Chloe paused, her fingers posed over the keyboard. The monitor still showed
the next week's issue of the Torch. Tearing her gaze from the screen, she
glanced around the darkened office. Shadows fell in their normal places,
while the stillness of the school after hours was only broken by the noise
of the pop machine humming down the hallway. Maybe the long hours had
simply gotten to her.
And yet, the hair on the back of her neck was still standing on end. Quietly, she stood up from behind the desk. While she reached for the flashlight that was on a nearby shelf, she heard it again. A quiet sound, which reminded her of a small metal ball rolling across the floor. Watching carefully where she put her feet, Chloe began to look under the shelves and desks in the room.
It was while she was examining the space in between the metal file cabinets that she actually caught sight of it. Just a glimpse of motion out of the corner of eye. Whatever it was, it was small and fast. Chloe's first thought was that of a mouse, but it didn't move like a mouse. It was rolling. Puzzled, she grabbed the broom leaning against the wall, and suitably armed, began to stalk the object.
After a few near misses with the broom, she had begun to believe that the thing was intelligent. She could swear that it seemed to be actively trying to evade her, even guess where she was going to strike next. Finally, it had escaped through the slightly opened door into the hallway. She snatched the door open. She was going to find that thing, and get to the bottom of this, tonight!
Shining the light down the hallway, first one way and then the other, Chloe was surprised to find Clark sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. He had his science book out on lap, and was rubbing his face. "Clark? What are you doing here?" He looked at her, paused in mid-rub of his right eye, and peering at her with his left eye. Gracefully looking, he wasn't. What came out of his mouth wasn't either. "Umm, hi, Chloe, umm, just finishing a bit of homework" Chloe stared at him in disbelief. "In a dark hallway about a hour after the last bell's rung?" Clark passed his hand over to cover both eyes, and emitted a small groan. "Light experiment?" he offered. Chloe sighed, "Wait, I'll go get my jacket, and then you can help me hunt down tonight's Torch intruder." "Intruder?" inquired Clark, but Chloe had already vanished back into the Torch office.
Clark grinned and picked up his eye off the floor where it had rolled up next to his leg. After carefully cleaning it off with the wipe he carried in his pocket for just such an occasion, he popped back into his right eye socket. The office floor had been filthy, but the prank had been well worth it. He just had to try it on Lana down at the Talon.
And yet, the hair on the back of her neck was still standing on end. Quietly, she stood up from behind the desk. While she reached for the flashlight that was on a nearby shelf, she heard it again. A quiet sound, which reminded her of a small metal ball rolling across the floor. Watching carefully where she put her feet, Chloe began to look under the shelves and desks in the room.
It was while she was examining the space in between the metal file cabinets that she actually caught sight of it. Just a glimpse of motion out of the corner of eye. Whatever it was, it was small and fast. Chloe's first thought was that of a mouse, but it didn't move like a mouse. It was rolling. Puzzled, she grabbed the broom leaning against the wall, and suitably armed, began to stalk the object.
After a few near misses with the broom, she had begun to believe that the thing was intelligent. She could swear that it seemed to be actively trying to evade her, even guess where she was going to strike next. Finally, it had escaped through the slightly opened door into the hallway. She snatched the door open. She was going to find that thing, and get to the bottom of this, tonight!
Shining the light down the hallway, first one way and then the other, Chloe was surprised to find Clark sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. He had his science book out on lap, and was rubbing his face. "Clark? What are you doing here?" He looked at her, paused in mid-rub of his right eye, and peering at her with his left eye. Gracefully looking, he wasn't. What came out of his mouth wasn't either. "Umm, hi, Chloe, umm, just finishing a bit of homework" Chloe stared at him in disbelief. "In a dark hallway about a hour after the last bell's rung?" Clark passed his hand over to cover both eyes, and emitted a small groan. "Light experiment?" he offered. Chloe sighed, "Wait, I'll go get my jacket, and then you can help me hunt down tonight's Torch intruder." "Intruder?" inquired Clark, but Chloe had already vanished back into the Torch office.
Clark grinned and picked up his eye off the floor where it had rolled up next to his leg. After carefully cleaning it off with the wipe he carried in his pocket for just such an occasion, he popped back into his right eye socket. The office floor had been filthy, but the prank had been well worth it. He just had to try it on Lana down at the Talon.
