Why Latin is A Dead Language

I will confess, I doubt I've ever written any action scene quite like this one before. Please tell me exactly what you think. If there's anywhere I can improve, let me know!

I looked for them that entire day. I couldn't get them out of my mind. Is that why they were looking at me like I was crazy? Can they see me, too? For real? As in, I don't look to them like whatever the doctor said I did?

Oh, I hope so!

Finally, finally! Someone else in the world who could understand. If they could. I hadn't seen any color my eyes could detect in the Real World in a long time, not since the encounter in the movie theater parking lot.

I was sitting at the lunch table with the "friends" when I remembered it. And suddenly, my stomach dropped.

They looked human. But were they?

Oh no, oh NO! I thought, remembering the night too well. But it had been burned into my mind.

 

I've always hated the movie theater.

Like a library, the films always scared me. Not because the films themselves were scary or anything, but because they weren't real, because there was always some actor, some director behind it. And my mind could create these weird creatures. What could these people create?

The "friends" had insisted I went, saying the movie was a must-see, and I'd be missing out. I went, but not because of that, but because it was the midnight premeire and more time awake equals less time in the Other Side.

The film was terrible, I must say. It was some kind of stupid high schooler supernatural romance thing, and I can't believe I wasted about two hours of my life on it. It didn't really matter, though. It probably wasn't real.

Or maybe it was. I had given it a lot of thought, and I had been thinking--is my mind capable of coming up with this stuff? I don't know. It seemed so real, and yet, so . . . not.

I had ridden with Mary, Amber, Denyse, and their parents to the theater, and they all had to go to the bathroom, and then Denyse left something in the theater, and then Mary lost her phone. It was pretty bad, but somehow, I had ended up standing outside, alone, waiting for them after pretty much everyone had filed out.

I was leaning against the wall, tapping my fingers on my arm impatiently. I was also extremely tired, and my eyes were drooping shut.

Stay awake, I told myself. They'll be out any minute now.

I looked at the doorway, willing anyone to come out. I was getting kind of agitated, as it had been at least ten minutes.

I shook my head. You're fine, Zila. Fine.

My eyelids began to shut. Maybe . . . they won't mind if . . . I just . . .

Sssshhhadow . . . something hissed.

My eyes flew open and I stood up straight. I turned around, looking at the door, then looking behind me, then looking back in front of me. Taking a chance, I said, "Hello?"

Sssshhhadow . . .

I freaked. Whatever was talking definately didn't sound human.

I thought about making a run for the door to go inside. Why was I standing out there, anyway? It was really cold . . .

Sssshhhadow . . .

"This isn't funny!" I yelled. I doubted anyone would call me Shadow unless they knew about the Other Side. So what was it?

I got my answer quickly.

Out of the foggy dark, a red figure crawled out. A red so deep, so rich, so . . . identifiable, I knew it wasn't a normal color, but a true one.

I backed up, my heart pounding.

The creature looked like a zombie wolf, with bright yellow eyes and teeth sharper than daggers. Its flesh was thin and at some points eaten away; I could see its ribcage.

Don't worry, it said. Well, sort of. The words just kind of came into my head, as if it were telepathically talking to me. Which it very well may have been. If you hold still, your death will be quick and painless.

"What--what are you?!" I said. I stopped backing up and held my ground, inches from the wall. I would not be cornered. If this thing was looking to kill me, I had to stop it somehow.

I am an Insomnes Lupus, he said. The Sleepless Wolf.

I had to think, fast. "So, I bet you're just dying to take a break, huh?" I stalled, considering my options. There was a half full barrel of popcorn just set down on the ground near me . . . if I could reach it . . .

The wolf--imsomnes lupus, whatever--snarled. Stop being an idiot, he growled. Are you the one called Shadow?

My knees started to shake. "I really don't know. Am I called 'Shadow?'"

Do not play games with me! Are you, or are you not the one called Shadow?

"I don't know," I said shakily, my voice cracking. "That's why I'm asking you."

The wolf sighed, if wolves can sigh. Say your name.

I didn't reply.

Say it! The wolf barked.

"Penelope Watson!"

Liar! You are the Zila, aren't you? The Shadow.

"I . . . Zila is a pretty weird name, actually. Why on Earth would my name be that?"

I think something happened, something that told it that I was the person it was looking for.

So you are the Shadow! I cried, then leaped for me.

Without even knowing what I was doing, adrenaline pulsing through my veins like it was my blood, I lunged for the popcorn and then threw the barrel in its face.

The barrel landed on his face, popcorn going everywhere. I got up and ran for the door just as the dog shook the popcorn off of him.

Locked. Of course. Why on EARTH WAS IT LOCKED?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The wolf was coming from me. I ran, looking for anything I could use to defend myself. There was a wood, right beside the movie theater. I could run in there, or grab a stick, or . . . something!

I just reached the woods when the wolf caught up to me and sank his teeth into my ankle. I fell to the ground, hard, thankfully in the grass.

The wolf let go. I grasped my ankle, blood pouring into my hand. "Owww!" I moaned.

The dog jumped on top of me, knocking me back on the ground, face up. 

I I told you to hold still, it whined. But no matter. It's more fun to do it the hard way.

The wolf jerked forward, as if to bite the heart right out of me (and I had no doubt he could) just as I grabbed onto a pretty thick stick and shoved it into its mouth, holding it back

It growled, biting down on the stick, I could feel it start to break.

I did the only thing I knew to do. I threw the wolf over my head, using the stick. And then I ran right back to the parking lot, trying to ignore the terrible pain in my ankle. Man, the people watching the security tapes are getting a show right now.

I heard the wolf whimpering behind me, but I wasn't sure how far back. I didn't dare to look, just kept running as fast as I could back to the parking lot.

There were two cars still left in the parking lot, one of which was the one I had ridden home in. The car was filled with junk. Surely there had to be something in there I could use, if I got lucky and the door was unlocked.

It wasn't.

Groaning, I looked back at the wood. The wolf had not yet emerged.

Should I make a run for it?

It seemed like the best option at the time. I ran, fast, down the side of the street, which was surprisingly empty. Normally there were thousands of cars going down this road, no matter the time of day.

Suddenly, I heard barking behind me. I looked back. The wolf was coming.

I sprinted, but it was no use. It was too fast, and my ankle was killing me. I made it to this alley between an apartment building and a candle store--why is it that everyone seems to die in an alley?--before it caught up to me.

The dog forced me to back up to a corner, and my back hit the wall in no time. It sucked, let me tell you.

I looked around. There was a trash can, so close, but I couldn't reach it, not from here.

The wolf limped toward me, still whimpering. Just because you throw hard does not mean I can't still kill you.

"It doesn't? I was kind of hoping it did." I looked down at my ankle, which was staining my blue jeans badly.

I suddenly felt seriously weak. How much blood had I lost?

The dog lunged again, and I dove and surprised myself when I grabbed its foot and then flipped it.

The dog hit the ground hard, wincing.

Uhhhhh . . . ohhhhhh . . . it moaned.

I looked at the trash can, which I was now standing beside. There was a long metal rod, meant for pulling down the escape ladder.

I grabbed it as the wolf stood back up, limping, barely able to move.

I shall not be deafeated! It cried.

Lunging for me again, I whacked it with the rod, and it hit the back wall and fell to the ground, unmoving.

The world began to spin, and fell over, my ankle throbbing.

Suddenly, I heard this voice, but it seemed so distant.

"Oh, no!" a deep-ish voice cried. I felt hands pick me up.

I looked up and saw a figure, but I was so tired and weak I couldn't really see it that well.

"Hello?" it said. "Can you hear me?"

I groaned.

A higher voice, right behind it, cried, "What happened?"

"The insomnes lupus . . . it got her."

"Why on Earth would one of those be after her?!"

"I don't know, she looks mortal, I--wait. Do you see that?"

"What?" The higher voice got closer.

"Concentrate."

Silence. "What the crap?!" the higher voice exclaimed. "She's--"

"One of us," the deep voice finished.

"We've got to get her back to the others!"

"You're right."

"Well, come ON, Nate!"

"Don't worry," the deeper voice said. "We'll save you. I promise."

I looked up and tried as hard as I could to see the person. Just before I blacked out, I saw

a bit of the person.

Silver eyes. Not gray. Silver.

Then blackness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[CreativeCookie]

Why do you ALWAYS have to leave me hanging? I'm practically shaking with excitment here, and you leave me hanging! Who are they? What do they know about Zila? I NEED answers! (or you could always just write another chapter, that works to)
Love,
CreativeCookie