Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
The day was getting shorter and the group had long ago lost their patience in finding a spell to break the curse of the Akrones. It was Alex’s idea to name the creatures. As they sat together at the dinner table eating, there was a solemn mood that filled the air. It was depressing and with each day passing they realized the world was getting closer to extinction.
“Two weeks.” Kyle snickered while he played with his vegetables.
“I guess we should be glad there’s no television in this castle. I don’t know what I would do watching the killings on the screen every night.” Tammy sighed.
“Don’t be discouraged, we’ll find a way out.” Jerry insisted.
Mila snickered “Yeah, that’s what we’ve been saying since day one. I don’t think you noticed being blind and all, but our energy has been drained. Christian’s killed about a hundred of those creatures and I’ve only reached half of his amount. I’m such a loser.”
In the mist of the serious talk, they heard a giggling voice coming from the end of the table. It was Alex, she was playing with her mash potatoes and leaf mints. She began cackling when she realized she had formed an island with her food “Look! This is the sand and this is a palm tree!” She pointed out happily.
Kevin shook his head at her “Alex, can you take this more seriously?”
“I am very serious!” She said haughtily “It doesn’t take a simple mind to make such a craft.”
Ann smiled gently “I think its great.” With Kyle and Kevin’s help, she was able to learn to speak sooner than the average. Plus her determination brought her to a higher level of speaking.
“Only you would pick her side.” Christian teased “You’re too nice Ann.” He stood up and let out a short sigh “I’m hitting the sack. Yell if you need me.”
“Can I join you?!” Alex popped from her seat.
It was an obvious attraction that the group saw between them. Christian was a little more than hesitant but he knew how scared Alex was to be alone. She practically panicked the last time an Akrone came charging into her room “Sure.” He replied with a smile.
She crawled under the sheets with Christian and instead of sleeping, he was staring at her intently. When she felt a pair of eyes on her, she opened her own and smiled “What?”
“You’re not scared are you?” he asked.
Alex shook her head “Not at all.”
He frowned “Why not? Don’t you know we could die any minute?” her grin grew wider “I don’t get you sometimes.”
“Only sometimes?” she asked with a surprised tone. His head began to shake and she quickly rolled her eyes “Perk up, grumpy. If you don’t learn to face fear, it will eat you alive.”
Christian laughed as he propped his elbow up and rested his head on the palm of his hand “Really? This is coming from the girl that called for mercy when a baby Akrone came flying through her window just three days ago?”
“Not that kind of fear silly. Death.” Alex said nonchalantly “I guess after my near death experience as a child, I’ve learned that my second chance at life was a gift. Every day that I live is a gift in itself. No matter how I live it, I always stop to realize that this is my day. I wouldn’t let anything stop it. Well…that minus the fact that these things are trying to kill us. I escape death each time you save me.” She ended with a grin that he knew would etch into his heart forever.
Christian leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead “You are some special gal, Alex So.”
“Glad you noticed.” She covered a yawn “I’m sleepy.”
“Night.” He dropped his hand under the pillow and watched as she slipped into a deep sleep. Soon, he too found himself in dreamland.
***********
Jerry sat leaning against he hallway floor while Mila marched her soldier stance “Don’t you ever run out of energy?” he asked with a small smile.
She paused to turn to him “I was taught to keep moving if not the enemy will get a chance to attack.”
He nodded slowly “Good point.”
He sat there humming a tune to himself while Mila began pacing again. Her mind counting each step until it was perfectly in tune with the beat. When she realized that she was practically dancing, she stopped and took a seat next to Jerry “So blind man, what’s your deal?”
“I beg your pardon?” he asked politely.
“I mean your eyes. Why did you go blind? Since its another five hours until sunrise, we might as well make the best of the moment.” She said bored.
He laughed, “So you are just using me to kill time.”
“Exactly!” she nodded.
Jerry’s smile slowly disappeared as he recalled his childhood “I wasn’t born blind. I recall like it was yesterday. I was only six years old when my parents took me on vacation. It was a foreign country but I don’t remember where it was. There was a solar eclipse that day, no one told me that I wasn’t suppose to stare at it.” He reached his fingers over his eyes “I remember seeing a large bird that came flying towards me, I closed my eyes and when I opened them, it was pitch black.”
“Wow…that is so cool. Well, except the part of you being blind that is.” Mila added quickly.
“I guess there is good and bad in everything. After the doctors confirmed that I was truly blind, my parents were devastated and did everything in their power to get me the best blind teachers and dog leaders. But after I reached the age of eighteen, I only used one cane and had long ago memorized how to get around the city on my own. But I'd give anything to see again.”
Mila shook her head “And I thought being labeled as nutty when I’m just different is bad. I guess seeing pitch black every day of my life is not as bad.”
“I don’t see just darkness.” Jerry said.
His comment caught her by surprise “So your eyes work some days?” it was peculiar to her that someone could have partial vision.
He laughed “No, not quite. But I get these visions…they’re not normal.”
“What kind of visions?” she asked even more intrigued than before.
“I sense danger around me. Constantly, its like I see it before it can happen.” He nodded convincingly.
Mila’s eyes did a double take on a pair of red eyes not far down the hallway “Do you sense anything right now?” she tested.
Jerry’s lips straightened “You see it too?”
“Okay blind man, just stay calm. Don’t make any sudden movements.” She slowly reached for her gun stashed behind her jeans.
“Where is it?” he whispered the question.
“On your right.” She replied, her eyes glued to the red eyes growing with each closer step. The dim hallway suddenly filled with the creature “Mother of God…” Mila whispered when she realized it was the biggest Akrone she’s seen yet “It’s huge.”
Jerry frowned “How big?”
“Five times the regular ones that we see.” Mila raised her gun carefully and aimed it’s exact space between the eyes “Just hold still so I can shoot you…” she fired but to her shock, the creature moved it’s head swiftly to the left, easily dodging the bullet “Cool.” She gushed but was returned to reality when it’s beak opened and let out a blood curdling screech “Bad news, it can dodge bullets.” She pulled Jerry to his feet “HELP!!!!” she yelled at the top of her lungs.
Kevin and Ann were up practicing her linguistics when they heard a cry “It’s Mila.” Ann recognized.
“Yeah and she never screams.” Kevin jumped off the bed and pulled her with him as he yanked open the door. He quickly shut it when they were face to face with the creature “Shit! It’s the mother.” He said to Ann.
“What do we do now?” she asked. Suddenly it’s beak pierced through the door between their faces, they were an inch away of being scarred in the face. Her eyes widened as she stood there frozen.
He grabbed her hand and yanked her towards the connecting room “Come on!” they barged through the room awakening Christian, who popped up “We got a visitor.” Kevin announced.
“Alex.” Christian called but she was in a deep sleep.
“You have to shake her.” Kevin rushed over as he pulled her up in a seated position “Alex!” he yelled.
Her eyes fluttered open “Is it breakfast time?” she yawned.
He shook his head “No, the mother Akrone is here. We have to get out of the room!” he pulled her off the bed and rushed her towards the door just in time to see the mother come barging through the same door Kevin and Ann came from.
“AHH!!” Alex yelled as she pushed the door open and ran out so quick, it made the three look at each other.
Christian pushed the two out as he ran after them “Where are we going?” Mila ran down the stairs “It can fly you know.”
“Really sherlock? I didn’t know.” Alex replied with sarcasm as she practically pushed her out of the way.
The Akrone was out of the room as it came flying at the speed of light beating them to the door. Alex froze in her steps “Alex!” Christian rushed down in front of her as he shielded her body, gun raised, he was ready to shoot.
“Oh my God!” Tammy cried from the top of the stairs as she saw the mother Akrone with her own eyes. Kyle rushed out beside her as he pointed, completely speechless and shocked “I know.” She nodded.
“Get back!” Christian ordered.
The group slowly went back while the creature continued towards them. He fired suddenly but the Akrone was ready as it dodged the bullet “It’s useless, this one is stronger.” Jerry shook his head “It can sense bullets.”
“Just what we needed, a matrix creature.” Alex said sarcastically “Anyone got good ideas?”
“Maybe we can talk to it?” Tammy suggested.
“Yes, ask it why it wants to kill us!!” Mila cried with rolled eyes.
She rushed down the stairs towards them “No, I learned this when I was training at the Animal park. Birds chirp when they are hungry and they follow things or people that they are comfortable with.” She studied the creature’s eyes and it landed on Alex “It’s looking for Alex.” She said bluntly.
“What?” Alex yelped.
“No, it’s just staring at all of us.” Kevin said with a shaking head.
Tammy’s eyes hardened “No, it really is looking at Alex.” She pulled her feet up and picked off her shoe as she threw it at the creature “See, it looks at us with vengeance but it’s looking at Alex with softer eyes.”
“I’d look at you with a vengeance too if you threw a shoe at me!” Alex cried in disbelief.
“Christian, cover Alex.” Tammy instructed. He nodded blocked the creature’s vision of Alex and quickly it’s eyes flamed a red and yellow color.
“Shit, she’s right.” He whispered as Alex popped her head up, it’s face quickly relaxed at the sight of her.
Jerry arched his neck “Tammy!” he called. She came rushing to his side “I want you to do something…” he leaned closer to her and whispered something. Her eyes widened in horror but he quickly assured her “Don’t worry, just trust my instincts.”
Tammy nodded as she turned and rushed down the stairs towards the beast “Tammy!” Christian reached for her but she was too fast.
“What the hell is she doing?” Alex asked.
“You want to kill us? Go ahead. Do it!” She challenged the Akrone.
His head twitched as its beak sharpened into a point “Tammy!! Get back here!” Alex cried in a desperate plea.
“You can save her.” Jerry said calmly.
Alex turned to him but she knew she had to act quick, the Akrone would kill Tammy. She rushed around Christian and ran to shield Tammy. It’s beak stopped when it saw Alex. The beast backed away and twitched it’s head away again “You’re good, blind man.” Mila sighed.
“Go away!” Alex was shaking but she managed to yell. The beast gave a slight bow as it flew towards the entrance it came from “It worked.” She turned to Jerry “How did you know?” chills running through her body as she realized she had the power to control them. He smiled and turned to walk back up the stairs indicating the group to follow him.