Here's chapter 6. It may be a bit short but I hope you guys like it...
_oOo_
Chapter 6
A crowd of girls met me as I'm opening the changing room door. Some just walked past me, but some saw me and gave disgusted looks. i averted my gaze and looked at my shoes. I heard them mutter 'schizo' and 'freak'. When they're gone, I ran inside the change room and changed my clothes, while telling myself over and over not to cry. I didn't cry. My eyes did water though, but I did not cry.
I finished changing and went back to the gym. My eyes grew big as saucers. Sitting on the bleachers is Derek. He wore a white undershirt that hugged his body really, really, well. Perfect, in fact. It shows his muscled chest and his six-pack abs. The thin cloth was stretched, but not too much, that leaves not much to the imagination. I looked around the room and saw the guys looking at Derek like they could have the same build if they wish hard enough. The girls, plus Coach Pearson and Mr. Hunter, are looking at Derek rather dreamily. Mostly at his body though. I could hear the girls giggling and sees them ogling Derek. My Derek. They're ogling my Derek. I'm not the jealous type; rather, I don't think I am. I've never had a boyfriend before so I really don't know. But the looks that they're giving him, minus the coaches, makes me tick. He's ignoring all of them though, which is good.
I walked up to Derek and sat beside him, "Hey, Derek?" he turned to me.
"Hmm?"
I motioned him closer. "I have to tell you something."
He looked wary. "Okay?" he leaned closer. I placed my hands on his cheeks and pulled him towards me until our lips met. In short, I kissed him, for the second time today. I broke the kiss and smiled up at him. He looked confused and ecstatic at the same time. "W – Wha… huh?" he stammered, point 1 for Chloe. I giggled and looked around again. The guys are looking the other way while the girls, even though some of them are doing the same, some of them are glaring at me. I gave them my best innocent look as if saying, What? Am I not allowed to kiss my boyfriend? I'm thinking it though. "So," he started. I looked up at him and is looking at the group of girls that I've been looking at, "jealous are we, Saunders?" he grinned down at me.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said, turning away from him.
"Uh-huh."
"By the way, why are you wearing that?" I asked.
He sighed. "Coach came in the change room and handed me this. He says that if I wear it today, I could catch up with the rest of the class grades-wise."
"No offense, but that is just dumb."
He shrugged. "Better to pass this class as easily 'cuz I don't want to fail. Even though it's gym."
"Well, I g - "
"Souza!" Mr. Hunter called. He stops a few steps and gave Derek a very slow once-over.
"See," Coach Pearson said, appearing right behind Mr. Hunter, "I told you it would fit him well." And he also gave him a once-over.
I'm getting really irritated with people looking at him like he's some fancy meat. I glared at them both. They didn't even look my way and kept on eating Derek with their eyes. I cleared my throat and they have to wrench their eyes away to look at me.
I smiled at them sweetly, "Shouldn't class start now, Coach?"
He looked at me then nodded. He blew his whistle, "Okay everyone on the bleachers." He shouted like an army sergeant. Everyone took a seat and I noticed that those girls surrounded Derek and me. "We'll be playing volleyball today and it will be boys vs. girls." Almost everyone groaned and the rest just cheered. "Pick your six people. You have 5 minutes." With that he walked over to Mr. Hunter and they started setting up the net.
I slumped on my seat and looked at Derek. He was already being asked by a couple guys to join their team. Of course me, the most un-athletic girl that I know, plus what happened two months ago, I can understand why no one approaches me.
Coach blew his whistle signaling that our five minutes are up and asked if anyone doesn't have a group. I raised up my hand, not higher than my ear. Coach saw this and asked if all groups have six people and everyone nodded. "You'll be keeping scores then, Saunders. Souza," Coach called, "Your team's up first vs. Paisley's group." Both teams stood up and went over to the net, both teams on either side.
Coach handed me a big remote thing and gave me instructions on how to use it. After I got it, he blew the whistle and both teams went to their positions. First serve goes to Derek. He spiked the ball and it went over the net to the back of the other team just before the line. 1 – 0. He served again the same way and the other team quickly responded and hit the ball back. A boy ran up to the net, jumped, and spiked the ball, only to be caught by Derek. The game went on for some time until the score was 25 – 12. Derek's team won!
Derek then came over and sat next to me, "So, how was the game?" I asked. He just shrugged. "You wanna do the scores?" I said, handing him the score remote – thingy.
"Nah. If I did I would have to pay attention." I laughed at him and the corners of his mouth lifted a bit.
So the games went on until only two groups are left. Derek's team and another girl's. This was the group of girls that were eyeing Derek, I thought. I looked at Derek and he saw me and rolled his eyes. I smiled at that. I looked back to the other group giving me leveled stares. I heard Coach's whistle and the girl's side was first to serve.
She spiked the ball and was not heading towards the other team, oh no, it was heading towards me. I just stared at the ball and was too afraid to move, like a deer caught on a headlight – or however that saying goes. I felt the impact mostly at my nose and fell backwards, the back of my head hitting the upper bleacher. Pain enveloped my head and I passed out, but not before I heard a voice call out my name.
It was dark. Really dark. I try to move my hands, but I can't, the same with my legs. I try to speak, but something kept my mouth shut. That crazy bitch! I remembered thinking about Tori. She was the one who hit me at the back of my head with a brick. She was the one who tied and gagged me. She was the one who left me here in this dark place to go crazy.
I twisted and squirmed, trying to get myself to sit up, but failed. Instead I at least got to my knees. Great! Maybe I could just inch forward little by little towards the door of this crawlspace, bang on it and, get someone's attention. It may be a bit slow but –
"Chloe?" A man's voice said. It sounded familiar, Dr. Davidoff maybe? I tried to answer but can only make a muffled "uh – uh" sound.
The voice got closer, and I finally recognized it, the hairs on my arm rose. It was the basement ghost.
I looked around, bracing myself for whatever happens. I looked around still, knowing full well that I couldn't see anything in this blackness. This complete darkness.
"…relax…come for you…"
I shifted forward and hit my nose in a post. Pain exploded behind my eyes and they filled with tears. When I lowered my head, though, I smacked my skull into the post and I toppled sideways.
Get up, I keep telling myself. Get up!
What's the use? I can barely move and I can't even see where I'm going, it's so dark.
I lifted my head and was met with absolute darkness. I started to panic. Ghosts could be around me, everywhere –
Stop that, I scolded myself. They're just ghosts, they can't hurt you. They can't 'come for you.'
The voice came again, "…summon them…you must…"
I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing. Nothing but breathing, blocking that voice.
"…help you…listen…this house…"
The ghost spoke the words with urgency, especially the last, so I had no choice but to listen.
"…good…relax…concentrate…"
I struggled against my bonds, trying to push myself up.
"No, relax…come for you…use the time…make contact…I can't…must get…their story…urgent…"
The scene faded.
It reappeared again and this time I'm crawling. Crawling towards the door, to my freedom. I pushed. It didn't budge.
Locked.
I backed up and slammed my fists against it, screaming, banging, calling for help.
I felt cold fingers wrapped around my bare ankle.
I made my hands wander around for something, anything. My hand brushed something lying in the dirt. The matchbook. I pulled out a match then started looking for the strike strip. There.
"Help. Help. Me."
The scene fades.
"Chloe! Stop." I heard a voice call. A dark shape loomed above me, illuminated by a dim light. "It's – "
I kicked as hard as I could. A sharp hiss of pain followed by a curse.
"Chloe!" Fingers got hold of my arm from behind. I swung. Another hand grabbed that arm, and yanked me off balance. "Chloe, it's me, Derek."
I felt relief overcome me and I may have collapsed against him, but I preferred to not remember it that way. I felt the gag rip away and heard that awful thump – thump and I scrambled up.
"Th-the-there's - "
"Dead people, I know. They must have been buried down here. You actually raised them."
"R-r-raised - " I stammered.
"Later. Right now, you need to-"
The thumping sounds again. I could see them in my mind pulling their limp bodies along. The rustling of their clothes. How they're bones click and clatter. The spirit trapped inside their corpses –
"Chloe, focus!"
Derek grabbed my forearms, holding me still, pulling me close enough to see the white flash of his teeth as he talked. I can see the door left slightly ajar, pouring little amount of light, but just enough to make out shapes.
"They won't hurt you. They aren't brain-eating zombies, okay? They're just dead with their spirits returned to them."
Just dead bodies? With their spirits returned to them? I'd sent people – ghosts – back in their corpses? I thought of what that would be like, shoved back into your decomposed body, trapped there –
"I – I – I need to send them back."
Scene fades.
I closed my eyes – meaningless since I could see nothing with them open, but it made me feel better. The fingers of the bodies crept and poked over my back, plucking my shirt, the corpse making gah-gah-gah noises as if trying to talk.
I gritted my teeth and blocked it out. Not easy knowing what was touching me, pressing against my side –
Enough already, I scolded myself.
I focused instead on Derek. His breathing, slow, deep breaths through his mouth as he struggled to keep calm.
Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Find my quiet spot. The creative place.
The touches and the touches and the smells of the real world faded as I let myself free-fall into my imagination. I focused on the bodies and their spirits. I imagined tugging the spirits out of their shells, setting them free, like caged doves, winging their way into the sunlight.
I repeated the images – freeing the spirits, wishing them well, apologizing for sending them back to their bodies as I sent them on their way. I heard Derek's voice very faintly telling me that I was doing fine, but it sounds almost dreamlike on the edge of consciousness. I heard him say that they're gone and the scene fades.
I woke up. I tried sitting but my head's killing me, so I lay back down. I looked around and saw that I was in my room. I checked the clock: 4:03 PM. I groaned when my head pounded.
"You gave me a scare there, Chloe."
I looked beside me to where I heard the voice. I saw a girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, a Mini Mouse nightshirt, and gray socks with orange and purple giraffes. I recognized her as that girl Liz that Simon said was another resident with us at Lyle House, but was killed because she can't control her powers.
"H-hello," I said. "Liz, right?" she nodded and out her hands on her hips.
"Sheesh, Chloe. I'm gone for five minutes and you get yourself in trouble. I followed you to that lab an - " she was interrupted by the door flying open. Derek and my dad, plus Mr. Bae, came in looking worried.
"Chloe, you okay?" Derek asked.
"How're you feeling, hun?" Dad asked.
"I made you tea. I suggest you drink it, you'll feel better right away." Mr. Bae said, handing me a cup of tea.
I sat up, ignoring the pounding in my head and took the tea with a thank-you. I drank it and the throbbing was diluted. Derek sat beside me on my bed, ignoring dad's menacing look, and put his arms around me, making me lean against him. I complied.
"Were you talking to Liz?" he whispered. I nodded. "Do you still need to talk to her?" I nodded.
"She was saying something about a lab that took me," I whispered back, "then you guys barged in." I said, smiling up at him.
He looked apologetic. I drank all of the tea and gave it to him. I shooed them out – well, not really, but that's what it felt like – so that I can talk to Liz. Once they were out, I turned to her, and gestured her to continue. She walked over and sat cross legged by the edge of my bed.
"Right. Okay…so where was I?" she asked me.
"Something about a lab. That you followed me."
"Right. Right." She said. "So, after they took you, I followed. I can hear you calling out to me, even though it was faint. I got there and I saw Mrs. Talbot and Miss Van Dop plus some other people that I don't recognize. They tied you to this machine thing and they were fiddling with buttons and other thingy-majigs saying that they should erase your memory from when you started seeing that janitor's ghost. I tried helping but the place must have been warded against ghosts like in Lyle House and can't use my powers all that well and can't help you." She looked sad at that. I told her that it's fine, and that she tried to help and that was enough for me. She gave a small smile and said that she'll be back later with more information. "I've been spying on them since they brought you out. They were calling some guy named St. Cloud and that everything will be all right. That they just needed the other kids and everything will be fine."
"So they started with me? Why?" I asked.
She shrugged, "Probably because, unlike Tori, Simon and Derek, your power need time and they could just use their powers whenever they wanted no problem."
"Oh." Was all I could say.
"I'll be back soon, Chloe. Promise." She stood up and waved goodbye then disappeared.
I laid my head back down to my pillow. That's a lot of information to file, plus that dream. I sighed. Tomorrow's the weekend anyway, I'll ask them tomorrow and look at the comics that Simon and I supposedly did.
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R&R
Criticisms are always welcome! ^A^
