F U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The 2nd Novel )
Secret Technology, Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
© May 2015 Written by David Wicker
Please do not reprint without permission
CHAPTER 38 - "Change Of Heart"
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This chapter is Rated: EVERYONE
I woke up earlier than normal. I paused in thought. Hey ! Maybe SIM would be ready for me now ! That would be wonderful !
"Sim ?" I asked excitedly.
There was no answer.
"Sim ... ?" I repeated quieter. Still no answer.
"Ok." I huffed and took a quick shower then got dressed and saw Dad downstairs, absorbed in reading the newspaper again. Lilly was there too.
Her eyes looked red like she had been crying for sometime. I knew where Tyr was. SIM had told me that earlier, but I also knew if I TOLD Lilly, my parents would wonder where =I= got that information from.
Also, I saw my Mom had apparently made an earlier errand that morning to somewhere as she stepped through the front door. She had her shiny little purse with her. She also had a little folder she was carrying and set it on the table.
Curiosity got the better of me and I looked inside as she went into the kitchen, and I saw it was empty. Whatever she had, she had already dropped off.
Then I read the side of a receipt and the words read, "Invitations." I knew I didn't have any friends to speak of except for Lilly and Tyr so I wondered where she could've possibly posted them about my birthday.
"Lilly ..." I started but she gave me a look like I had better not say too much right now. "Hokay." I whoofed out and we hadda quiet bit of breakfast while my Mom & Dad talked about what they were going to do for my celebration.
I was concentrating so intently about rescuing Tyr with my newfound powers that I didn't hear my Mom until Lilly kicked me under the table. "Humf ?" I asked.
"Dev, honey, I was just asking you, did you want Vanilla frosting for your cake ?"
"Oh yaph." I said, my mouth full of the sugary sweet cereal.
"Ok." she said and smiled at me. I looked at her smile. I knew in time I would never see that smile again if I went ahead with my plans. Nothing could stop the design for the Barrier now, not my parents, bullies, the government, Arkos, nothing on Earth could stop me. Nothing.
I slurped down the rest of my milk in my cereal bowl rather rudely, but my Mom was caught up in talking with Dad about the party arrangements, and they were whispering to each other so I couldn't hear them.
They stopped for a moment to look down and smile at me making me feel younger than I really was.
My face tinged red with embarrassment which only made them smile wider. I would miss my Mom especially ... She would never actually see me grow up. But I told myself years ago, even when I had gray hair at the age of 15, I never would anyways.
I looked to Lilly and she motioned to the door as she, too, was done with breakfast.
"Ok Mom I'm off for school !" I said suddenly, and grabbed my backpack. Lilly got hers, solid black I noticed with what looked like red vampire fangs dripping blood down the back of it.
I never did understand Lilly and her obsession with blood. I grimaced at it. But I'd trade that for Tyr's dippy little Polly Rocket backpack any day.
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As soon as we were cleared out the door Lilly started to blurt out as if I was accusing her of something. "Dev I did everything I could but they came so fast and I couldn't do anything and Tyr started sucking on her damned finger again and I kicked her to stop it and they didn't say they were really bad people and a big man pushed a gun up against my neck and ..."
She stopped because she was crying. I reached over and gave her a hug. I really wasn't one to hug people, but I could tell she really could use one right now. Her face was so hot against my chest. She stopped crying and looked up at me. I didn't know how to tell her that everything was going to be okay now.
Now that I had SIM and that I could invoke it anywhere, but ... I had to wait until he was integrated properly. I knew he would let me know when he was ready for me to take command.
"Lilly," I began, "You remember how SIM gave Choo-Choo, your pet squirrel, the ability to talk ?"
She nodded. For a moment she looked to her shoulder, but when she first had the squirrel, she was not permitted to have it in class at school, so I knew that he was probably at home with her mother, Coraline. She looked away hurriedly like she was not trying to look for him. I know she wanted the comfort of him right now.
I continued, "What if I told you that I could invoke SIM now wherever we were, even at school ?"
"Can you do that ?" she asked excitedly. Then she added, "We could go back to the site where I know she's at and - " and then her voice trailed off as she believed that, I, too, wouldn't believe her story about where she really was right now.
I held her shoulders tightly to show I was serious about trusting her, "No, Lilly, I believe you. I asked SIM, and I know that she's underground at Arkos too. We're going back there, tonight if we can ! And if Arkos is looking for gifted children, and then I paused to make my voice sound like Jack Nicholson, "Just wait until they getta load of me !"
She giggled, and it was good to see her smile, after having been so upset the past few days. I know she was blaming herself for Tyr being kidnapped by Arkos, and right under her fingers too. But I also knew she couldn't have fought that needle gun, if that's what they jabbed her with.
We entered the school and she went to the main office to let the principal know about Lilly's arrival as it was her first day at this school. As for me, I went to my locker noticing that they still hadn't fixed the girl's bathroom door from the last time the girls popped it off its hinges earlier.
But as I started to turn around the corner, I saw Scant standing right next to my locker. And he had a silly smile on his face like he was a nice guy or something. I was definitely not used to that.
I HAD to see what was happening. I stood around the corner where he couldn't see me.
"Listen up, pups," he said to his cronies which were leaning on the other lockers. "Tyr is gone, that means we're FRIENDS with Dev now, got it ? That means NO MORE swirlies, ever !"
One of his "pups" muttered under his breath. "Aww, c'mon - " but Scant gave him a severe look and he shut up before he could finish his tirade.
I puzzled my nose with my finger. What could he possibly be up to ? Was he being sincere ? Today was Wednesday so I knew I would be getting my weekly swirlie from him and his friends after I had my lunch during recess in the library.
It was - terrible. The stupid ritual started in 2nd & 3rd grade with a buncha mean girls originally. There were 4 altogether.
A small timid girl whom I became friends with later, two mean girls, one of which was very pretty in a hard way with lightly lemon-colored hair, a red-headed hothead that had her hair tied up in pigtails and wore huge sunglasses, apparently to hide her identity, and the last was a bigger muscular one apparently to keep the other ones in line.
I was only 7-years old at the time and tricked into going into the girls' restroom with them. They said it was a special surprise for me, and once I went in with them, giggling like mad, they tugged and pushed me in one of the stalls kicking the back of my knees out from under me when I just about tripped over the commode in front of me.
I automatically fell into a kneeling position and jerked away trying hard not to let them smash my head into the sides of the porcelain as I was thinking was their intent.
While I didn't fight them, I was covering my eyes with my hands with my elbows so I wouldn't fit as looking inside toilets had always scared me at that age.
END OF CHAPTER 38
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