Only Zoe and Kevin remain. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Find him?¡± Kevin asks obliviously.


    ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°Where did everyone else go? I don¡¯t remember us discussing splitting up.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zoe says, looking around. ¡°Ashley? Anja? Nova? Even Ted is gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Charlotte¡¯s missing too,¡± Kevin observes. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anyone mention anything. Then again, it¡¯s loud in here, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought that we¡¯d know better than to split up after how poorly it went last time,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s like we don¡¯t learn anything!¡± Kevin jokes.


    ¡°What do we do, then?¡± Zoe asks.


    My heart is starting to race, enough to where it begins aggravating my asthma. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I can¡¯t see  anything  here! I don¡¯t understand the deal with this whole place at all!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not far,¡± Kevin says quickly.


    ¡°Y-yeah! They¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Zoe says, giving me an encouraging smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s not much of a plan,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason why they would simply leave without saying anything. Something must have happened to them.¡±


    ¡°W-well¡­ um¡­¡± Zoe says, looking stumped.


    I turn away, trying to hide my quickly mounting panic.


    In my line of sight is an entrance to the stadium, where the sounds of cheering ring from, occasionally interspersed with a man¡¯s voice announcing something¡­


    ¡°Come, follow me,¡± I say.


    ¡°Uh, I mean¡­ uh, okay!¡± Kevin says. ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to look around a little.¡±


    I ignore his words, and make my way into the stadium. Time to get to the bottom of this.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    I get bored immediately after Ruth goes into the tent. I kinda wish I was the one to go in. But she¡¯s also probably right that I could easily be brainwashed by the horny ladies in there.


    ¡°Hey Anja,¡± I say, ¡°Remember da time we met Moloch and he brainwashed us with his Beyonce cosplay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember that at all,¡± a voice says. ¡°Wait, who¡¯s Moloch again?¡±


    I turn my head to see that it¡¯s Charlotte standing next to me, not Anja.


    ¡°Oh, you never met him,¡± I say. ¡°Probably for the best. He¡¯s a dick.¡±


    ¡°Do you smell that?¡± Charlotte says. ¡°It smells sooo good?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I say. I sniff the air, and get a waft of something deep-fried and greasy. ¡°Probably from one of the stands.¡±


    ¡°It smells closer than that¡­¡± Charlotte says, her mouth watering. ¡°Where is that¡­¡± she starts craning her head above the crowd.


    I turn and look too. My eyes immediately see a flash of pink in the crowd. That¡¯s, uh, what?


    I push through the crowd a little bit to get a better look, and see that it belongs to a girl with dyed pink hair who¡¯s holding a huge chunk of fried chicken or something on a stick. She¡¯s also wearing what looks like a Pikachu hoodie¡­ TAMASHII HIROKA? What the FUCK is SHE doing here?


    The girl starts to speak to nobody. ¡°Yo wassup Meowsters, this is Meowtastrophe, back with another episode of Six Nights At Schneider¡¯s, let¡¯s jump right into it! I was in the mood for something meaty, so I hit up some of these food stands before getting back on the grind! Hehe, grind.¡±


    ¡­Actually, I don¡¯t think that Tamashii. Doesn¡¯t sound like her. And I don¡¯t think Tamashii has blue eyes¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s your favorite fair food? Leave a comment down below! It really helps me with the algorithm!¡±


    ¡°Hey Anja, check this out!¡± I say, turning my head back to Anja to-


    Wut? Where did she go? Actually, where did anyone go? I¡¯ve been swallowed by the crowd¡­


    ¡°OOH OOH! ME ME ME!¡± Charlotte says, chasing after her and raising her hand. ¡°MY FAVORITE IS DEEP FRIED OREOS!¡±


    ¡°Look at that chat, I found another player!¡± the pink-haired girl says, turning to Charlotte. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Charlotte!¡± Charlotte says. ¡°Can I have some? I¡¯m  so  hungry!¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a sec!¡± I say, pushing my way towards the two girls. ¡°Hi, by the way, I¡¯m Nova, Charlotte¡¯s friend.¡±


    ¡°Hey Nova!¡± the pink-haired girl greets. ¡°I¡¯m Meowtastrophe, but you can call me Jane. Wanna have some too, Nova?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, we gotta focus on our objective,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯re looking for Schneider. Know where he might be?¡±


    ¡°Schneider is one of the rarest encounters,¡± Jane explains. ¡°There¡¯s even a rumor that on the sixth night, there¡¯s a small chance you¡¯ll run into Full Metal Schneider, which instantly ends your game and deletes your save file!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that,¡± I say. ¡°Er, how many ¡®nights¡¯ have we been here¡­?¡±


    ¡°Gimme! Gimme!¡± Charlotte says, reaching her hands out and grasping at the air.


    ¡°Er, we probably  should  feed her,¡± I concede. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want her to explode again. Anyway, is there a way we can, like, grind encounters? I don¡¯t wanna look through this whole fuckin¡¯ place.¡±


    ¡°Well, you came to the right place!¡± Jane says. ¡°I¡¯m an expert glitch hunter, and I think I found an exploit that can be used to farm encounters!¡±


    ¡°Really? How?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! But first, according to my YouTube analytics, only 16% of you are subscribed to my channel. Please make sure to follow, ring the bell for notifications, and leave a five stars rating, it really helps me out! Alright, back to the video!¡±


    I scratch my head. What is this bitch talking about? YouTube hasn''t even star ratings for a long ass time.


    <hr>


    <Anja>


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± I say, shoving Ashley¡¯s shoulder lightly as Ruth enters the tent by herself.


    ¡°We¡¯re not here for fun,¡± Ashley chides. ¡°We¡¯re here to find the bastard responsible for locking up my parents and making him pay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just teasing,¡± I say. ¡°Although, if said bastard is in there, we may still get to see some tiiiiiddies¡­ wouldn¡¯t you like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a married man, Anja,¡± Ted says, having dismounted from Zoe¡¯s shoulder and approached us.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you!¡± I snap back.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just- oof!¡± Ashley suddenly lurches forward as a man behind her in a well-dressed suit crashes into her with his shoulder.


    The man looks disdainfully at us with gold-flecked, lizard-like eyes. It strikes me that I know him from somewhere¡­


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going, asshole,¡± Ashley says in a low hiss.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re standing,¡± he says snarkily before walking away.


    ¡°Jackass,¡± Ashley says, shaking her head.


    ¡°Of course he is!¡± I say as the realization hits. ¡°That¡¯s Senator Di Stefano!¡±


    ¡°Oh, him¡­¡± Ashley¡¯s fists clench. ¡°I saw his daughter¡­ outside the capitol¡­¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± I ask stupidly.


    And then, all of a sudden, Ashley charges off after him, pushing her way through the crowd.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what?¡± I ask stupidly.


    ¡°No!¡± Ted calls out, chasing after her.


    ¡°Hey Nova, what-¡± I look to my right, only to see that Nova¡¯s not there. Zoe and Kevin are waiting patiently by the mouth of the tent, apparently not having noticed anything. But Nova is gone. Feeling rather put out by this, I chase after Ashley myself.


    Ashley¡¯s crashing through the crowd like a wrecking ball, not caring who she hurts as she shoves aside well-dressed man and vendor alike. Ted follows closely behind in her broad wake.


    Ashley catches him by a bar on the outer edge by the glass. She slashes at his ankles, causing him to fall on his face. Many of the day drinkers turn to watch with interest.


    ¡°Wot in tarnation is this about?¡± Ted demands of her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make him beg for mercy,¡± Ashley declares.


    ¡°He¡¯s not our target,¡± Ted protests.


    ¡°Still a bastard,¡± Ashley growls. She kicks Senator Di Stefano onto his back and lifts a sword to his throat.


    I watch with a strange sense of delight. Ashley¡¯s finally giving up on this whole ¡°responsible one¡± shtick. I wonder if she¡¯s actually gonna do it¡­


    ¡°What is this accomplishing?¡± Ted asks.


    ¡°Destroying evil,¡± Ashley says simply.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cognition,¡± Ted points out.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that,¡± Ashley counters. ¡°Sometimes the real one¡¯s consciousness is linked, too. Like at the church.¡±


    ¡°If it is real¡­ Do you want murder on your conscience?¡± Ted asks seriously.


    Ashley doesn¡¯t respond. She stands there,  standing over the Senator, for a very long time, simply staring at him.


    Then, she sheaves her sword. ¡°No,¡± she says. ¡°Tommy, I think her name was¡­ I don¡¯t know a lot about her situation. It could only make things worse for her. And killing him now would only make him a martyr. There are too many variables¡­ and if he isn¡¯t real, then this is all pointless anyway.¡±


    She blinks, as if she had just been daydreaming. ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    I sigh. ¡°You ran off from them. Only to chicken out,¡± I say.


    She turns to me sharply. ¡°Well, what the fuck are you just standing around for, then?¡± she says. ¡°Were you just going to watch me make a fool of myself?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I say.


    ¡°What¡¯s the fucking matter with you?¡± she chides. ¡°What happened to ¡®manage your emotions¡¯ Anja?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are you mad at me for not getting mad at you?¡± I ask, perplexed.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ashley asserts. ¡°That¡¯s your fucking job!¡±


    ¡°Why is it  my  job?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Ashley growls, balling up her fists. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you like this!¡± Ted chides. ¡°What demon¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    ¡°Um, in the modern day, we call those ¡®mental illnesses,¡¯ Ted,¡± I snark.


    ¡°I have seen you like this, once,¡± Ashley observes. ¡°Waaay back, in Pavia¡¯s palace. Shit! The palace!¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s fucking with you!¡± she insists. ¡°It¡¯s making you act like a whiny little bitch again! It made me into some sort of violent psychopath! It¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be affecting Ted, but it didn¡¯t last time either!¡±


    ¡°Even if so, it only revealed our true selves,¡± I say.


    ¡°Speak for yourself!¡± she says. ¡°Now come on. Let¡¯s find out how to snap you out of it!¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°You don¡¯t get it. I don¡¯t think anyone does.¡±


    Tears rolling down my face, I turn and run, past the bar and out the front doors. I heard a guttural roar of ¡°ANJA!¡± from behind me, but I don¡¯t turn back.


    <hr>


    <Nova>


    This encounter rate SUCKS! I thought we were going to have a boss fight, not a shiny hunt!


    I enter the store again, a more upscale place than many of the casual bars in this level. It¡¯s a refined place that sells good-quality wine and liquor, which is reflected by the store¡¯s appearance, appearing more like a full-on STORE you would see in like, downtown Austin. According to Jane, because the store has a door, it¡¯s much easier to de-load the chunk to have it reload with new rng than most of the other places here- all I need to do is leave, walk into the entryway of the bathroom outside a set of stairs to the stadium¡¯s stands, and then turn around and walk back. Plus, the store¡¯s prestigious nature gives it a higher rate of spawning more ¡°high-level¡± encounters, which  has to include Schneider.


    I exit the bathroom for the twenty trillionth time to see Jane casually leaned against the wall, doing something on her phone.


    ¡°You gonna help out at all?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah, of course!¡± she says. ¡°I switched us over to a livestream for the grind sesh! Oooh, look at at that! Superchats are coming in!¡±


    ¡°Superchats won¡¯t help my encounter rate,¡± I snark.


    ¡°Ooh! ¡®MarisaKirsameSimp¡¯ donated $20 and says, ¡®tits or gtfo.¡¯ Thanks for the donation!¡±


    I feel a spike of anger. ¡°Don¡¯t sully the name of Marisa, you incel piece of shit,¡± I jab at her phone.


    ¡°Ooh! Shots fired!¡± Jane calls.


    I trod back and slam the door of the wine shop open. If Schneider¡¯s not in here this time, I¡¯m gonna fuckin-


    A woman is there this time. The cashier is handing her a bottle.


    ¡°Yes, this will do nicely,¡± the patron is saying. ¡°$700 is not much for such a fine white wine as this. Perhaps I will save it for¡­¡±


    She sees me, and after a short pause, drops the bottle, sending it crashing on the floor into a million shards of glass and droplets of wine.


    The feeling¡¯s mutual.


    Her light brown face bares her teeth at me in anger.


    I unthinkingly summon Mj?lnir to my hand¡­


    ¡°Ooh, did you find him?¡± Jane¡¯s voice says behind me.


    ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°Just my mom¡­¡±


    <hr>


    <Ruth>


    It appears at first to be a sports game of the grandest proportions. The stands are packed with cheering fans. Like in the concrete halls we came from, merchants walk to and fro. But it strikes me that I have no idea what sport is actually being played here.


    In a sort of floating pod far above the field, I lay eyes on the man commentating. He¡¯s a larger-than-life man with a large, white cowboy hat, brown sideburns, and a dusty business casual suit.


    ¡°...19 goes in for the dash!¡± he¡¯s saying. ¡°Will 23 hold on¡­?¡±


    I climb further and further up the ramp, to the arena, surrounded by a tall, chain link fence. I am just thinking it somewhat resembles a professional wrestling arena when I finally get high enough to glimpse inside¡­


    ¡°WHOAH! It¡¯s a full-on brawl, ladies and gents!¡± the crowd roars.


    What I see makes me wish I was back inside the brothel. In the middle of a rocky pit littered with what looks like long-dead vegetation, a number of dirty, shirtless men in jeans are running from spot to spot, or else digging into the ground to form a sort of makeshift shelter out of gravel and debris. Each man has a number spray-painted onto his bare back, and on a jumbotron across the screen, two of the men, the aforementioned 19 and 23 are shown, fighting like animals over something that I can¡¯t quite make out.


    ¡°What sport is this?¡± Kevin asks, frowning.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a sport!¡± Zoe says, her voice crackling with newfound emotion. ¡°It¡¯s  The Hunger Games!¡±


    I find this to be a rather fitting allusion 19 graphically bludgeons 23 with his fists, leaving the latter to fall back, face bloody. He had been holding onto the object in contention; some sort of large, blue translucent chunk, which drops to the ground as he falls.


    ¡°AAAAND 19 HAS RETRIEVED THE ENERGY SOURCE FOR HIS SPONSORS!¡± the announcer calls. ¡°GIVE IT UP FOR 19!¡±


    The crowd roars, although there are a discernible amount of boos mixed in with the cheers.


    19 snatches the ¡®energy source¡¯ and begins to hobble away as other men around begin to take note and beat their chests at him, clearly intending to make his catch theirs.


    The jumbotron changes to an advertisement: ¡° Sponsored by Vermilion Oil. Bringing You The Luxuries Of Today Since 1896. ¡±