If x + 7 = 13, what does x equal?
Mel was trembling with dread. Watching them walk down the pavement made her impatient. She couldn't take the suspense any longer; she just wanted to know what was about to happen. The next few moments were a blur; there were too many thoughts going through her head to keep it clear. She followed close behind them all, awaiting the next event.
Before she even knew it, they were at the pound. When they entered, Mel rushed over to the Pound Puppies. She shouted and flew in front of their faces, desperately trying to grab their attention. Even though she knew it wouldn't work, she was willing to try anything; she was completely out of options. She knew she couldn't ask Blake for help, because entering the spirit world would speed up time on Earth for her.
She started to think of poor Blake, imagining what he must be thinking at this very moment; what kind of pain or fear he must be going through. Perhaps it was the same kind that she went through when she lost him.
"Alright, let's go!" Heard Mel, interrupting her train of thought. As quickly as they came, they left, and she knew why as soon as she took one glance at the group. All five Pound Puppies had followed the other four out the exit and started in a new direction. She was completely shaken out of her mindset and she began pursuing them again.
"So, where are we going, Mel?" Asked Lucky. Mel nervously awaited the black dog's response.
"Oh, you'll see soon enough." He replied. The Pound Puppies bore slightly confused expressions. Seeing them, Ty looked over and responded.
"Don't worry, she refuses to tell us, too." He said.
Not long after, they had arrived at the edge of the urban border and they came upon a large, familiar building. Xavier suddenly grew very confused, and so did Mel. They all found that the black dog was leading them straight to it. Too dumbfounded, Xavier refrained from asking questions, but he soon couldn't take the curiosity any longer, and when they came upon the front gate, he finally asked, "Mel, could you explain why you've led us to my school?"
The black dog didn't respond, but rather insisted everyone go inside. Mel was now more confused and curious than scared. It no longer seemed like he was leading them all to a death trap, and now Mel was no longer sure what to think.
Underneath the familiar fluorescent light fixtures and hearing the typical empty school reverberation, they all followed Mel's body down a dark corridor and to a thick oak door, much like the ones around the rest of the school, only this one did not have a window. "Wow, I've never been in there before; it's always locked." Said Xavier. "What's in it?"
"You'll see." Responded the black dog. "Wait here."
He proceeded to run out of the corridor, out of sight of everyone, and out of the building. Mel decided to follow him. She didn't feel comfortable leaving the others, but she needed to see what was going on. She followed him outside and around the building to the other side. There, he opened a small window very low to the ground and climbed inside. Mel flew through the wall into a room that was too dark to see in, though the black dog didn't seem to have any problem navigating it. She could tell where he was by her body's luminescent red eye.
The black dog retrieved something and then headed back out the window, which he shut behind him. In the daylight, she could see that the object he retrieved was a key. She followed him back into the building and back to the corridor, where they were all still waiting. Mel observed the black dog hand the key to Xavier, who proceeded to place it into the keyhole, turn it, and slowly open the door.
They all stepped inside and down the steps that were at the base of the door. Xavier reached for a light switch, which he found and flicked on. The room was finally revealed to them. It was a rather small room with painted cinder brick walls and the single small window at the very far top corner. The room was lit with a single fluorescent light structure that emitted a cold dim glow and a deep quiet hum. Inside were plenty of pipe and wiring fixtures, along with a tall, large cylinder with gauges and meters attached.
Xavier returned the key to the black dog, who placed it on the floor in front of the door and proceeded to also walk down the steps. Once everyone was inside, they suddenly heard a large slam that startled them. They turned to find what they thought was Mel, standing in front of the entryway bearing a very angry expression. After an unsettling silence, they heard him whisper, "Finally."
The lights immediately began to flicker as the room began to shake and fill with a deep rumbling noise. They saw Mel's jaw open to a horrifyingly wide angle as a glowing white fog came out from inside the body's mouth. The room stopped shaking and the lights stopped flickering.
Mel was suddenly pulled from the air toward her body. Now back inside of it, she laid there, lacking the strength to get up. Everyone saw the fog materialize into a familiar shape, and they all gasped in horror when they saw him. The black dog appearing before their eyes had them all frozen in fear. Having caught everyone's attention, he began to speak.
"My work has been extinct from the earth for too long. The time for the anti-canine-human relationship revolution to be reborn. However, in order for this event to take place, I need something from you, so this is my ultimatum. That body is far too difficult to inhabit for a prolonged period of time, so I will need a replacement. I do not want just any of yours; I want the body of the one you call... Tera. Possessing a body allows me to access every memory... every area of the mind. With her knowledge and intelligence, my work will be more successful than ever before. Comply, and no one gets hurt. However, resist, and I will forcibly take her body and destroy the rest of you. The boiler in this room is currently operating dry. If the hydraulic pressure is restored, it will allow water to flow into the superheated chamber, causing a devastating explosion. There are heat sensors around the room that will restore the pressure if the temperature in this room drops by any amount. The pressure will restore if you try to escape, or at exactly 6 p.m., whichever happens first. You have until then to decide. In the meantime, there is work I must attend to."
The black dog then took the key and ran through the door and out of the school. It was then that Mel began to struggle. She groaned and shook as she slowly stood up. Everyone else was still petrified, but when Xavier saw Mel stand up, he promptly ran over to her and helped her up.
"Are you okay?" He asked. Mel nodded slowly. The others were slowly more inclined to move toward her. As she gradually regained her breath, she began mumbling.
"I can explain. There's something I need to tell you." She replied meekly. The others, still in disbelief of what just happened, anxiously awaited her next words.
Mel took a deep breath and responded. "I've been to the spirit world!" She exclaimed worriedly as she turned to face Xavier. Everyone was taken aback by the statement, especially Tera. Mel continued until she began to rant. She had a very worried and panicked tone the entire time.
"It's real. Everything Tera said is real. I went there. I went there when we visited Shelter 17, and I went there the night before, and I didn't tell you because... well... I don't know. I messed up. I made a huge mistake, and now, the black dog's back in this world because of me. People are going to die because of something I did."
Before Mel could say anything else, Lucky interrupted. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, now. No one's getting hurt. We'll figure something out. We always do." Lucky concluded his statement with a gleeful smile.
Mel looked up at him with hope. "Really?" She asked, now calmer.
Lucky nodded. "And don't worry about that mistake you mentioned. It could've happened to any one of us." He said. As Mel looked around the room, she saw everyone else nodding in agreement.
Filled with new hope, she excitedly shouted, "Well then, let's get started!"