Young Writers Society

Vankous

"Full confession time," began Vankous," I was not expecting anyone to actually jump until I did...I probably should have been upfront about that one." He didn't have to time to say too much else however as two people had literally already jumped. He yeeted himself over the edge of the roof, cursing the stars for his hairdo now about to be messed up as he summoned years of training into attempting to catch the daredevils that had actually jumped off.

Well there was no time to mince words. "Allayas Softiarkun Groviarts," yelled Vankous, the wind almost ripping the words out of his mouth. A massive soft mattress appeared at the bottom. Not a moment too late as he felt himself slam onto the world's largest soft cushion. To his satisfaction, it enveloped him like a warm hug, slowing him down and dissipating all the momentum. He suddenly felt a little sleepy.

Susan

Susan watched as three of their group proceeded to get off the roof. She turned to Skull.

"I suggest you join them, judging by the lack of terrified screaming or an calm 'Oops" I think Vankous over there did catch them, I can occupy the wolf till then," said Susan. She suddenly realized her slip up. "Oh dear...so if you forget that he is called Vankous while you fall, that would be nice too.""

I very much wasn't going to, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

Well, there was only one thing left to do now. If I died falling, I'd haunt Nathaniel.

"See you at the bottom," I said, and then I jumped. I was thankful to discover that there was a giant cushion underneath where everyone had jumped from. It already looked like some people had hit. When I did, too, I discovered just how soft it was—I didn't feel the least bit sore.

...That had probably been Vankous, so I wasn't going to actually say that. But the thought was there.

Susan

Susan waited on the roof, an untouchable piece of bait for the wolf to jump at as the last of their little group made it off the roof safely. One she was sure of it, Susan backed up towards the edge of the roof, slowly keeping the wolf occupied. She charged it all of a sudden, running straight through it and to the other side. The distraction worked as the wolf turned charging in that direction. Before it could turn back towards where everyone had jumped off, Susan was charging back and hurling herself off the roof, not really bothered about what awaited her down at the bottom. She could float after all.

The wolf, for obvious reasons, decided a meal wasn't worth risking its life. I wondered how long it would take for the wolf to realize it could go back down the stairs to get to us. I had no idea how smart animals were. I just knew they usually had less willpower than people.

"Everyone alive?" I asked, watching the Phantom float down above us. Save for the Phantom, since she was a ghost, but that was probably implied.

Vankous

"Yes," said Vankous. He did his best to restrain the urge to add 'because of me'. Harry was very adamant about that sort of thing being frowned upon and things were dangerous enough at the moment that getting along with these people was maybe necessary.

Susan

No," said Susan as she landed. "I mean yes, I'm fine...sorry, force of habit. Although I mean the truth is...no. But that has nothing to do with the jump." She decided changing the subject was paramount right about now. "So...maybe we look for supplies somewhere...to prepare for the next thing that attacks us...preferably before it arrives?"

That...was a pretty good plan.

I got off of the cushion and gave a little stretch as I approached the street again. In the rush of the wolf attack, I had almost forgotten about the mask on my face. Now that I was trying to be more aware of my surroundings, I suddenly was all too aware of its presence.

I couldn't exactly read any of the signs above any of the buildings. Hotel and Bar had been the extent of the words I knew well. I had seen plenty of those in my time in Arium, so I knew what the words for them were. I could guess at some of the other buildings, but it wouldn't be a perfect guess.

So I switched focus and looked at the displays in front of some of the buildings instead. That was when I found the perfect place: a sporting goods store, located just down the street. I could make out what looked like special shoes and a ball to play some kind of game in its window. That would have things we could use as weapons.

"There," I said, pointing at it. "We'll be able to find what we need there."

When Sophie took her jump, she thought her entire life would pass her by, but it was only a few important memories, she realised. And then such bad embarrassing memories too! More shocked by this than by her impact and end coming in a few seconds, she didn't notice how a big, cosy mattress had appeared on the floor and Sophie was going to bounce on it at any moment.

KLING KLANG BOOM!

Several trash containers, a pile of cardboard and a street lamp were scrap metal when Sophie had bounced and slammed into the wall of the other building from the mattress. Still completely out of it and preoccupied with this embarrassing memory, she didn't notice how she was buried between some cardboard boxes and empty cans.

"Ouch."

A quick comment in front of her before she could hear Violet coming downstairs. Somehow Sophie's pulse was still at 180 and she felt like she had just done the most significant thing in her life and yet there was the bland aftertaste that this could be the passing.

With a banana peel stuck on her shoulder, she struggled through the box and cans and staggered onto the mattress, unaware that someone could fall on her at any moment.

"Watch out!" cried Violet. She frantically waved her arms to steer her away from Sophie, but it was in vain. With a thud, she landed on top of the other girl, and they both bounced off the mattress and onto the pavement.

Groaning, Violet flicked a banana peel off her face and rolled away, struggling to get her arm, which was pinned under Sophie, free. Violet sat up slowly, rubbing her head. The edges of the mask poked her hand. It was foolish, but she tried to slip her fingers under it, but the mask didn't budge. Of course. She sighed in irritation.

"Will that wolf try to follow us again?" she asked.

"No, and I absolutely can't believe I'm saying this right now," began Vankous, who proceeded to take a very dramatic sigh. "Skull is right. That does look like a great place to pillage...I mean...explore and get supplies from."

"And the wolf, if it values its life will probably not try to follow us unless it somehow manages to go down the stairs and track our scent again," said Susan. "And I'm pretty sure the scent technique won't work too well on at least some of us anyway."

"If it does follow us, we'll have some new weapons to use against it," I pointed out, nonchalant. I cast a glance over at Sophie and Violet. Their landing hadn't been as comfortable as mine had been, but neither one of them seemed too hurt.

Since no one objected to my idea, I stepped out into the street and headed towards the sports store. It would only take a minute to walk to at most.

Those were good points, Violet decided, so she stood up, shaking herself off of anymore unwanted trash. Then she pulled up Sophie by the shoulders and set her down on her feet, making sure the girl wasn't going to fall down again.

The sports store Skull pointed out was just down the street, and he was already heading towards it. Violet glanced one last time at the roof. The wolf didn't appear over the edge. It also wasn't making any noise, at least none she could hear.

With a deep sigh, she followed their defacto leader.

Sophie had reacted far too late when she was hit by Violet and was again lying in a heap somewhere. She couldn't really defend herself. While the others were still discussing, the chicks were spinning around her head and the confusion of how she had got here was growing.

With a slight look on her face and a bit of a hurried mood, she staggered through the alley and landed on the mattress before rising again when she heard "sports store".

"Let's go there! That's where I get a pitching machine and I'm invincible!"

She straightened up again to follow the others but the chicks around her head turned her legs the other way and she slammed into the cold wall at the end of the alley. With a brief moment of reflection, she ran after the others to the street.

Pitching machine? I didn't know what that was, but I had some ideas just from the name. Sophie was on the right track looking for one.

"I'll get one of those machines, too," I decided as we neared the store. When I opened its door and confidently stepped inside, I was met with exactly the kind of sight I had been expecting: a filled store devoid of people. There were all sorts of sports clothes and equipment scattered throughout the store. It almost reminded me of the clothing store Nikko and I usually went to. Just like that one, I wondered why this one had never been officially closed down.

Vankous

Vankous briefly wondered if this store was going to turn out to be a bad idea. If this crew armed themselves with deadly weapons, some of them were far more likely to hurt themselves and each other rather than any opponents.

"Well let's get searching shall we? I would advise against splitting up. The movies aren't wrong when they show us how horrible of an idea it is."

Violet shrugged her shoulders, but it was a good idea. "Let's work our way around the store. We can start with the heavy hitters." She nodded eagerly toward a rack of golf clubs.