Chapter 1
Teenage Oddity
Water pelted down on the students as they ran for the safety of the school. Not the best day to have a band practice, but the Director decided to take the chance. It wasn’t until the lightning flashed that he decided to end the practice.
“This would have been easier if we could have pushed around the mud hole,” muttered Colin. He flipped his head back, trying to get the soaking brown hair out of his eyes. The marimba was long, heavy and difficult to maneuver through the throng of band students. It kept emitting random notes from it's hard wooden bars as the rain struck them.
I can do this, just one big push. With all the strength his sixteen-year-old body could muster, Colin managed to get the massive instrument out of the mud puddle. Though, he didn’t have enough strength to pull it onto the sidewalk now.
“I’m coming!” called Alice. She ran up the muddy hill with the bag of mallets they used in her hand. She lifted one end while Colin lifted the other and they finally got the marimba under shelter and onto a solid surface.
“Thanks,” Colin said to the wet and breathless Alice.
“No problem, see you inside,” she turned and walked off. Colin stared for a moment, thinking about her sharp blue eyes and long blonde hair. Not to mention the personality of a goddess. With a shake of realization he wheeled the instrument into the dry band room. The two xylophones were already pushed against the wall, out of the way.
Colin pushed it beside them, checking to make sure everything was dry and covered. The last thing needed was the five thousand dollar instrument’s keys warping from the water.
“Detail! Atten-tion!” Everyone in the room snapped into place, holding their fists in front of them and not moving a muscle. The Director stood on his podium, making sure no one was moving. “Good, we got a lot done today. Tomorrow will be our first show and we’ve got a song and a half charted. Still some rough spots, but Hendry High only has a half of their first song charted. I’ll see you all tomorrow in class.”
Dismiss us already, me feet are gonna fall off. Colin couldn’t help but shake, pushing the Marimba had taken more out of him than he thought.
“Detail! Dis-missed!”
“With Pride!” echoed across the bare walls of the room. As the crowd made its way out of the double doors Colin took a seat. He rubbed his grey eyes, a perfect match to the outside sky. The aspect of having to ride his scooter home in the pouring rain made Colin linger.
“Want a ride?” Alice asked, smiling her radiant smile.
“Thanks.”
The rain was falling faster and heavier. Colin decided to leave his scooter at school. He had a ride in tomorrow anyway, and who in their right mind would steal a cruddy little scooter? The blue Ford Explorer made its way through the rain. Windshield wipers at full blast, and yet, visibility was near impossible.
“I can't believe how hard it’s raining,” Alice said peering at the stoplight. Colin glared at it. He had the funniest feeling in his stomach. The world felt so slow. As light turned green, a rush of panic filled Colin.
“Wait!” he yelled, Alice had barely moved an inch before slamming on the brakes.
“What!” A car flew through the light, colliding with one of the oncoming vehicles. “Holy crap!” Alice stared at the wreck a moment before turning her eyes on Colin, “How…”
“I saw him,” Colin lied. How could he have seen anything in the down pour? She still stared, not really believing him. “We should go help.” Colin opened his door and walked out into the rain.
“What have I done!” cried the man who had hit the car. He stood transfixed, unable to do anything but cry and shake in the storm. A woman rubbed her head from the driver’s seat of the second car. She was dazed, unable to think straight.
Child…Colin made a dash for the passenger side of the car, the window was busted and the door jammed. She couldn’t have been more than ten, face drenched in on pouring blood, face white.
He pulled on the handle, hoping for it open, again he pulled. He had that funny feeling again, but different. He gave a final pull and the door screeched as it opened. It looked bad, the girl wasn’t breathing. Alice helped Colin get her to the ground. The rain started to thin.
CPR… CPR. He tilted her head back and breathed into her tiny lungs. Warmth spread into Colin’s hands as he started the compressions, trying desperately to not break the girls ribs.
“Five…six…” muttered Alice, counting Colin’s compressions. He placed a hand on the girl’s forehead, tilted her head back and breathed again. She stopped bleeding, her cut sealed up right before Colin’s eyes. “Colin?”
Colour returned to her stark white face. She didn’t cough or gurgle, but breathing resumed. Her eyes fluttered open and saw Colin. The sun had reappeared showing the young girl what could have only been an angel. People cheered when the girl made a noise. Only now did he realize how many people were crowded around them. Panic started to sweep him.
“Go now,” Colin whispered as he grabbed Alice’s arm. She seemed a little affronted by it but with a look at Colin’s face went along.
“You saved her,” she whispered after a few minutes of driving, “Why didn’t you stay?”
“People…I don’t handle people well.”
“You deal with people everyday.”
“School is different, I know most of them, and not everyone’s eyes are on me.”
“You know they’ll be looking for you, right?”
“Yeah…please don’t tell anyone.”
“Why! You did a good thing, why are you trying to hide from it!”
“Because, I don’t know how I did it! You saw it too, Her cut sewed up on its own without so much as a scar! Do you want to explain how that happened?” They rode in silence until Colin’s house came into view.
“I wont say anything,” she whispered as Colin made to get out. He leaned a little closer to her.
“Thank you,” their eyes locked. A rush of excitement filled him as they drew even closer. “See ya tomorrow,” Colin pulled back, as much as he hated to.
“Right, tomorrow,” she feigned a smile as colour filled her checks. Colin walked across the damp lawn, his sneakers squelching with each step.
“About time,” said Colin’s mother when he opened the door, “I have a life, and it doesn’t revolve around you.” The few moments of joy Colin had experienced were dosed at once.
“You keep saying that yet you constantly wait around for me. I’m sixteen, I don’t need you to hold my hand.” Her black eyes glinted with malice, ready to tell Colin off for back talking.
“What is wrong with your eyes?”
“What are you on about?” She took Colin’s head in her hand, glaring into his eyes. “What is wrong with you?” With wide eyes she let go of him, like he had a disease.
“Go to your room,” she swung around to the phone, long black hair hiding the number she dialed, “I told you to get your ass upstairs!”
With a last glance he went to his room. What is her deal, she’s acting even more hormonal today than usual. The computer in the corner was all Colin needed. If he was going to get the information, he needed to act fast.
The fan kicked on when he clicked the mouse. She really should never have let me have it, Colin thought as he hacked into the phone company’s central system. All the in going and out going calls were at his fingertips. With a few keystrokes, Colin was tapping into his phone.
A slight hum escaped his headphones. A moment of silence and then a voice, “Cassandra, are you sure of what you saw?” Cassandra?
“Of course I am!” Her whisper was hoarse, even terrified, “His eyes were swimming with it.”
“Wasn’t it just raining in Alan Port?”
“Damn it! His abilities are starting to manifest. If we don’t act soon the Order will be on him. We must turn him now!”
“Fine. We’ll have someone there in a few minutes.” The computer flashed, indicating the line had disconnected. Crap! Colin flicked off the screen and unplugged his wireless card. He couldn’t risk letting the computer sit in the phone company’s system. Footsteps were growing closer; he grabbed a book and pretended to read.
“I’m going out, someone should be here in a little while to check the air-conditioning. Let them in.” she peered at the computer a moment before turning her attention back to Colin.
“Fine,” he continued to read, desperate to not look guilty. She lingered a moment before going. He waited for the door to shut, the car to start and the sound of the engine to fade into the distance.
Within a few moments there was a knock at the front door. Colin checked his computer first. It was about the only source of enjoyment in the house; without it he might die of boredom. The doorbell rang through the house, “Coming!” Colin called out of instinct.
With a few skipped steps Colin landed on the first floor. Everything was so clean, only his mother hung around down here and she didn’t do much to cause a mess. Colin peered through the window of the door and saw the repairman, face hidden by his hat. He doesn’t look shady at all, he thought sarcastically, Should I even open the door?
“Hey, kid, open up.”
“I’m debating,” Colin called back.
“Debating? You’re mom called us to fix the AC.”
“Now that I think about it, the air’s working just fine, thanks.” I will not open the door. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I will not open the door. Colin ran back upstairs and hid under his bed, as if he were a child. Something about the underside of his mattress felt safe. There was a deafening bang, the house vibrated and then everything was quiet.
Colin remained hidden under his bed, even when his mother returned. She peered into the room, but did not really check. He dared not move until late at night. He could hear the deep slumbering breathes traveling down the hall, giving the okay to come out.
“What is happening to me?” Colin stared at his dark ceiling. “Mom was a basket case before, but now…something’s wrong. I just wish I knew what was going on…”
It was nearly three in the morning when Colin drifted into a dreamless sleep. All he could hope for was a partially normal Friday.
Beep beep beep
Colin’s long arm stretched from under his sheets and slapped the alarm clock. He grumbled while he hoisted himself from the warm serenity of his bed. The sun was barely shining through the windows making it ideal for a run. As quiet as possible, he slipped on some shorts and running shoes.
Out the front door and across the lawn. Colin started at a jog on the sidewalk. He had thirty minutes to get his two miles in, the only way to keep in shape for the upcoming soccer season. The morning was wet and humid, like any other morning in Florida. Cars had dew spread across their windows as the grass glistened in the first morning’s light.
His slender physique had little trouble turning corners, or out running the dog that had gotten loose the night before.
“Bad dog! Bad dog!” Colin yelled as he ran. It nipped at his ankles, nearly able to sink its teeth into flesh when he made a daring jump over a fence. “Ha!” Colin mocked at the growling beast. Maybe I should try out for track.
“How was your run?” asked his mother when Colin returned. She sipped from her coffee mug and smiled.
“Fine, got chased by dog.”
“At least you escaped. You better go get a shower, your friends will be here soon to get you.” Was she actually being nice, something she rarely ever displayed to Colin. He sprinted up the stairs to the shower. The water was cool, relieving the heat of the run. A trickle of blood ran down his ankle into the drain from the where the dog had nicked him. It stung from the chlorine in the city water.
Clean and dry, Colin clothed himself in his red band shirt and a pair of jeans, the norm for a Friday. He scooped up his backpack when the sound of a massive truck engine entered the driveway. His mom gave a cheerful goodbye, and Colin left.
A tall, thick boy climbed out of the passenger seat of the big green truck. His football jersey was baggy without his pads under them.
“Hey, Colin.”
“Hey, Jared.” Colin pulled himself into the backseat, Jared into the front. “Hey, Jason.” The driver smiled into the rearview mirror, his green eyes matching his brother’s. The only way to really tell them apart was that Jason was number twenty-two and Jared was number twenty-five. Other than that they had the same sandy hairstyle, the same broad shoulders and the same effect on girls. Something Colin envied a little.
“Onward, to the prison!” Jared laughed, pointing out the window dramatically.
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