100 hrs., 10 min.
The blast was so powerful it knocked him to the floor. What in God's name? he thought, staring at the large black smudge on the wall. he looked at his hands. What is this?
(|)
Ian woke from the same nightmare he'd been having every night for the past month. Why does that keep happening? He shook it off. No one can do it. No one could control darkness. Yet Ian had seen it so many times. It just isn't possible. I need to see a therapist. Or Astrid. Astrid.
He walked to Astrid's house. It wasn't too far away. Ian knocked on the door. No answer. School. She's there. He went back to his house and got his bike. The school was too far away for him to walk.
(|)
"Astrid?" Ian called. She came bursting out the door, her face in shock.
"What's going on?" He asked her.
"Everyone in my class just disappeared," she said with a hint of fear.
"What? No way, not possible."
"I saw it with my own eyes, Ian."
"I don't believe this," Ian muttered to himself. All the adults, gone? He looked down the hall. Sam had come out with Quinn. "Astrid, do you know what's going on?" Sam asked her. Astrid shook her head. "I don't know."
"You don't know," Sam asked her.
"Sam, forget it. The adults just disappeared. They might come back."
"Whatever. I'm gonna find other people,"Sam decided, and walked down the hall.
(|)
John was riding in the back seat of the white pickup truck. They had to send me to the dumb camp, he thought as his eighteen year-old cousin drove down the dusty dirt road.
"Remind me again why I have to be dragged out into the middle of nowhere?" John asked. There was no answer.
"Ryan?" Still no answer. Suddenly, the truck picked up speed. A hill, I'm going down a hill in a truck without a driver. The sound of crushing metal and shattering glass filled the air. John fell to the floor.
(|)
Ian stared at Astrid.
"Are you sure you don't know?" he asked. Astrid nodded.
"Well, this just got bad, then."
"Why do you always come to me first? You could always try and figure it out before me," Astrid pointed out.
"True. How about I check the power plant? There's got to be something there."
"Like I said. Figure it out yourself."
Ian started walking to the power plant.
(|)
What in God's name? John thought. His body was in an awkward position, with his legs sprawled out in an inhuman-like angle. John looked at them. So much for walking again, he thought. His blonde hair was now caked with blood. He looked at his left arm. What he saw was unbearable to look at. Twisted at an odd angle, the broken bone threatened to break through the skin. God, save me now, he thought, before his vision clouded and he blacked out.
(|)
Ian arrived at the power plant. To think I might die. That doesn't sound too good. He walked forward. It doesn't matter. The power plant itself wasn't dangerous. It was the radiation he had to worry about. If the thing exploded, then I'm a goner.
"Take human," a voice ordered behind him. The voice was raspy, like it was new. Ian fought against the things surrounding them.
"Who are you?" Ian asked. The source of the voice stepped out into the pale light.
"I am Pack Leader."
(|)
John woke up days later. "Where am I?" he asked, sitting up. He looked around. He was in a small shack, big enough for a few people. A golden retriever ran up to him.
"Hey there. You want something to eat?"
"Why are you talking to my dog like he's yours?" a girl asked.
"He came up to me. I thought he might be hungry."
"He'd be barking if he was hungry," the girl told him. At that moment, John could hear bubbling from the stove.
"What's that?" he asked, looking at the stove.
"I found it in the cupboard. I think it's soup."
"After what I went through, I'd eat the heck out of almost anything," John said, hoping that the timer would reach zero.
"I know. I saved you from dying."
"What?" John asked, now confused.
"After you blacked out, me and Patrick," she looked over at the dog, "pulled you out. I healed you once we got back here."
"People can't just 'heal' other people. You need medical supplies."
"Not in my case. I don't even know how it works."
John looked around the shack again. "Dreams will become reality." John recoiled back slightly.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," John lied. "I just thought of my cousin."
"Who's your cousin?"
"He disappeared. I don't even know why. He was there one second, gone the next. My name's John by the way."
"My name's Lana."
"Dreams will become reality."
John recoiled again. "Where is that coming from?" John screamed.
"Where's what coming from?"
"This voice inside my head! I can't figure out where it's coming from!"
"I think I know, but it's a dangerous place."
"I think I've been through worse."
"All right," Lana said, and headed out the door.
"Lana?" John asked.
"What is it?"
"I'm almost fifteen, and everyone over fourteen disappears."
"So, what do you want me to do?"
"I want you to hold my hand because I might disappear."
(|)
This is crazy, Ian thought. "What do you want with me?"
"I do not want you. The Darkness want* you," the coyote rasped.
"The Darkness? What in the blazes is that?"
"It tells us revenge," Pack Leader said.
"Revenge against what?"
"Humans," Pack Leader replied.
Ian was struck silent. "Dreams will become reality."
"Why humans?" Ian asked, ignoring the repeating sentence in his mind.
"Humans kill coyote*. Coyote will kill humans."
"No. I won't let you!" Ian screamed, and a black beam shot out of his hand, and hit one of the coyotes in its side, going through it like butter.
"He controls the Darkness," Pack Leader exclaimed, and stepped away. Ian stood up.
"Get away from me, or else."
To be continued...
*This is the correct grammar from the book!