Message from Dymos

            Hi everyone. This is going to sound strange, but I actually got a message from Dymos! I was just about to go to sleep when I took a look at the mirror.

Yes, that mirror. Instead of a reflection I saw a girl of about eight staring back at me. I knew there was no way it was on Earth because her clothes were Bylouthian. I have to admit this surprised me because the only way to get to Bylouth is to pass through a portal in Europe.

            Anyway she asked me if I was David Glenn, and I told her I was. She then proceeded to tell me she had a dream that she was told she needed to give me. She said she saw in her dream a boy and a girl about four years older than she was running through a forest somewhere. She told me it wasn’t a Bylouthian forest, or anywhere on Dymos. I asked how she knew and she said she just knew. I asked them what they looked like and she said the boy had blonde hair while the girl had red hair.

            My eyes went wide at that because I recognized them as Carter and Kat, characters from a book I read, Beyond the Dead Forest by Steve Groll. I asked her if they were all right, and she said they were fine. However she could only remember hearing something coming for them before she awoke. That’s when she encountered another surprise.

            She said that she saw a very beautiful woman sitting at the edge of her bed. She wasn’t able to get a good look because the woman was glowing brighter than a fire. The girl said she could only compare that light to the sun on a clear day. The woman told her to make contact with me and tell me what she had seen in the dream. She asked the woman what her name was and was told that she was someone who was given beauty from her ashes. After that she vanished and the girl found her mirror was showing my room.

            This was a really big surprise because I had never heard of an angel from one world visiting another. Yes, that was an angel because I also recognize her from a book I read. The angel was Sara from Sara’s Journey by Patti Chiappa. I know some of this may sound crazy. However there are many things that go on around us that we cannot explain. We just need to believe.

What's been going on

Hi everyone. I figured you were probably wondering what's been going on with my life so I'll give you some updates. I wasn't doing so good with my math class so I had to withdraw. I've also been looking into possible career paths, and right now I feel that doing something with genealogy would be best. Don't worry. I will still be writing. Tomorrow I do plan to go see Ender's Game.

Kingdom Hearts fan fiction chapter 2

Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long. I've been trying to make sure I do well with school. However I wrote this over the weekend and I wanted to share it with all of you. There are some errors I'll need to fix. Enjoy.

Chapter 2: Everything changes

            The doors all opened in unison as if people were coming through them yet no one did. The wind picked up as well, blowing into the cafeteria and scattering homework assignments, pieces of trash, and other odds and ends of students. Clair and Netti shivered not because of the cold, but because there was an ominous feeling that they were not going to like what happened next.

            To everyone’s surprise a bolt of lightning hit the middle of the cafeteria and ringing shrieks from several girls. As they watched a green flame rose up and began to take form. When the flames died there stood the last thing anyone expected to see: a person.

            They were looking at a woman who was dressed very strangely. She had on a long black robe with jagged sleeves. A pair of horns came from her head like she was supposed to be some devil woman. The strangest thing about her was her green skin. Clair had a feeling this might actually be some magical person like she read about.

            “What a pathetic sight.” The woman said in a voice that gave you goose bumps. “An entire generation left unattended. So many accidents could happen while you are gathered.”

            “Just who are you?” Jason asked. Clair groaned as she saw he was on defensive mode. Jason never liked people with arrogant attitudes, and if he felt she gave him a reason to he would fight this woman.

            “Silence, silly boy.” The woman replied. “I shall enlighten you of my identity when I choose to.” As she looked at everyone in the cafeteria to make sure their attention was undivided she continued, “You obviously have no idea who I am, but fear not, for after this day you shall always fear me. I am Maleficent.”

            Jason blew a raspberry. “Maleficent? What kind of a name is that?” He asked while laughing.

            “One you shall learn proper respect for!” In rage Maleficent thrust her hand out toward him in a pushing motion. Students screamed as Jason flew backwards into the wall. As he hung there the posters around him came to life and wrapped around him, binding his arms and legs. Despite his strugglings to get free it was obvious he was trapped as if vine snakes had seized him for dinner.

            “Hey! No one can do that to him but me!” Aurora stated as she picked up her empty bottle and threw it at the witch. It landed at her feet and melted into a puddle. Maleficent gazed coldly at her as if trying to say even making attempts like that merited death. She then flicked one of her green wrists and sent Aurora sprawling to the floor.

            That was it. The other students decided they had had enough and began to flee to the doors. Without warning all the exits slammed shut in front of them. All terrified eyes looked around them for any possible means of escape.

            “Don’t bother searching for a way out. There are none. Not one soul here shall leave this room until I’ve obtained what I’ve come for.” Maleficent explained.

            “Do you promise to go away and never bother us again if you get it?” Stella asked.

            “It is not a question of if I find them. It’s a matter of when.” Maleficent gave her answer. “And I do not make pacts with peasants.”

            “Peasants? Hey lady, maybe you don’t know this but Netokan is a city where no one is regarded as better than the other. We’re basically all on the same level of the pecking order.” Phil yelled as he struggled to free Jason.

            “Hold your tongue.” Maleficent ordered. As if controlled by some other person Phil’s hand reached up and grabbed his tongue.

            “Now then,” The witch continued, “My magic tells me that among all of you are those who possess a certain…gift. I need their assistance for a time to help with a rather complicated problem. Rest assured I will leave no misfortune upon you. Once the issue has been taken care of I shall return them to you alive and unharmed. Should they choose to not help me every single one of you will be given a fate worse than death.”

            “Is that a threat?” AJ asked. “You know that making threats in public areas is considered an act of terrorism.”

            “An act of terror?” Maleficent asked, a smile creeping upon her face. “I’ll show you an act of terror.” With those words she raised her arms above her head, the orb on the tip of her staff glowing. Several students gasped as they saw the floor become dark as if all the shadows in the school were gathering there.

            “Hey, what’s going on?” Came the voice of Coach Under. The doors had somehow opened for him. As Stella looked back towards Maleficent she noticed the witch had a look on her face like a predator who had just found some prey. The Coach started to make his way towards Maleficent. No sooner had he taken a few steps toward her than the horror began.

            A creature literally leapt out of the shadows on the floor and tackled Coach Under. The man’s screams were cut short as a glowing heart floated up from his chest and disappeared into the darkness. The real panic began when in Coach Under’s place came a huge dark creature with a big round body, long arms, and a small head with a helmet. That was it. All the students began to flee.

            As students ran out of the cafeteria more creatures like the ones that had attacked Coach Under pursued from the shadows. They had antenna like ants with bright glowing yellow eyes and bodies resembling crouching children. Clair and Netti tried to follow a group of girls but other creatures resembling knights with armored helms and gauntlets blocked their way. Netti noticed these creatures had a strange insignia shaped like a heart with an x over it.

            The creature that had been Coach Under also had the same mark. Running with surprising speed it cut off AJ and Phil from the other boys, the force of the motion sending them back into the cafeteria. Both felt like a brick wall had run into them. Soon all the students had run out of the place except for eight. Aurora, AJ, Ashley, Clair, Netti, Stella, Phil, and a still tied-up Jason were all that remained of the student body.

            “Now that we’ve sorted you out it’s time we got down to business.” Maleficent grinned with anticipation like she had some torture planned for them. However she never got close to them because things got even stranger.

            Several white creatures seemingly flew out from the ground. These resembled humans without hair, faces, hands, or feet. They bended around with such flexibility any acrobat or gymnast would’ve been jealous. They bore an insignia on their heads that can best be described as a fountain of sorts. There were also those among them that had long arms covered with sharp spikes. Clair shivered at the sight of them.

            Behind the white creatures opened several portals leading into what looked like darkness itself. From within came several hooded figures who walked as if they had authority over everything.

            “Beat it, witch. You’ll have nothing to do with these children.” One of the taller figures said.

            “It is you that has no business here!” Maleficent pointed a finger at them and shouted, “Be gone or feel my wrath!”

            “Nobodies, stop the Heartless.” One of the other cloaked figures, a man by the sound of his voice, commanded. Instantly the white creatures started attacking the dark monsters. A couple of the sharp armed ones climbed up to Jason and with a few swings of their arms sliced Jason free. Before he could crash against the ground a portal similar to the ones the cloaked figures came through opened beneath him and Jason fell through.

            “What happened to him?” Clair asked out loud.

            “He’s fine, but we need to go!” The cloaked figure who had ordered the white things to attack stated.

            “No, we’re not going anywhere with you!”  Netti snapped at the figures. Several portals opened up behind them much to their surprise. When they looked back they saw one of the figures who had spoken now had several lances around him.

            “We’re not asking.” The figure replied. With a swing of the lances came a strong wind. The students tried to resist, but it was too strong and they were all blown into the dark portals.

            When everyone regained consciousness they found themselves in the middle of a great white room. Circling them as if barring them in were thirteen tall white thrones. Eleven of these thrones had people sitting in them, looking upon the group as if trying to decide what to do with them. All around the room were the symbols on the white creatures that had taken on the dark things.

            “Welcome to our domain.” Said one who was seated higher than the rest, with brown skin, white messy hair, and golden eyes. “We so glad you could come.”

            “Not like we had much of a choice.” Netti replied.

            “You totally kidnapped us!” Clair shouted up at them.

            “Only to keep you safe. You see, you were all in grave danger.” The man replied.

            “Thank you so much for stating the obvious.” Stella said. “We were under attack by a witch and a bunch of demons!”

            “Maleficent was there? Things are far worse than I thought.” The man said with concern. Jason’s eyes narrowed as if he sensed something was not right. Before anyone could say anything the man continued, “You’re probably wondering who we are. I am Xemnas, leader of Organization XIII.”

            “Either you need to work on your math or you got some people absent. There are only eleven of you.” Phil noted.

            “Thank you so much for stating the obvious.” Said a blonde-haired woman.

            “I’m afraid we were betrayed by two of our number.” Xemnas explained. “They were turned by a boy who wields a mighty weapon called the Keyblade.”

            Jason blew a raspberry. “Keyblade? What kind of a name is that for a weapon?” He asked while laughing.

            “An appropriate name, as the Keyblade’s powers are greater than you can conceive. Not even we know the full extent of its powers.” Xemnas explained. “The keyblade can be used to bring light to the universe or plunge it into eternal darkness. This boy has used the Keyblade to fight us and bring chaos and disorder wherever he goes.”

            “Why doesn’t anyone stop him?” Ashley asked.

            “He’s made some very powerful allies. Their alliance has allowed them to tap into much of the hidden powers of the Keyblade. However there is a solution.

            “As we looked into ways to stop this threat we noticed energy similar to the boy’s coming from your world. We searched it out and found all of you. We realized you too have the potential to wield keyblades.”

            “Whoa dude, back it up. You’re saying there’s more than one of these doomsday weapons out there?” AJ asked.

            “And we can somehow use them as well?” Stella asked.

            “Yes. That is why Maleficent came after you. She knew what you were capable of and tried to eliminate you. That’s why we had to get you out of there.” Xemnas continued. “I sense some of you doubt what I say.”

            “This is all just insane!” Jason snapped. “How can we be sure that this is all real?”

            “Well you could try pinching yourself and see if you wake up.” A man with a ponytail and a scarred face with an eyepatch over one eye suggested.

            “Here, this may help you to choose.” Xemnas said as he waved his hand. In front of the students appeared several sword-like items that were shaped like keys appeared in front of them. There was one for each of the teenagers and the more they looked the more they felt as if the keys were calling to them.

            “Well, go on. They don’t bite.” The ponytailed man egged them on.

            “What if we don’t want anything to do with them?” Aurora asked.

            “Then you risk the future itself.” A man with long blonde hair stated.

            “You must know that this is for the safety of your home as well as yourselves. If you were to leave here now the boy of whom was mentioned will seek you out and destroy you, your families, and your city. Take these keyblades and with them you’ll be able to protect yourselves and all you care about.” Xemnas added.

            “Should we?” Clair asked everyone.

            “I don’t trust these people one bit.” Jason said.

            “Well we don’t know where we are, and this boy sounds like he’s going to bring us trouble sooner or later. I say we’d better take our best shot at stopping him!” With that Aurora reached out and grabbed the Keyblade in front of her. Instantly it changed its design so the blade looked like some sort of dragon emerging from a mist of magic. Everyone gasped at that.

            “Your keyblade has chosen you.” Xemnas said. “Now it will help you bring out the power you hold within, the power that can stop the menace once and for all!”

            “Will taking these help us get home?” Netti asked.

            “You have my word.” Xemnas promised.

            “Then let’s do this!” Phil said as he reached out and grabbed his. Instantly it changed to resemble some sort of game controller with wires. Everyone took the keyblade in front of him or her and one by one they changed in accordance with each person’s personality.

            “It is done.” Xemnas said. “Now you must go and stop the threat before he can strike again.”

            “Where will we find him?” AJ asked.

            Xemnas stood and extended his hand. Instantly the dark portal which took them all from their homes opened in front of them.

            “This will take you to the archipelago where he resides. He thinks he has no one to fear and rests before he makes his next move. If you can strike at him now you will do a great deed for all. Now go.”

Films I'd like to see for 2014

Hi. I finally get around to doing this post. I'm not going to go into detail as to why I want to see each movie. However I will give a short little reason as to why I'm considering seeing each movie. Oh, and the order will be in order that they will be released.

This looks like it's going to be funny.

I'm interested in seeing how they do this movie.

Bringing back an old cartoon, and it looks like they're having fun with history.

The account of Noah's Ark was one of my favorite events from the Bible, and still is up there on my list.

I'm interested in seeing how Captain America adjusts to life in the 21st century.

I've been impressed with some animated sequels that have been released in the not so far past and feel like nowadays animated sequels are being done better than they have been.

I like Spider-Man and I think this looks like it's going to be electrifying. Pun intended there.

I like the stories of Oz and this looks like it'll be a cool adaptation of the book Dorothy of Oz.

I'm a fan of the Godzilla movies and it really feels like they're trying to do a better job with this remake.

I'm interested in seeing what backstory they give to one of the most popular Disney villains ever.

Action-packed trailers with plenty of humor plus interesting new dragons. Also because I really enjoyed the first film, the shorts, and the TV show.

Everything seems to suggest the Dinobots will make an appearance, and I loved the Dinobots growing up. Still do in fact.

Haven't heard of this before, and I'm interested in seeing who they are.
It appears that right now I've run out of posters to post so I may have to list them for now.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
I grew up watching the classic cartoon.
The Maze Runner
It's based off the book by James Dashner, who also wrote the series The 13th Reality. I need to be sure to read this book before I see the movie.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
I remember the book as a kid and so don't want to pass this by.

Here are the posters/logos again. I read that this is Disney's first animated adaptation of a Marvel Comic, and it's supposed to take place in a city that combines Eastern and Western Culture. That'll be interesting to see.
Home
Just found out about this. Another upcoming film from DreamWorks, and their films have definitely been good.
Exodus
Another film based off the Bible? Is this year a Biblical film year or something? Still, it's a retelling of another one of my favorite Biblical accounts (Moses) and I'd like to see what they do.

This one I also just found out about. I read these books too and believe it'll be a fun movie to see.

Close as I can get. There and Back Again is definitely going to be epic due to how the last two were epic. Definitely going to be interesting to see how they conclude this trilogy.
Night at the Museum 3
Yes, there's going to be another one. Don't know much about it yet, but it'll be interesting to see who from history they use this time.
Into the Woods
I only found out about this film not too long ago. It's supposed to be based off a play that uses different elements and characters from fairy tales. It'll be interesting to see.
Well that's it for now. There may be some I may have to give a miss depending on what the rating is. Like I said before, I will not see an R-rated film. For now we'll just have to wait and see.

Review of Prophet: The Story of Nat Turner

Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't been blogging so much. I've been trying to make sure I stay caught up in school. I did read a book I wanted to share with you. It's different from other books I've reviewed because this one is historical fiction. It's called Prophet: The Story of Nat Turner.

This story is written as a screenplay which makes it easy to follow and understand. We learn about Nat Turner and the horrible things slaves were made to go through during the years preceding the Civil War. However Nat's faith in God gives him the strength to endure all the cruelties and harshness of the world around him and eventually he sets out to change things forever.

Kenya Cagle does an excellent job of presenting the lifestyle of the southern states preceding the Civil War. We learn that because the plantation owners treated others poorly they reaped what they sowed. It can be a little sad and disheartening to read about these things. Nevertheless it is important to remember these events so we can learn from them and try to avoid repeating history. Well done, Kenya Cagle.

Stars: 5 out of 5.

Kingdom Hearts fan fiction chapter 1

Hi everyone. I know I've been bad about blogging. However I decided to share something fun with all of you. Some of you may already know that I'm a fan of the Kingdom Hearts game series. For those of you who don't know what it is it's a game series from Square Enix and Disney Interactive about a boy named Sora and his friends who travel to worlds based off the Disney Films. In addition to befriending several classic Disney characters they also meet people from the other games Square Enix has made, namely the Final Fantasy series and The World Ends With You. I was doing this fan fiction a long time ago and recently have been rewriting it so I could add a little more description. I just want to make clear that Kingdom Hearts is under copyright and I am not trying to plagiarize here. I'm only doing this for fun. All the characters from Netokan are original created by me and some online friends. Enjoy.

Chapter 1: Gathering of the Chosen

It was a peaceful day in Twilight Town. Of course that depended on where you were at the moment. If you were in the area where Hayner and Seifer were having an argument with each other it definitely would not be considered peaceful. However the woods around the old mansion were definitely quiet and undisturbed except for the calls of the birds. Inside the mansion debris was everywhere. There were still very few who dared to venture inside. Some would say ghosts resided there although right now the only souls inside were the rats and spiders that made the mansion their home.

            However the horror that was to follow made ghosts a much better option.

            Several dark portals opened up in the main room. The darkness swirled around them as lots of figures emerged from the oval-shaped doors. Each one was dressed in a black coat except for one, who had a train flowing from his outfit. The majority of the people were known as Organization XIII, a group of Nobodies who sought the power of Kingdom Hearts to make them whole. The last was known as Ansem, though he was really the Heartless of Xehanort. All of them stirred as they slowly regained consciousness.

            “Wh-what happened?” One of them, a young teenage boy by the sound of his voice, asked as he struggled to get up.

            “It appears we have been reborn.” One of the members of the Organization said as he stood up. The hood fell from his face to reveal that he was Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII. Xemnas was the Nobody of Xehanort, and like Ansem had long white hair, gold eyes, and brown skin. Xemnas’s hair was a little messier than Ansem’s was, but he didn’t really care. He had something bigger on his mind. He watched as everyone in the black coats removed their hoods.

            “How is it that we have returned?” Xaldin asked. Xaldin was a tall man with long black bangs. He was also one of the most skilled fighters in the Organization, which if you played the game Kingdom Hearts II you would know.

            “Who cares? I want to get revenge on the brat who did this to us, and his little friends too!” Larxene snapped. Larxene was the only female member of the Organization, and despite her looks was a savage beast. Her short blonde hair matched how short of a temper she had.

            “There are many who desire the same thing.” Ansem said from where he stood. People were surprised to see that he was among them as he had been defeated long before they had been.

            “Well, well. You’re back too.” Xemnas said, although his voice lacked any emotion.

            “What do you want?” Xigbar asked, raising an eyebrow. Xigbar had long hair tied in a ponytail. His face was heavily scarred and he had an eye patch over his right eye. However the eye color from the remaining eye was gold.

            Ansem answered mysteriously, “Same as all of you: Revenge on the Keyblade’s chosen. And I know a way to do it…”

            Netokan is a thriving metropolis. If you were to see it you would think of a futuristic combination of New York City, Tokyo, and London. It wasn’t far future with everyone wearing tights and having holographic butlers. However there were robots roaming around and instead of doors and windows there were special force fields that let in light and air while keeping people from falling out on accident.

            In his room Jason Norman awoke with a punch to the alarm lamp. He yawned as he looked around. His room was a complete disaster zone. Clothes were scattered all over the floor and his shelves looked like they had never been dusted. Jason never bothered to clean. He saw no point to it. He could function well in his mess. Other people could cry him a river if they didn't approve.

            Jason was not a nice guy. In fact most people saw him as the class bully. Netokan’s school system was against such behavior but Jason didn’t care. He was always looking for someone to harass and he never ran from a fight. Jason would’ve preferred to sleep in, but one more missed day and he’d be expelled. Not even Jason wanted to be kicked out of school.

            Moaning and groaning Jason pulled himself out of bed. His hair was buzz cut so there was no need for him to comb it. Not that he would've anyway. Jason grabbed a red shirt from the floor and pulled his favorite jeans from the chair. Both knees had holes in them, but Jason had worn them for a long time and wouldn’t throw them out. Once he had dressed he headed down for breakfast.

            “Rise and shine, Jason.” His mother said from the kitchen. Jason’s mother was a woman in her late thirties, and she was a brunette while Jason had walnut-brown hair. She had a fit build and kindness radiated out of her face. All that came from Jason’s face was trouble.

            “Morning Mom.” Jason muttered, sitting down opposite of a man reading something in a high-tech phone. Jason wasn’t one for conversations. He preferred action. Jason poured some cereal into a bowl and the milk splashed in shortly afterwards.

            “You could say something more.” The man said without looking up. He sported a buzz cut that made his head look covered with dark stubble. This was Jason’s father, and most of Jason’s bad attitude was a result of him.

            “Like what?” Jason asked without looking up. He was more interested in eating and getting out of the building.

            “Maybe what you’re going to be doing.”

            “Just the usual.”

            “What usual? Picking fights again?”

            “Why do you care? You’re always telling me a man fights.”

            “A man fights wars! He makes a name for himself on the field of battle. He doesn’t go giving others black eyes.” Now Mr. Norman was looking at Jason, who glared at him.

            “What difference does it make if I fight at school or in the battlefield? I’m going to be going there eventually so why wait until then?” Jason snapped.

            “Young man, you need to get control of that temper!” Mr. Norman shouted at him, knocking the chair over as he stood up.

            Jason slammed his hands on the table and stood up to face his father. “I need to get control of my temper? You’re the one who’s always yelling so loud the entire city hears it! All you ever do is shout about what I’m not doing right!” He argued with him.

            “Jason, you’re going to be late for school.” Mrs. Norman reminded him.

            “Why do we keep sending him? All he does is cause trouble for the other students and he keeps hurting his record. There’s no way he’ll get accepted into military service with his attitude.” Mr. Norman said to his wife.

            Jason snorted in exasperation. “See you later.” He growled as he grabbed some toast and stormed out of the room. At the entrance he pulled out a phone device similar to one his father had and began playing music on it. Although it was loud the device created a special field so only Jason could hear it. All the way to school he listened to some heavy rock music.

            Clair Fay lived on the other side of the block. Clair was about thirteen years old, a year younger than Jason. Unlike Jason she had sable-black hair and brown skin as if to suggest she had been tanning all her life. She was a descendant of some of the Tribals, the original inhabitants of Netokan. Centuries ago her people had been promised a place in Netokan if they helped to overthrow the oppressors. They accepted the deal and now were among the more populous residents.

            Right now Clair was having eggs and waffles with her parents. She had gotten most of her looks from her mother, who was also a descendent of Netokan’s Tribals. Her father, however, was descended from the people who colonized the city. Clair’s grandfather had not approved of their marriage, but when Clair was born had been happy that they did.

            “Hurry up Clair or you’ll be late for school.” Came the warning from Mrs. Fay. Clair swallowed her remaining eggs and washed them down with a glass of milk. After wiping her mouth she picked up her things and kissed her parents good-bye.

            “Don’t forget you have a dental appointment this afternoon.” Mr. Fay reminded her as she headed for the entrance.

            “I won’t. Thanks Dad.” She said as she walked out. Clair took the monorail to school because she felt safer that way, and it gave her the opportunity to continue reading. Books were becoming rare in Netokan, but she knew a place where they sold them still. She preferred turning the pages themselves instead of sliding down a hologram. Every stop she looked up to make sure she didn’t miss the one closest to school.

            When she finally got off the monorail she headed for Henry Netokan High School. It was the best high school in the country, and she was among the top students. Clair always loved learning and constantly had an open mind. Some people were expecting her to go to college before she was sixteen.

            As she walked up she heard lots of shouting. She couldn’t make out the words, but what do you expect when something’s going on and people are exercising their vocal cords? Clair hurried over and groaned at what she saw.

            Jason and Aurora were having another one of their arguments. Aurora Kara was a year older than Jason, and had long black hair. Her attire made Clair think of a school outfit some students across the sea were required to wear, with the blue long-sleeved shirt and black pants. However Aurora was an official tomboy. She would not hesitate to get into a fight and was an enemy to all the cheerleaders.

            For some reason Jason and Aurora had a long-going feud between them. As far as she could tell they had been going on like this since Kindergarten, and no one knew why they kept going at each other like cats and dogs. How she wished that they would let the subject go.

            A shrill whistle blew announcing the approach of the school coach. Coach Under was a former professional wrestler who retired after he had an accident that left him hospitalized. He was still remarkably fit for a man of about fifty. One of the unofficial rules among the student body was never make him mad.

            The crowd broke up at the approach of Coach Under. No one dared to mess with him, except maybe Jason and Aurora. They weren’t afraid to let Coach Under get involved in their fights. That’s why they usually spent their afternoons in detention, thought the teachers knew better than to have them in the same room. That was just as smart as standing in front of a twister. Clair then joined some of her friends to go to class.

            Nettie Juarez sat eating some nachos in the lunchroom later that day. She shivered despite the room being at a good temperature. Most of the girls had on similar tank tops with shorts like she did, and the metal legs of the chair she sat on felt like ice. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right today.

            Looking around to make sure no one was looking Nettie lifted up her backpack and unzipped it to peek inside. Mabul had eaten all her seeds. Mabul was a brown and white ferret that Nettie loved with all her heart. It was against school rules to bring pets, but Nettie hated being without Mabul’s company. She even lied to her mother when she asked about the backpack so she wouldn’t get caught.

            “It’s okay girl. I got some more from the lunch line.” Nettie opened a bag of seeds and poured them into her backpack. Mabul eagerly began to eat the seeds. Nettie smiled. The ferret was so cute.

            “Please tell me you didn’t bring Mabul again.” Nettie was so startled she almost dropped her backpack. She sighed as she saw it was Clair who had spoken. Clair and Nettie bore a good resemblance to each other, except Nettie had brown hair and green eyes while Clair’s eyes were brown. She saw Clair was wearing her favorite blue sleeveless shirt with her jeans and red sleeveless Raptors jacket. Clair wasn’t much of a sports person. She just wore the jacket to show her school spirit.

            “What if I did?” Nettie asked.

            “Nettie, you know the rules. If you get caught you’ll be in a lot of trouble.” Clair warned as she took a seat by her friend.

            “That doesn’t stop Jason and Aurora from tearing each other’s throats out.” Nettie resumed eating her nachos.

            “True. Not to mention some of the other delinquents around here.” Clair scanned the cafeteria to see people she mentioned. Ashley was making her way to the table with the popular girls. Ashley was the average girl you expected to become the next Miss Popular, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. However she also had a strong dislike at being told what to do. She didn’t really care about school and was famous for sleeping during her classes.

            Jason was sitting next to his best friend Phil. Phil had messy brown hair and a smiling face. He was laid back and preferred to spend time in his video games. Jason once took his system from him to mess with him, but when Phil actually fought him he won Jason’s respect. The two had remained good buddies for a long time. He referred to Jason and their other friends as his gang, and Clair could only hope that was only figuratively used.

            Stella Valleys was among the popular kids in school. She had beauty and brains, and most of the guys were heads over heels for her. She had dark brown hair and a warm face. She always got straight A’s, and always was happy to take a test. Clair in some ways looked up to her as a role model. However Clair always felt she could never be as beautiful as she was.

            “Oh no. Look what the cat dragged in.” Nettie warned after swallowing some chocolate milk. Clair looked to see the Mr. Truant of the school had arrived. Seventeen-year old AJ Musashi was the biggest flirt in the entire school. His spikey black hair seemed to attract girls like moths to a candle. AJ however never was committed to a serious relationship. If he saw a pretty face he’d go flirt with that girl. Several hearts had been broken because of him.

            “Let’s just hope he stays on the other side of the cafeteria.” Clair munched on her cookies.

            “Or that he decides to go back to the arcade.” Nettie said.

            “That guy spends so much time gaming I’m surprised he still has eyes in his head.” Clair added.

            “Well there’s nothing wrong with games.” Nettie said.

            “The guy obsesses with them. Not to mention the female characters.” Clair remembered seeing the inside of his locker was filled with pictures of various video game characters. She never allowed herself to be anywhere near that guy. “He needs a serious reality check.” Clair added with a shudder.

            “Amen to that.” Nettie stood up with her tray. However she never took it to the trashcan. It was at that time their world was changed forever.