Tikity tea and tikity too,

time for a little fun with you!

Tidder my hat, but before I do that,

this is the time that I do!

He entered the room, not a womb or a tomb,

how mighty he’ll loom...

… for his doom.

So let’s assume, that there’s room,

for his gloom,

to consume!

Wicciwee! Hiccihoo!

Lorentine! Florentine!

To slime! To glisten! To gleem!

To dine! Finished and waxed!

No time for hats!

Let’s relax? And release, at our own lazy lax!

Ha ha ha!

Leento and gleento,

all bloated and stinko.

Not fine! It’s mine!

For alas, little lass! Your new friend’s an ass,

a fool at all that he’ll do!

Triddle and traddle, come sit on my laddle,

I’ll saddle, and spank, and I’ll do!

Crackit and crickit,

hear the man rickit.

Just frick it.

Don’t lick it, he’ll swoon.

Fre lee dee dee dee.

No shit and no pee.

This silly ‘ol man is me!

Not a turtle! Or a hurdle!

Not old and not young,

nor fallin' to me glum,

I ain’t this old fool that ye see!

Wee hee hee!

Hoo hoo, you!

A drink? … Don’t mind if I do!

~Ramblings of a Drunken Fool, XIV

~Feldyn Goldchord, the Endless Bard

* * *

Caleb’s feet were thrown out from under him. The violent heaving of the ground didn’t cease for a few more seconds. It looked like everyone, save Gigi, had also been knocked flat.

What was going on? Possible memory loss, and now earthquakes? And yet somehow… he just felt like going with it. The only real emotion, or sensation at the moment… was overwhelming excitement about the current situation. Nothing else. Unless confusion was an emotion? Well, plenty of thoughts too; just no other feelings really… Or…

Dammit, he just didn’t feel right! And that was keeping his excitement under control. That and the confusion. And... whatever else he was or wasn't feeling?

Gigi announced how fun that was, then returned to dancing, now to skipping music. Pazely just lay on her back, repeatedly sighing, looking at her fingernails. Every mirror was cracked and splintered, several pieces completely shattered, leaving huge bare spots on the wall. Bryan was sitting, bleeding a little on his left shoulder. He didn’t seem to mind.

Ally -fan service probably not intentional- sat up scowling. At least someone cared. Her eyes went to the foolish-looking man in the wig, and her expression changed to pissed. That was unlike Ally. She always kept her anger in check, only showing the emotions she wanted people to see. They all were that way, to an extent, Ally was just the best at it.

Looking at her through tinted glasses, the dipshit in the wig figured Ally was justly irritated. He had to admit, the timing and ferocity of that storm was inconvenient, at best. He liked the girl. She reminded him a bit of one of his sisters… Regardless, he was wrong. Ally wasn’t just irritated. And when his thoughts cleared a bit, and he properly focused on eyes that glared directly into his, the man realized just how furious she was.

“That was fun,” Hippy-wig announced with an all too happy smile, rising to his feet with an almost unnatural grace. Trying to deflect, or dissolve, Ally’s anger -and failing- by acting casual, he brushed dust off his awkward and fucktugly green corduroy jeans, and fixed his buttoned tie-dyed shirt.

Ally and Gigi (the latter had stopped dancing to stare at the strange man) both made a grimacing face at his ridiculously annoying perfect white teeth smile, that he was flashing around the room. The energetic head wiggling thing he did made him look like such an ass that you wanted to slap him. When he threw in some annoying shimmies, even the two boys glared at the douchebag.

Wiggling around, more creepy than a caterpillar in heat, Hippy-wig made his way over to the skipping music to correct it. When was the dance world ever going to go digital?

Outside, the sounds of sirens could now be heard in the distance, as well as several car alarms. The sound from inside the studio was one of panic; there were shouts, and sounds of girls of many ages crying. Possibly even a few mothers… The lights were still on in their room, one of the fixtures having ruptured. At least there was still power.

Caleb could now smell smoke. Or had he been smelling it all along?

Music no longer skipping, the annoying man turned around with a, “Hiyuck!” laugh sounding thing, and clapped his hands. “What a quick way to warm up!” he seemed to sing in an accent Caleb couldn’t place. For one thing, singing in an accent wasn’t something his mind could grasp well. He sounded vaguely Irish, or maybe Scottish...

*PoP!* *Sn~AP!*

Reba, standing and furious, couldn’t hold back from verbalizing her anger. “What the hell is wrong with you?” she snapped to the guest instructor, who raised a blond eyebrow above his oversized lenses. “‘Twas it not a quick warm-up?” his face pouted with annoying exaggeration.

“‘Twas?!” Ally practically spat the word at him as she stood, stealing Reba’s point position on yelling at this fool. “The fuck it ‘twas not!”

“Ally!” Reba sounding truly startled at the girl’s rude use of language, temporarily forgetting her anger at this Goldy character.

That actually caught the attention of Goldy, snapping his thoughts back lucid momentarily. If this young, beautiful, sexy, edible, er… Edible? … Oh! If this teacher thinks Ally’s outburst was so unusual, then perhaps something is more off than he thought. ... Thought. Thought was hard. Hmmm. Interesting. Must be clue!

He mentally gave himself (and managed to physically feel) a pat on the back for being so smart, as he giggled and a mirror pane to his left shattered while he stood, looking clueless. Desperately trying to think in his temporary insanity, he was focusing as hard as he could. So why was thinking of a way to fire flaming applesauce from a homemade cannon so interesting and important at the moment? What was in that damn drink. It had to have been a hallucinogen. 'And damn, now I am headbanging and giggling in utter hysterics! Lovely!'

Headbanging, giggling, and grinding some wickedly intense gyrations to the J-rock beat that was playing form only one speaker, he felt ashamed and humiliated. Why? Because he currently looked about as shameful as one could get.

“Why are you so stupid?” Gigi asked him. Hippy-wig suddenly quit headbanging and pulled down one side of his sunglasses, revealing an emerald-green eye. Tilting his head to look at Gigi, he asked, “Why are you so ugly, hmm?” Flat and rude was his tone to this tiny girl he had heard so much of, but had yet to meet. Was that not a natural answer when one asked you about your own stupidity? When her expression froze like he had pressed her pause button, he figured it must not have been. “Hmm?” was all he could muster, suddenly feeling guilty.

“Mr. Goldy!” Reba shouted, whipping around from where she stood, having walked over to check on -and lecture- Ally.

Goldy hadn't seemed to notice, instead frozen in place, looking into Gigi’s wide open almost perfectly circular, eyes. no one should be able to open their eyes that wide without looking comical, or strange. This little girl, it looked like a natural expression. And... unsettling. Deeply, chillingly so. A wrongness his befuddled mind pushed to this side; bright emerald eyes, with a hint of lime, reminding him of his own. Of his sister.

Her tiny bottom lip began quivering violently, tears streaming freely, her wide eyes closing to normal size, and like that, a horrific memory slapped him -for now, at least- back to reality. Gigi remained silent in her sadness. Knees steady, hands held in tight little fists.

'Ye God, what am I doing? How cruel of me!' Still looking into her eyes, that gaze continued to instill emotions in him. He wanted to be afraid, but couldn't. That cold dread was still present, yet... a familiarity, a... nostalgic safety, nagged at his mind. Like a mother, her glance reassuring her babe all was right with the world, and no monster could harm him.

Making this little girl so sad truly was an atrocity that cut him deeply. “I ‘tis sorry, Gigi,” he apologized, not adjusting the drastically crooked sunglasses or wig. Kneeling, he took Gigi’s hand. There was a tenderness in the moment, this idiotic person now controlled, that just made you… not want to interrupt.

Pazely and Caleb were craving some serious popcorn.

“I was only trying to be funny. And playful,” his voice was kind and soft. “Don’t cry, alright?”

“I’m not crying,” Gigi sniffled, no longer sounding in the least sad, tears staining her freckled cheeks. “Why do you know my name?” she asked abruptly, before adding, “and why are you so confusding?”

Goldy was surprised. Not at the invention of her adorable new (he thought it was new) word “confusding” - but at how easily she caught he knew her name, without her ever having said it. She was quick for a girl of her age. Or perhaps that’s something anyone would notice quickly? He was struggling desperately against these odd impulses once again; Gigi debacle forgotten, remembered, forgotten, remembered again, in rapid succession.

He definitely felt like he was on some type of hallucinogenic… and a mighty good one at that! “Well, I, uh…” struggling for words, this wasn’t like him. Dammit, he had to have been drugged! Taking a deep breath, “I have heard a lot about you,” Goldy smiled, and looked up to meet Ally’s eyes.

The ground heaved violently again.

The power went out, plunging the windowless room into darkness, the floor splitting and cracking.

Again, Gigi managed to remain standing.

The smell of smoke seemed to be everywhere now, and the sounds of chaos outside, and inside, were unmistakable.

The sirens however, remained the same. A small town only had so many, after all.

…*crack* … *snap* … *crack*… almost… there… *pop*… …

…*creak*…

Caleb crawled quickly to Pazely in the darkness, whom had cried out during the quake; Bryan hopping over him, heading to their fallen teacher. “That hurt like hell,” Paze grumbled when he reached her, not even getting the chance to ask if she was okay. “You’re a liar!” Ally shouted in the darkness while Pazely got to her knees. Caleb saw, from the bit of light in the hallway from some sources or other, the silhouette of Ally as she ran out of the room.

“Go check the minis!” Reba ordered Bryan, who knelt by her. She seemed to know he frowned in the dark. “They need you more, it’s just my ankle.” Then added, “go!” At that, he stood and left. Then, the form of a child chasing after her cousin, ran out right after. “Dammit,” Caleb snapped, and with Pazely now standing and fine, took off after the kid, Paze following.

Sighing, Reba lay in the darkness. Why were the kids acting so strange? “Mr. Goldy, a hand please?” the teen girl asked. Had to keep up appearances. Unlike the kids (and this moronic psychopath in bad clothes) she was concerned. These storms didn’t happen for no reason. Why couldn’t anything in her ife ever stay normal?! At least she had hurt herself like a normal person. Messing up her ankle by stumbling? It was so absurd she would have laughed if alone.

“Good idea, we should get outside in case the building were to collapse!” he seemed to sing in the darkness, the girl did not find so dark. “Um, sure,” she replied, making a mental note to kick his ass later. Then, when he practically pranced out of the room, that mental note became a vow.

* * *

Caleb ran straight down the hallway, dimly lit by flashlights and candles, dodging injured (or melodramatic) people everywhere. It looked like part of the ceiling had collapsed, and a big portion of the hallway wall was gone. Passing Bryan, who was doing the unofficial medic thing, he made it to the lobby, which was much brighter due to the grim daylight outside, seeing Gigi already out the door. “She’s a fast little shit,” Pazely commented, then looked about, hoping no adults heard her. The child was fast indeed. Caleb ran after her, Pazely following quickly behind.

Outside, the sun was almost set, and parking lot looked like a meth addict went through it with a backhoe. Several trees were knocked down, and Caleb could now see the neighboring properties and road in front of them, though most of the east and west trees were still standing strong. The ground in the parking lot was broken everywhere, holes and upheaved land all over. The rips, mounds, and holes were not exactly end of the world quality, but still, what the hell?!

As soon as he ended his thought, a large crackling arc of electricity (which seemed to also burn with a white-blue fire) stretched the length of the parking lot, from left to right, some twelve feet at its highest. Not even bothering to recoil, Caleb was stunned at the sight. Literally, as there was a bight flash immediately after, and a bang. Bright and loud, though not blinding or earsplitting. Like having a camera flash go off in your face, alongside a -big- firecracker.

All around the parking lot, amidst the chaos and mayhem of upheaved ground, flipped cars, and background sounds of the apocalypse… people ran around, and panicked, like people do… but no one seemed the least bit alarmed at the actual burning electric storm itself.

Stranger still was that Caleb didn’t really feel the need to be confused. Everything seemed completely confusing, yet he was good with it. Did that even make sense? Sorta devil may care thing. Sorta not. He should be freaking out, shouldn’t he? At least have a faster pulse than normal! Caleb then became quite aware of his pounding heart.

… *crrrrEEEeeak* … …… not good… *pop*… *POP8… *SnAp*……

Pazely (ignoring Caleb who's mouth was hanging open, hand held as if trying to block a glare), didn’t really give much of a shit, and didn’t overthink it. She wasn’t totally sure why, but knew the storms were happening again. Yet this time, she wasn’t really afraid.

Off to the side, she saw Gigi climbing on a car to get to a tree branch. Pazely made little fists, and began stalking that way. She may not give much of a shit at the moment, but she was about to give Gigi what she did -ooooh, she SO did- give!

Stryker came bursting out of the trees some yards down from where Gigi was now hanging from a branch, driving a fucking limousine. Launching from the seven foot or so higher ground on that side of the lot, he hit the gravel, and went into a drift, sliding hard and fast across the parking lot. Eventually he hit broken ground and the limo came to a stop, front facing the studio, tilted toward Caleb and Pazely at a slight angle.

“STRYKER!” Pazely screeched, tree-climbing child forgotten. “I’m having a bad, baaaaaaaaaaaaad day!” Her following groan included a head roll. She seemed oblivious to the second and third sets of flaming lightning arcs.

People were now clearing the parking lot, heading back inside. If the storms and quakes weren’t enough, now vehicles were bursting out of the trees.

Reaching Stryker’s rolled down window, “Why must you add to the problem?” Paze sighed to him, popping out a hip. “The storms are bad, and we seem to all be crazy!” she said with another -deeper- sigh and crossed her arms. “Gigi is being obnoxious, Ally is extremely pissy, and you come flying out of the trees in a limo.” Pazely cocked her head and looked off to the side some. “Does this town even have a limo?” she asked absentmindedly.

Stryker, with his broken sunglasses only half on his face, an inch sized piece of scalp missing above his left eye, police uniform and jacket covered in dirt, and no radio, just stared at her. Blood and mud caked in his hair, with no small amount on his face and shirt, although it was much less than you would expect from a head injury. Knuckles bruised and bloody, he couldn’t even muster a sigh. These kids would never cease to confuse the hell out of him.

Behind Caleb, who was still standing there looking derped, Mr. Goldy wiggled out the doors of the studio, past the people going in. His wig was righted, and sunglasses no longer crooked. He walked up next to Caleb, and stood with thumbs in belt loops. He looked ridiculous, and made Caleb look more so himself.

“Who the hell is that?” Stryker asked Pazely, momentarily forgetting the chaos at the sight of this goofy-looking stranger. But before Pazely could answer, the forgotten Ally yelled from the far end of the parking lot, “Do you really not remember?!”

Assuming she was shouting to him, Caleb turned around and stared at her, puzzled. “Remember what?” At his question she sobbed once, loudly. “This is your fault!” she cried out in accusation. Caleb again thought she was still talking to him. “We did your stupid ritual, but now everything is FUCKED!”

“Ally…” Goldy said quietly, startling the boy who didn't know he was there. Looking to Caleb, then to Pazely, Mr. Goldy seemed to be in a different mood as he spoke. “You… really don’t remember, do you?” his tone was grave. “Isn’t it obvious yet!” Ally screamed at him. “You never said this could happen!” She was staring at the man next to Caleb as if she was waiting for an answer to some question not asked. “But…” Goldy mumbled quietly enough that none but Caleb could hear, “It wasn’t even real…”

“Everyone forgot… the summer?” Caleb asked, looking from person to person. “I remember everything.” Pazely said, although her voice finally showed a bit of concern. “Then, do you know me?” Goldy asked, walking towards her brisk and eager. “Ew, no!” she snapped, and he froze halfway. Looking a bit hesitant, “I don’t know any freaks like you!” was the defiant answer, though Stryker noticed she leaned a little towards the limo. “Pazely, I think we can drop the charade. Something may not be right! Do ye know me?” Goldy asked again, sounding desperate and frightened, yet grinning like a kid on Christmas.

When Pazely shook her head no, he dropped his chin into his waiting hand. Hair (well, wig) hanging in his face as he tilted his head down and wandered off to the side near where the limo had made its dramatic entrance. This made no sense! He could not have caused this; it was impossible! “Did you all go stupid or something?!” Ally yelled. They were acting like they were all too stoned or something! Even then, you wouldn’t be so casual during this type of a situation! Why was this happening!? He must have lied! That stupid ritual must have caused this!

“You told us to trust you,” Ally called more calmly. “You said it would help us, that it would help the storms! Now it’s gone! Now everything is fucking gone!” With that, Ally turned and stormed off into some fallen trees, back behind the studio into undeveloped woodland they sometimes hung out in.

Pazely started crying, then promptly slapped Stryker as he tried to comfort her from the window of the limo, her tears stopping as abrupt as they had began. “What the fuck is going on with you guys?” Stryker asked threw clenched teeth. Ally was the only one that seemed lucid, and she was more angry and out of control than Stryker had probably seen her, ever. What was she talking about? Who forgot what? And why the hell was Gigi in a freaking tree!!

Stryker began bitching at Pazely for letting the child climb a tree in this situation, as Mr. Goldy stood, chin in hand, clueless to the world around him while he pondered.

How could any of this have happened? That was all that Mr. Goldy kept thinking, over and over again. He may have stood there for hours if the next quake hadn’t hit. And hit it did, hard and fast. Someone in the parking lot screamed as a hunk of earth heaved a car up and onto its side.

Gigi finally lost her footing, belly flopping on the large branch when the tree tipped suddenly. The violent quaking ended, but the tree kept tipping.

A little girl (people had started to filter back out to the parking lot again) screamed as the tree began falling, wide-eyed Gigi remaining on her belly until she was nearly upside down, and shoulder-rolled free before it hit the ground, scurrying clear as branches crashed down around and behind her. Geeg calmly looked back, shirt tucked into the top left of her pantsu. Frowning, “I liked that tree,” she said, with a sigh out her nose, completely ignoring the woman that ran to her side to see if she was okay. Of course she was okay! She fell farther than that all the time. Wasn't a big deal, old people were just dramatic. It was probably why they died so easy. Drama and dumb.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Stryker was looking apprehensively at the huge pieces of earth that had risen near the vehicle he sat in, he wondered if a well-placed bullet or two would help them focus… “Pazely, will you please give me a hand here?” Stryker asked the Asian that had also been taken off her feet from the quaking. He needed at least one of them to cooperate. Pazely proceeded to give him a smartass grin, and some applause from where she sat on the gravel. “What are you all on?!” Stryker shouted in frustrated accusation.

“All you said was now,” the tsundere answered, quitting her applause. Stryker honestly couldn’t remember if he had even said anything with ‘now’ in it. “Just hurry up and get in the vehicle!” he pleaded. “You kids ain’t got nobody coming for you, right? I need to get you all somewhere safe!” Even in his frantic urgency, when he thought about it, he wasn’t even sure why he was so panicked to help them. Nor why he half killed himself getting up here. If he took the time to think about it, his own actions made about as much sense as the kids he was near hysteric to protect.

Pazely just blinked at him, as if she didn’t understand why sitting around outdoors in such a situation was unsafe. In fact, sitting indoors wasn’t really any safer.

“Dammit, this is one of those times I wish Ally was here!” he bitched loudly. Of course she had run off! Ally was the one that generally managed to keep a level head, and everyone out of trouble. Or at least from getting caught. Normally. Right now, he just wanted some damn assistance. He had never seen them all so careless!

“Good luck with that,” Horrence piped in, walking his granddaughter near the limo to get to his own car. Stryker looked to the giant, old, chubby, hunched-over man. He could never remember his last name… “Excuse me?” was all the officer asked, trying to avoid needing to say the man’s name. “She ran down the back trail, right? Well, I saw Lyle and his shitbag friends heading that way right before the storms started up.”

That got Caleb’s attention. “What did you say?” he demanded, walking towards the huge, yet still shorter than him, older man. Horrence ignored the boy, but answered Stryker’s exact same question, that Caleb had spoken over. “Lyle, Frank, and Richard, plus some I didn’t recognize. Went out that way a bit before the storms started,” the judgmental old bastard said, referring to the way Ally had gone.

“And why didn’t you say this earlier?!” Caleb shouted. Pazely stood, worry on her face. Those guys were not people to be around alone. Ever. “Because the little whore can handle herself,” was Horrence's scornful answer, turning to Caleb this time, chubby cheeks red, wicked smile showing brown-tinted teeth. His granddaughter’s eyes filled with horror and embarrassment from where she had been standing next to him, so meek and delicate, she was almost unseen.

Brown hair in a tight bun, black leotard and white tights were dirty, and her left knee had dried blood on it, though her tights didn’t appear ripped or torn. What amazing quality… “Grampa,” Trixie said in a kind tone that said he shouldn't be so harsh, and the old man backhanded her across the face.

Trixie was nine (almost ten) years old, and built like a tall girl, though still below average size for her age. Sweet and kind, she lived with her step-grandparents, parents having died in a car wreck. Her grandfather easily confirmed the stereotype of evil ‘step’ relatives. Trix was a dance studio only friend to Caleb. She was a little kid for one thing, and was also innocent. Caleb and his friends lived a PG-13 to R-rated existence on most days, and they didn’t go out of their way to raise the life rating of those minds that were more family friendly. Especially literal children.

Caleb always wondered how anyone could not live a life that, at times, had to be dark. R stood for "real" not "raunchy". In real life, things happened; uncensored and unfiltered, good and bad. Though… with Trix’s parents dead, and stuck with a grampa that treated her like a dog… spoiled dog or not- her life wasn’t exactly some lighthearted fairy tale, he supposed.

Officer Stricksent was out of his car fast, blocking Caleb and Pazely from killing the old man. “Caleb, go after Ally, now, or I’ll murder you!” Caleb didn’t even hesitate as he obeyed the officer, turning and sprinting the way Ally had gone. Running around a startled-looking Gigi, who refused any adult assistance and had been watching the drama. “Pazely, get Bryan to go after him and help, and bring Gigi here, or die!” Pazely also turned and headed to the studio without argument. JeeeEEeeez, Stryker was pissy as Ally today!

“And you,” Stryker snarled, turning back to the old man, “are to leave immediately, and if you ever do something like that again, I will not only charge your old ass with domestic violence and child abuse, but I’ll make sure your wrist breaks in the process of me backhanding you into a fucking wall!”

The anger in his voice was something almost no one saw. Ever. But he had to get these kids out of here, who else did they have? Several people in the town had already died since these storms started in the summer. His patience was wearing thin, and watching sweet little Trixie get hit like that… This old sack of shit had paws larger than his granddaughter’s head. Stryker was not a goody-goody cop, despite his reputation, and when in the presence of abusive males, those lines someone in his authority should never cross, began to look blurry.

Horrence paled, his face doing a twitchy dance, not able to come to an agreement with his brain to show fear or anger. Despite the fury at being spoken to that way, it was quite clear to Horrence Officer Stricksent wanted to beat him senseless.

Trixie, having Stryker stand up for her like that… the quiet tears her brown eyes shed… had the emotion of thank you behind them; the sting of the slap forgotten quicker than it had occurred. Stryker was so nice and sweet, and seeing him act that way for her, it just made her so happy. Caleb and all his friends were so nice and amazing! Reba and Miss Terra were too! How she wished her grandpa could see that! Her grandpa wasn't a bad man, he didn't usually hit her. He certainly never went out of his way to, it only happened out of reflex sometimes. She knew better than to embarrass him in public, especially standing within arms reach. It was her own fault, after all.

The next quake was again violent, and this time accompanied by several flash bangs and arcs of that burning lightning.

* * *

…*snip*…*snap*…*crikcrikPOP*… ther ..*crAaaaAck*.. ker!

Running too fast, the sudden quake kept Caleb from stopping and turning left before the ravine. He managed to stay standing, but by the time the quake quit, he was pinwheeling his arms -the wrong way- to keep his balance at the edge. He failed and -oh shit!- went over the lip of the ravine. Another quake and flash bang effect as he was falling had him completely turned around and confused. Landing on his right butt cheek, tailbone hitting something hard enough, his breath was taken, stifling the shout.

*CRACK* Oh dear *snipCrickle*…*PING*

Stomaching the pain was easier than ignoring the sounds (and he swore voices) he kept hearing, no other sore areas, Caleb stood in the mud and dense underbrush. Without time to worry about what could be in his path, he crashed and cursed his way to the left.

Trailing the ravine wall, and gritting his teeth against pain, he had to hurry. It was too dark in these trees as it was, and the sun was going down. What time even was it? For that matter, what anything was it? An hour ago, he was ecstatic! His Pazely was back, making their group whole again. This was an amazing sign for the coming summer. He had been so freaking happy! Then… so very confused…

Was it really October?

A male’s voice was yelling, not far from him. The briers gone, Caleb moving even faster, he found a low enough root on a stable dirt wall to climb back up to the trail. Or, where the trail should be, he noticed as he got back to the top. If you didn’t know where to look, it wasn't discernible with all the debris and destruction. Heading to the right, Caleb ran on through the dimly lit woods, having trouble keeping speed, the ground so uneven he kept skidding and stumbling.

“Fuck you!” Caleb heard Ally yell close by, sounding like she had been crying. Caleb said screw the trail, and sprinted straight towards her voice, through some dense trees, before breaking free, mere feet from the meaty eighteen-year-old Richard. He had been looking to Caleb’s left, and turned as the tall boy crashed out of the trees to look straight at him. Caleb didn’t slow in his charge.

.. *CRACK* ..

*poP*

…*snip* . *snip* . *crack* . *Snipcreak* ..

Caleb began pummeling with his fists; right, left, right, using his speed and weight, still walking forward; left, right, left – hits directly over the heart – bringing his right knee in and high, Caleb kicked straight out in one big power stepto Richard’s chest. Richard, in his ripped windbreaker, wife-beater, and jeans, was dead before he hit the ground.

*Cra~ack*

The attack, and kill, had taken seconds; Caleb was looking around for Ally, not yet registering his lethal assault. He saw her standing some ten feet away in the direction Richard’s beady eyes had been first looking.

Panting, ripped clothes, and covered in blood, dirt, twigs, and leaves… Caleb looked more than a bit insane. Crashing from the trees, and killing the biggest mofo there in but a couple of eye blinks, just made him seem all the more psychotic.

And all he cared about was that Ally had been crying. It was obvious on her face, though she looked no more the worse for wear.

Then, three things dawned on him. One, that he had probably just killed someone without even thinking twice, or even once. Second, was that Ally was still as near naked as at the studio and she must be freezing. Third, was that there were at least four other males there, and they appeared a bit homicidal at the moment. Oh, and that Frank had a gun to Ally’s head.

Caleb’s heart skipped violently, and a surge of clarity spiked through his mind.

'Wait… did I just… did I just kill Richard? Why… There’s a gun… What... the fuck?'

Trying hard to prioritize, “Are you okay?” Caleb asked his friend, eyes not leaving the three angry males behind her; she had the one in front of her to worry about; Lyle’s right-hand man of sorts. “Fuck you, are you okay!” Frank snapped, eyes wide in horror at what he had witnessed Caleb do. The teen had been hitting Richard so hard the blows sound liked a sledgehammer, the first taking the big guy off his feet; fists blurring, all blow landed while Richard was in the air- the final kick knocking him back into the post hard enough, none watching would have been surprised if it knock the building down.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Thanks,” Ally answered, ignoring Frank’s outburst. Caleb’s arrival, his killing of that fucker, a resolve that was long gone seconds ago had returned in spades. “Counter chaos, huh?” she said to Caleb, not looking from the furious man with the gun in her face.

‘Counter chaos? So… guess it’s us or them.’ Caleb knew that meant the two of them had to take these guys out, right now, or be killed. It was all or nothing, win or lose; in one sudden, desperate, furious attack. He could ponder his lack of thinking, or feeling much, later. Or the fact a code term they used gaming was about to be implemented in reality.

… *CRACK* … no…*CRAAAAAACK~* …

he… hehehe…

*creak*.*snip*.*snap*.

……guess……*snip*.*ping*.*pop*… go…

The clouds cleared, and there was more light remaining in the day than Caleb had expected. Ally smiled at Frank, causing him to grit his teeth, lip rings quivering, veins visible on his shaved and shiny head as he looked about ready to explode. Frank shoved the gun directly into Ally’s face, hard, him and the others waiting for their leader to give an order. “Kill the bitch!” Lyle growled from behind Frank. “Both of them.”

The veins in Frank’s head seemed to calm now, he grinned back at the girl, and squeezed the trigger.

Pssh, like Ally would get shot with all those signs, signals, and delays!

Soon as he began to squeeze, Ally, faster than should be possible, rolled inside his thrusting gun arm -the shot deafening, but missed; Caleb rushing past behind her. She ended her roll by grabbing Franks’s wrist with her left hand. Right hand palm up, she shaped it like a shovel and uppercut directly under his sternum. He toppled over.

Caleb had reached a random biker, (had the look going on, so Caleb was assuming) jumping in a spinning back kick, missing his intended target of the man’s chest and hitting him in the face, knocking him flat and unmoving. Whirling to his right, left forearm in a downward sweep, he deflected the thrust of a knife, from one of Lyle’s younger gang members. Right hand in a fist, windmilling it up over his head, and hitting the assailant with a hard downward swing. Caleb was then flying tackled by the third man.

“Fuck everything! Kill these fucking cunts!” Lyle screamed at his remaining men. This tall, skinny giant, and bitchy blonde; always so fucking passive and goody-goody. Now they’re taking them out? Who the fuck do they think they are?! How in the fuck could they fight like that?! Was it anger from what Lyle and his men had done? Adrenaline? With her body still lying there near Ally, did those two have revenge fueling them? Oh well, nerdy Christian faggot boy will be out of the picture soon. There’s no way he could outfight Phil on the ground. Revenge-fueled or not. Then, Frank would get up and destroy that twat, Ally.

Caleb, about to be pinned, and possibly killed, hadn’t yet noticed the body of the small girl near Ally.

Ally picked up the gun dropped by the blood-coughing Frank, aimed it at the man’s head, and pulled the trigger without hesitation. He never saw it coming. Raising her arm, she turned, now looking behind her, where Lyle stood at the top of the old wooden staircase she was at the foot of. Her first shot missed when he rolled to the side, behind the remainder of a wall of this ruined house. She fired a second time, hitting the no more than thirteen-year-old boy -that had been standing at his side-, in the left eye.

The three gunshots had startled the college jock-looking (Wait, why is this guy half-naked?) pretty boy that had taken Caleb to the ground. On his back, Caleb got one leg up and in front of his assailant’s throat, forcing him back. He rolled, starting to lock his ankles together and pin the muscular guy’s neck between his legs.

Caleb glanced up to see if Ally was okay, and froze. The hell?

In the center of this small area, stood the remains of an ancient house. It appeared to have been two stories, and the downstairs walls were mostly gone. Hell, all of the place was mostly gone. Except for what seemed to be a single room on the second story. Lyle had been standing outside the room on what appeared to be a balcony, but was actually part of the inside staircase and landing, outside walls long since gone.

The jock the chance to remove himself from the lock, a stunned Caleb still froze in place, staring at the house ruins, which had apparently been covered in underbrush, briers, and more. How else had he never seen it before?

Ally pointed the gun over the sprawled Caleb and fired once, missing the young man that had escaped from Caleb’s grasp, running into the trees.

*CraCKpOpCrackCRACKcra~~ck*

Hah.. hahaha! *SnipsnapPop* Oh no…

Ears ringing, Caleb got to his knees. ‘W-w-w-what am I d-d-d-doing? W-wh-what are w-w-we doing?’

There was a young male, maybe a middle schooler, cowering near the corner of the building, and someone that he hadn’t seen earlier, just as small, lying on the ground near Ally. From here, all he could see was a foot and part of a leg. A tiny, naked foot and leg, obscured by the corpse of Frank.

What had they done?! Dear God, what had he and Ally just DONE?!

..*Pop*..*crack*..*crack*..*snip*..*pop*..*pop*!..

Calm and casual, Ally, half-naked and letting cold wind and adrenaline keep her focused, began to walk up the stairs. Reaching the top, and stepping over the boy she had killed, Ally looked to her left and glared at Lyle, where he cowered. This close, the tears could be seen streaming down her face.

“You’ve just killed everyone in my fucking life!” Lyle roared at her, not looking so imposing from where he crouched, numerous piercings making him appear like a torture victim. “Why are you crying? You just lost ONE!” he was screaming at her now. “Why don’t you kill that fucking bitch that put us up to this?!” he screamed again, starting to stand. “For fuck’s sake, we were just hired! Blame that pigtailed blonde skank!” On his feet, fists clenched tightly, Lyle would be damned if he was going to cower as she shot him!

His fury changed to fear quickly when Ally pointed the gun at his face. “Dammit Ally, she was just there! We were hired to get you, but the stupid little bitch was all alone outside!” his voice was shaking, eyes and tone pleading. “We were just going to scare her. As a message. Maybe trade her for you, I fucking swear!” he was almost babbling. “How was I supposed to know that Phil was some fucking pedophile?” Lyle was giggling like a madman now. “Everyone else just went with mood. They wouldn’t listen to me! I tried to stop them!” His pleading tone changed to fury once more, “That fucking whore Suzie destroyed my life!” Lyle began to cry. “She caused this situation! She caused all of it!”

Ally didn’t blink. She had no idea what Lyle was talking about, and didn’t care.

“We should go kill her together, huh? Team up, and take her out? C’mon, what good would killing me really do, huh?” At that, Ally smiled. Her tears had stopped. “It would do a lot of good, actually. You being a piece of shit, and all,” her reply was calm. “Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth, tit for tat.” Her voice was smooth, dangerous, and mocking. Lyle laughed nervously at the terrifying teen girl. “Tits? She didn’t even have those, but I did get some tat.” Lyle spat at her.

Ally shot him in the groin.

*POP* Yesssssss *CR~~~~ACK*

Oh, how he screamed, as he fell on his side. Ally pulled the trigger again, and again, and again, though the gun was empty after the groin shot. From the way he screamed and bled, Ally figured he would be dead soon enough. She lifted her eyes and looked down to where Caleb sat, staring at her woth a look of bewildered horror.

In one sob, loud enough to be heard over the screaming Lyle, Ally yelled, “I’m sorry Caleb!”

* * *

Mr. Goldy was lying on his back, giggling uncontrollably. Dramatic quakes or not, he couldn’t quit giggling. Well, he couldn’t until the sharp stabbing pain on his right ear. “YOUCH!” he shouted, scrambling to a sitting position, struggling to not smack the shit out of his invisible friend. Two more sharp, biting, pains, and his mind refocused on reality.

On his feet quickly, Goldy removed his sunglasses and threw them off to the side. He watched a bloody-faced Gigi on her hands and knees near some large mounds of dirt and gravel from the quakes, crawling around looking for something. She must have taken a decent fall. There was a young girl next to her, presumably a friend, helping look for the something.

The police officer was helping a fat old man to his feet. His mind attempted to betray him again, and he growled, shaking his head. Had Pazely truly drugged him? His pondering of the situation halted, when Pazely herself ran out of the studio, (now wearing a thin, black, Jester’s Edge jacket) face dire, followed by Bryan. The later turned and sprinted around the side of the building, and into the woods.

In the direction of the seal. In the direction Ally had gone. The realization finally dawned on him. He hadn’t worried too much about the seal, figuring he would be long gone before it mattered.

Feeling a chill of dread, the supposed dance instructor swallowed his fear. Caleb had gone that way too. If Caleb died, if the seal was released and he were to be killed, then all this was for nothing!

A gunshot rang out.

Goldy was sprinting after Bryan before he knew it. Running right at Gigi and her friend -Trixie- who helped search for something on hands and knees. Pazely standing near them looking off towards the sound of the gunshot. Goldy hopped, spinning a flipping, twirling axle up and over the two girls, landing as if weightless. His wig falling off during the flip. 'Whoops, forgot I was wearin’ that ridiculous thing!' His long pointed ears poked through his golden-yellow blond, almost shoulder-length hair.

More gunshots.

It wasn’t hard to catch up with Bryan. The boy was fast, but not as fast as Caleb. Bryan was where Caleb had fallen off the cliff -he easily avoided it- when he felt someone behind him and turned, starting when he saw this stranger charging him. “Who are you?!” Bryan demanded, taking a defensive pose, the blond-haired man ignored him and sprinted past. What the… was he wearing elf ears? It was dark and hard to see in these trees, but… had the man been wearing the clothes that ridiculous dance teacher had been wearing? “Mr. Goldy?” Bryan called after the man he could no longer see. “‘Tis not my name!” came the hollered reply from the dark.

* * *

The gunshot was worrisome. Mr. Goldy jumping over them like that, without even bending his knees (No plie at all! Pazely marveled at the fierceness) was shocking. He seemed to just flick his toes to reach that height. Paze had stopped by Gigi and Trixie, when she had heard the gunshot, then the weirdo went flipping over them. Shaking her head, Paze dismissed it. Just a gunshot, and an acro nut.

Totally normal, right?

More gunshots, and she looked to the two little girls. Gigi didn’t seem concerned, which had Pazely questioning her own. Should she be concerned? Was just a few bullets, no big deal! Trixie at least looked properly freaked out. “Gigi, c’mon, we gotta go!” Pazely chirped at the little girl, who ignored her. “Gigi!” she snapped. “I can’t fwind eet!” was said in reply, without looking up. Pazely frowned. “Find what?”

“She lost a tooth,” Trix explained, trying to appear calm. She was anything but. “Maybe a couple.”

Stryker jogged over to their side. “What is she doing?” he asked Pazely, not fazed by the bloody child, but eyes urgent nonetheless, rifle in one hand, shotgun in the other. “Doesn’t she look kinda like a little, dirty, homeless boy?” Paze asked him, ignoring his question. Stryker wondered what kind of boy she knew that wore panties… then shook his head. “Didn’t you hear the gunshots?!” he asked in return, tone implying she was insane.

“Eeph I can’t phind it, dad won’t let me get candy!” Gigi whimpered, still looking around, and spitting some blood. “Why the hell are you talking weird? You already don’t have any teeth!” Pazely accused.

Another gunshot rang through the air.

Pazely’s eyes were huge as she looked up at Stryker. “Okay, that was bad, right?” she asked. Not even bothering to answer, Stryker tossed her the shotgun. Why he was giving a department-issued firearm to a thirteen year old girl, he wasn’t sure, and didn’t waste time thinking it over. Rifle in both hands, he ran off the way all the others had. Pazely followed without needing to be told.

Gigi looked up. “Are they going to be okay?” Trixie asked. “They are in trouble,” Gigi stated, matter of fact, all trace of odd speech gone.

“Ay!” Gigi yelled at them, even though they were out of sight now. Standing, she spit (more like drooled) blood, and made one last quick visual sweep for her knocked-out tooth. Dad won’t give me quarters if I lose it! But if they all died… that would be worse than no candy. She would be bored, and alone.

Accepting her loss, she ran as quickly as her small legs could, after her -annoyingly- endangered friends.

Just now limping out the door, Reba saw the tiny, bloody kid sprint by. “Hey!” Reba she said in fading urgency, for the speedy little critter was gone before she could even finish the word. Reba had so many concerns at the moment, now Gigi was adding more!

Looking out at the lot, Reba was shocked at the destruction. Cars were overturned, trees were down everywhere, the earth was heaved up and broken all about.

This... shouldn’t be happening.

Noticing Trixie, and her demonic jerk of a grandfather who had just gotten to her side, she called out before Horrence could cart her away, “Where was Gigi going?”

“She was chasing after Caleb and everyone. They ran off into the woods and there were gunshots.” Trixie winced as her grampa glared at her furiously. “We are leaving, now!” Horrence snapped at his granddaughter, and grabbed her arm painfully, forcing her back towards the limo, and their own miraculously untouched car, faster than before.

“Have you seen Jessie?” Reba called loudly to the retreating Trixie. The slender girl glanced back just long enough to shake her head no. Well, that answer could have been worse… But still, where the hell is that child? Please, God, let her be okay. The gunshots were probably just some crazy rednecks or meth addicts or something… These storms did coax out the loonies.

Reba had picked Jessie and Sally up hours ago for the classes, and they insisted on hiding and making some type of dramatic entrance once the class started. Well, Jessie did, Sally simply went along with her twin, like usual. The girls were supposed to be grounded, so perhaps Jessie had just wanted to surprise Caleb that she finally got to come back to class. She sure loved that boy. Even if he had been a royal ass lately.

Reba looked back over her shoulder, through the unbroken glass doors at Sally, who was sitting in a chair, unmoving, looking at the ground, eyes wide in some unseen terror…. Sally was quiet a lot. But when Reba found her in the hall holding her head, silently screaming, and refusing to say a word or look at her.. She thought to find Jessie to see if the sister could help her.

The storms… The gunshots… No Jessie… The kinds running off into the woods…

And the lukewarm rain that had begun to fall from the cloudless sky, on this chilly evening.

Warm rain?

No longer caring about keeping up appearances, Reba put her full weight on the already healed ankle, starting out around the building.

There was a flashing storm accompanied by loud crashing sounds and shouts from the woods the way the kids had gone. And screams. Horrible screams.

And Reba knew, if the kids were out there, it was too late. Those kids she loved so much… she knew…

They were already dead.

* * *

“I’m sorry for all of this!” Ally cried over the still sobbing Lyle. “I’m sorry you don’t remember any of it! I’m sorry we listened to Feldyn! If we hadn’t, maybe she wouldn’t be dead!” Looking at the people she had killed, Ally wondered if she was evil as her mother accused. They deserved it… Oh, they deserved it… But… She had murder so readily in her heart? Truly? “It’s all that stupid fucking elf!” she slurred the last word. “If he hadn’t shown up, she wouldn’t have had to die!!!"

*CRA~~~~~~ACK*

Hur.. t.e f..k up!

*~CRA~CK~~SNAP*

“SHE WOULDN’T HAVE HAD TO DIE LIKE THAT!” Ally screamed in hysteria.

Caleb had no idea what she was talking about. He didn’t know what was happening. He didn’t know what he was thinking. All he knew was that he wanted to be sick, and the notion sounded quite pleasant. Vomiting in bliss until all of this confusion and vile was gone… Deep, wracking heaves, expelling the horror-like nausea, removing it from his body completely.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, still panting like she had just finished a marathon, body shaking as if freezing, Ally heard something. A humming… She looked behind her, puzzled, at the door that still held closed the single intact room of this building. The humming… It felt… It… was… pleasant. The feeling of it, of embracing it, would make her forgot everything.

And it began to rain.

Caleb, for half a moment, thought someone had turned on the shower, as the rain was warm, in contrast to the chilly air.

Ally never even noticed the rain, for all she felt when she approached the door… When she touched that doorknob… was power. A power that made her more full of lust and desire than she had ever known.

Somehow, Caleb knew he had to stop her, but he couldn’t find his voice, his breath, or his legs. It was like being paralyzed. He had to stop her! Something horrible was behind that door! Ally, no! Ally, don’t open the door! ALLY N-

“NO!” came the shout from the blond-haired male, in the ugly green pants and tie-dyed shirt that had just burst into the clearing.

Hearing nothing but the desire and lust for that sensation, that delicious all-consuming desire, she never heard the shout from Feldyn. She even forgot the tiny girl’s body that lie at the base of the stairs. She couldn’t deny herself this! This feeling! This pleasure! THIS POWER!

Ally turned the doorknob.