Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
After Alex was inside, Christian closed the door with a sigh of relief “That was close.”
“Too close. Look at my hair!” Alex cried while showing Kevin.
“Honey, you’re lucky it’s not your head.” He said reasonably.
Christian nodded “That’s what I said.”
She pouted and glanced towards Mila “Ew! Is it dead?” the girl was hovering over the creature looking at it from head to toe.
“You can use his claw for a knife.” She pointed out “And look at the wings, it looks like silver shingles. I wonder what it’s used for?”
“Reflect light.” Kevin observed “It can’t see in the light, the shiny parts will bounce the light away from them so they can see better.” He turned to see Alex playing with her uneven hair “Good thing we heard you.”
Mila laughed, “With that scream, who would not hear her? Not like your girl…” her smile faded as they realized if Ann were to be in danger, they wouldn’t even know.
"Ann!" Kevin raced up the stairs and into her room but he was horrified when he saw her being cornered by a creature. Pulling out his gun, he pointed to the beast “Get away from her!!” When the thing did not respond, he pointed his gun to the ceiling and fired, startling it. It turned to Kevin with a newfound revenge as it lunged towards him. He quickly jumped out of the way while Ann pointed behind him.
He turned and pointed the gun only to be swung away by the creature’s sharp beak. It cut through the outer layer of his skin and instantly began to bleed. He used his injured hands to move away while the creature stepped closer. Alex, Christian and Mila showed up at the door as they watched helplessly “Do something!” Alex turned to Christian desperately.
“Give me your shoe.” He ordered. Alex pulled off her platform and handed it to him. She didn’t expect him to thrust it at the creature. But it worked when he turned to the new group.
“Great job!” Alex yelped.
“Exactly.” Christian muttered as he raised his gun gingerly “Come on…get closer…” he whispered as the creature turned it’s head at him and then at Kevin, trying to figure who to attack. At the last minute, it decided to go after the unarmed Kevin. Christian fired into the back of its head “Wrong choice.”
Ann rushed over to Kevin to help him up, her eyes full of concern. He was in pain but still managed to smile “I’m okay.”
She reached for his hands as she cradled it in the palm of her hand. He was bleeding profusely “You should help him bandage.” Mila offered with a secret wink at Kevin.
Ann nodded as she quickly rushed him out of the room and to the restroom where the first aid kit was. Kyle emerged from his room looking disheveled “What’s with all the racket? I’m trying to sleep.”
“We were attacked! You better sleep with one eye open if you want to stay alive.” Alex snickered.
“You were?” he scratched his head “There’s no cuts or bruises.”
“Look at my hair!!” Alex turned to show him.
Kyle laughed “Get over yourself, it’s a wonder the beast didn’t eat your head. It’s so big.” He yawned with a nonchalant wave of the hand “I’m going back to bed.”
“It’s getting late. Alex, you should rest too.” Christian nodded her towards her room. She nodded with a lowered head and returned to her haven. While Ann was busy tending to Kevin’s wounds, Christian and Mila decided to take the late night shift.
“So, how many have you killed?” she asked with interest.
He shrugged carelessly “I haven’t counted.”
“I did, four. I’m only at one.” She was disappointed.
He smiled “You’re an odd girl.”
“Thanks!” Mila said brightly “So is your little new friend.”
Christian frowned “Who are you talking about? Alex?”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, he’s NOT naïve.” She clapped her hands “Of course. It’s obvious she has a crush on you. She may be a little spoiled but just think once the radius spreads, we’ll be the only living souls in this world. We will have to reproduce the human race. She could be your last resort.”
“That’s a little farfetched.” He shook his head with a laugh.
“You talking about Alex or the world ending?” Mila asked casually.
“Both.” He smiled to himself.
*********
Later that night, while most of the others were asleep. Alex was sitting up with her hand mirror in one hand and a pair of scissors in another. She was trying unsuccessfully to even out the chopped strands. The sun was almost rising when she received a knocking on her door “If you’re a creature, don’t come in. Anyone else, come in!” she called.
Christian opened the door with a smile “Morning.”
“Is it morning already?” she asked with widened eyes “It’s hard to know that when you’re living in a cell.”
He walked inside “It’s not that bad.” He nodded to her hair “Need help?”
“You know how to cut hair?” she asked incredulously.
He raised a hand to his lips “I’ll tell you but don’t you dare leak it out of this room.”
She patted the empty place next to her torn bed “This I’ve got to hear.”
“Before I decided to enter the police force, I worked at my mom’s beauty salon. She showed me how to cut hair and eventhough I didn’t have a cosmetology license, the customers still trusted their hair in my hands.” He motioned for her to sit up at the edge of the bed as he began coming her hair with his fingers “It was just an after school job that paid me to buy things I wanted.” He pulled her hair accessories bag closer to find clips that would hold up her hair while he worked to even her now shoulder length hair.
Alex smiled to herself “What made you join the force?”
“Protect people. Help people.” He said shortly.
“I see. I know you are noble…but what made you…you know…eh…”
“Turn?” he smiled at her weak attempt to be straightforward “I had no idea Alex could be so hesitant to ask a question. The girl that never bothered to care what anyone said as long as she could be heard?”
She laughed, “That’s me. But this is a serious subject. I wouldn’t take it lightly.”
He was on the final layer as he sighed “I took an undercover job too early in my age. What was supposed to be a one year deal turned to be a five year deal. My job was to earn the trust of the Dai Lou of Yee Hing gang. I did so well that I couldn’t turn him in at the end when he was caught for a huge drug bust. I wanted nothing to do with it but in the end, I was so deep in that I couldn’t get out. I quit the force and followed the gang to Malaysia where I stayed in the underworld, still a fugitive.” He snorted sarcastically “I told my Dai Lou that I would not be doing drugs instead we got into stealing banks and liquor stores.”
“Wow…sounds like a movie.” She gushed, “My life seems useless compared to yours.”
He finished the last snip as he moved her off the bed to roll the sheets together and threw it on the floor. She touched her hair with care “Not bad!”
Christian sat on the bed comfortably “Thanks. So, now you know my life secret.”
Alex grinned teasingly “Do you have to kill me now?”
He threw his head back with a laugh “Not if I have to. But we’ll make a deal. You tell me about you and I’ll let it pass.”
“Ooh, the all powerful Christian is going to do me a favor by not killing me.” She said in a fearful tone and quickly laughed it off “My life is really boring.”
“Maybe not to me.” He grinned.
“I was the only child and my mom told me when I was small. I was diagnosed with a sickness that nearly killed me. The doctors said I would not live pass the age of four. That year, my mom became very superstitious and was careful with me like I was a piece of diamond. She took me to the temple in Po Lin to talk to this monk. He gave me some sort of lucky charm that my mom made me wear everyday. Needless to say, I lived pass the doctors expectations. They could not explain what happened and my mother told me I never got sick again. I never even got a cold.”
Christian was intrigued “That’s interesting. That monk…was he the same one you went to visit before you came here?”
She shrugged “I was only four at that time. I don’t remember. But why would it matter? He didn’t see me grow up, he couldn’t possibly recognize me? Could he?” she asked unsurely.
“Callings work in different ways.” His words caused the sky to thunder while the creatures called out to each other. They heard an unfamiliar tone to the calls “What was that?”
Alex got up from her bed “Only one way to find out.” She pulled out the curtain that was stuffed into the circled window “Oh…my…God.” She whispered.
“What is it?” Christian felt the chills running down his spine. She moved aside for him to see. Circling the gray sky was a creature three times the size of the ones they’ve seen “It’s the mother.” He couldn’t tear his eyes off of it “God save us all.” They were flying around the mother creature and the bubble grew another mile as he witnessed it with his own eyes “We have to tell the others.” He quickly stuffed the curtain back and pulled Alex to the ground.
The two rushed out to find everyone was already up and eating breakfast “Thanks for waiting!” Alex stood with her hands on her hips.
“We told him to get you but when he didn’t come back, we figured you were having a little fun on your own.” Kyle teased. Tammy lowered her head while Ann shook her head at Kyle, who instantly felt guilty “I was only kidding.”
“Nice haircut.” Mila grinned crookedly while chomping on a sausage.
Alex smiled “Thanks. I did it myself.”
She raised her eyes “Really? I had no idea you had eyes behind your head.”
Kevin laughed as he turned to look at Ann “What’s wrong?” his face fell.
She gestured ‘Something’s different. The creatures…’ she couldn’t continue as she quickly covered her ears painfully.
“Ann!” Kevin looked worried “Ann! What’s wrong? Why does she get these headaches?” he asked Jerry.
He shook his head “It’s not a headache. She hears something. What do you hear Ann?” he pressed.
Christian and Alex exchanged looks “What?” Mila pointed at the two. Alex shook her head innocently “You guys looked at each other. What is it? Look, I’ve got radars from miles away let alone a few feet. What the hell is going on?”
“The mother was born.” Christian said shortly.
Tammy gasped while the rest looked up at him. Alex confirmed it with a nod “We saw it with our own eyes. It’s huge, bigger than the ones we’ve killed so far.”
“I wanna see!” Mila cried.
“No.” Christian shook his head firmly “You don’t. I think we need more help. A spell or how to reverse the curse?” he looked at Kevin for help.
“How about the book?” Alex offered.
Jerry shook his head “It’s useless. It only shows you how to kill the creature. It does not tell you how to stop it from mass producing.”
“So we’re going to sit here and wait for it to kill the world and eventually us?!” Kyle asked in outraged “Then what the hell are we chosen for?” He got up from his seat “I don’t know about you guys but I’m getting out of here.” He began walking towards the door “Anyone coming?” he turned, looking at Tammy more than anyone else.
“You walk out that door and you’ll be replaced!” Kevin barked “The books says once a chosen one is killed, another will be sent for replacement.”
Kyle turned away haughtily “Kevin’s right.” Jerry nodded “Patience. We must have it in order to defeat these creatures. There is a secret we don’t know about. A secret on how to kill them, to vanish them. It’s in this house, I can feel it. We just have to find it.”
“Are you suggesting to split up?” Mila asked.
“That’s a good idea. We’ll partner up. There’s eight people in all. One guy and one girl. Pick your choice.” Jerry nodded.
“I choose Christian!” Alex raised a hand.
“Obviously.” Mila rolled her eyes “How about you and me blind man?”
Jerry smiled “My pleasure.”
Kevin turned to Ann “You want to be my partner?” she nodded with a small smile.
“Another obvious answer.” Mila laughed as she nodded to the last two “Looks like you two are partners. Good luck.” She chucked her head at Tammy “I can tell he shoots like a girl.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Kyle said with sarcasm.