Chapter 2

You're Next

Sallys POV

"Dad, I'm going out with some friends now. Bye!"

"Wait! No you're not." My dad said grabbing my wrist and turning me to face him. Not harshly of course.

"Why not, dad?" I ask him pouting a little. (I wonder if I can sucker him into letting me go)

"Because we're going to have guests."

"And who's so important that I'll have to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity?" I asked still trying to win him over.

"Llyod, Zachery, Robin, your Uncle Kai, and your Cousin Blake." He said not even caring about the last part of what I said. "Oh and your Aunt Skylor."

"Ugh, them." I whined "I mean, Robin and Blake are ok but Zachery acts like a baby. Seriously he can't do anything. He can't even play video games. All he does when he's over is read and act like a goodie-too-shoes. Can't he just stay home?"

"Why?"

"So then me, Blake, and Robin could go to the party." I said hoping he'd call Lloyd and tell him to tell Zachery to stay home so I could party.

"Why couldn't Zachery go?"

"Because it's a high school party and Zachery's in middle school."

"Listen, I know since you're in high school now that you're so past hanging out with middle schoolers, but I'm not gonna go and call Lloyd and tell him to leave his kid home because you don't like him. Plus Nya already asked Lloyd if he was bringing his kids so she could make cookies."

"But dad, mom makes horrible cookies so he wouldn't be missing out on anything and I doubt he likes it here anyway again all he does-"

"Is read when he's here, I know." He said finishing my sentence. "I'm still not gonna do it Sally." Then he sighed and asked "When does this party start?"

"30 minutes!" I said probably too eagerly thinking to myself (YESSSS! I'VE WON!)

"What if I let you go and you get back home in time for dinner?"

"That would be the most amazing thing you have ever done for me."

"You say that every time I let you go do something. Fine. But, don't tell your mother she'll scold me. And you have to be back before dinner." He said scowling.

I was just getting ready to celebrate when my mom walked through the kitchen door. "Sally Walker, you are not going to that party."

Just as I was about to say something my dad comes to my rescue. "But why not Nya? I mean, she's gonna be home before dinner so..."

"Jay, she asked me before she asked you. I told her no. But she didn't tell you that did she?" Then I knew I was so done for.

Dad looked at me like he was annoyed that I put him in this situation and said "Of course she didn't tell me. I wouldn't have told her she can go if she did."

Mom just shook her head and said "Sally go to your room until our guests arrive."

I didn't even try to argue, I just walked away afraid that if I tried i would get grounded. But when I got to my room I snuck out of the window. (They'll never know as long as I get back before we our "guests arrive")

Kai's POV

"We can't keep moving around like this. Every time we've moved he's found us, there's no point anymore."

"I know, but what if the letters weren't meant for you?" My wife asked trying to be optimistic.

"You think he might've written someone else a letter and accidentally made the ink visible to me? Not to mention the fact that no matter were we go the letters come to us. You think that's just an accident?" I asked annoyed by the attempt of optimism. "I think... No, I know he's better than that."

When the Ninja went into hiding the attacks died down a lot with exception of a few Ninja who were captured or killed. Since then we were living ok trying to find a way to stop that stupid magician and a way to shut Zane back on. Then, Cole got captured and things started going to hell. Jen, after a while of thinking, decided to divorce Lloyd. Her life was endangered and she didn't want to be in that position any longer. She went in the night and left her sons as well as her husband. Lloyd, was trying hard to look for Cole in secret but couldn't get over the grief of his wife leaving him so the task fell on me. I then realized I was being too careless. I received a letter in the mail with no return address, I opened the letter and I saw it. The thing I dreaded to see. The letter said in ink that only I could see:

Just a little warning Ninja,

You're next.

I knew immediately what it meant because Cole got the same message before he went missing. Lloyd, Jay, and Nya helped my family relocate to a safer place and since the others thought I should lay low, Jay took the responsibility of looking for Cole as well as trying to find a way to turn Zane back on. Eventually both tasks became too much for Jay to handle and since Cole could die without chance of resurrection Jay made Cole his priority. At that point it had been 7 years since Cole went missing, and now it's been 15. So why am I so afraid now if I received that letter 10 years ago? Because about a month ago I got another letter that reassured me that he never forgot about us. We never lost him. He just put us off. The next letter read:

Did you really think you could hide?

I thought you knew, I always find my target.

31

Since then no matter where we've gone I receive a letter everyday with a number on it. 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20... By the time it hit 19 I figured out it was a count down, a count down to death day. Today I got a letter with the number 0. I know that there is no chance to escape my fate. The others told to me to stay with them so we planned to go to Jay's, but I can't. I can't because, I know that if I do he'll kill us all. I decided if I couldn't save myself I would save Skylar and my son, Blake.

"But you know there are some with the Golden Eye. Those who can see what is hidden to others. What if -"

"You know that's not it Skylor." I looked up and I realized she's just as defeated as I am. "I need you to take Blake to Jay's house. Since he's only after me you two still have a-"

"No!" Now it was her turn to interrupt me. "I'm not leaving you."

"You have to. If not for me for your son." I said pleading for her to go.

"Blake stands a better chance with them, but you stand a better chance with me. I'm not leaving and that's final." I was about to try again but I couldn't because I saw the look. The look of fierce determination. A look that said my decision is final and no matter how much you try to make me change my mind, I won't.

Then Blake comes running down the steps and says "I'm ready guys!"

I look at him sad. This is it. This is truly it. "Blake, there's been a change of plans."

"You mean we're not going?"

"No. I mean, you're going but me-" Skylor slightly elbowed me which was her way of saying you'd better include me. (I was going to anyway.) "Me and your mother are not. "

"Why not?"

I was struggling to find an excuse when Skylor chimed in and said "Something's come up and we have to deal with it immediately."

Blake just shrugged and said "Ok. Bye."

"Wait!" I said taking his hand. "I just want you to know that you and your mother are the best things that have ever happened to me and that I'm sorry for everything that I've done wrong. It's too long a list to name everything but I'm sorry and l love you."

"I love you too dad, but it's not like I'm dying. Are you dying?" He asked frowning in confusion.

"No and I know you're not dying I just thought I'd let you know that." After I said that I hugged him and he, he hugged me back and for a moment I forgot all about what was about to happen.

Then Skylor moved me and said something to Blake that I couldn't hear. When he left I asked her what she said to him "I said, don't let your fathers words mess with you, I won't let him do anything stupid. He thought that you were going to commit suicide." She laughed.

"You didn't even give him a parting message?" I asked sort of bewildered. (I thought mothers were more emotional when this kind of thing happens.)

"I told him to stay safe and that l love him. But this is not the end Kai. As long as I'm with you nothing will happen to us, and we will see our son again." I was amazed by her confidence. I didn't want to "burn" her confidence out so I just thought to myself (This is really it.)