Chapter 2: Control
In the newsroom of the Torch one half hour after school has ended, Clark, Chloe and Pete discuss the newest weirdness surrounding the town of Smallville, Kansas. "So…a man was holding Mr. Stewart up by his neck, choking him and then you come back in because you forgot your notebook…and then you turn on the light, he starts smoking like he's on fire…and then he jumps straight into the wall? Is that what you're telling me, Clark?" Chloe asks as she walks around Clark trying to get all the facts straight.
"If you don't believe me, ask Mr. Stewart. I'm telling you Chloe, he jumped straight into the wall…didn't leave any marks on it or anything." Clark replies.
"Is there any connection between this attempted murder and the murder that happened two nights ago?" Pete asks.
"The police found out when they were talking to Mr. Stewart that he and Paul Winters used to play together as kids. And that's not all, Mr. Stewart told the police that the killer is a man named Doug O'Dell…another childhood friend of theirs." Chloe says.
"So…why can't the police just go and arrest him?" Clark asks.
"Because, Clark…Doug O'Dell died when he was ten years old. Paul Winters, Mr. Stewart, Doug O'Dell and two other guys used to play around that old mine way out on the outskirts of Smallville. Mr. Stewart said that one day while they were playing, they went into the mine and there was a cave in…the floor collapsed and everyone got out except for Doug. His friends were traumatized, especially when the body was never found." Chloe replies.
"Chloe, are you telling me a ghost killed Paul Winters and tried to kill Mr. Stewart?" Clark asks.
"Maybe…remember, anything's possible in Smallville." Chloe says.
"Two other guys…could they be targets as well?" Clark asks.
"The cops got in contact with those two guys immediately and told them everything, they placed them in police protection." Chloe says.
"So now they and they're families are in houses in secret locations for the time being." Pete says.
"So how's Mr. Stewart doing?" Clark asks.
"He's pretty shaken up, but he's not hurt…he said he's going to go back to work tomorrow." Pete says.
"You know I wonder…about that old mine…" Chloe starts.
"No way, Chloe! Don't even think about…that is too creepy!" Pete says.
"We're not going to go looking around that mine for meteor rocks, Chloe. Besides, Doug O'Dell died there before the meteors hit." Clark says.
"The body was never found…maybe he didn't die there at all, maybe he was still alive somehow. Or he didn't actually die…he just fell into a coma or something. And then, when the meteors hit…they woke him up…somehow." Chloe says.
"I think this is something we should leave to the police, Chloe." Pete says.
"Come on, Pete…do the cops ever do their jobs right?" Chloe says.
"Well…knowing Chloe she'll never let this go, lets just check out that mine and then we can all get home for supper." Clark says as he gets out of his chair and grabs his backpack.
"Aw, man…" Pete says as he follows Chloe and Clark out the door.
Clark, Chloe and Pete arrive at the old, abandoned Smallville mine after lots of harsh walking. They walk through some tall grass and see it, about twenty feet ahead of them. Broken pieces of wood and large and small rocks lay scattered all around the dark mine. Clark can feel the symptoms of the meteor rocks as they get closer; he is the only one that sees some of them lying around. Clark keeps at a safe enough distance as the three come to a sign laying on the ground that reads, "Do Not Enter". "You see that? That right there is a sign, a sign saying DO NOT ENTER. So I say we just turn back now before something bad happens, which it will." Pete says, not wanting to go any further.
"Too late to turn back now, Pete." Clark says.
"It's really dark in there, you brought the flashlight right?" Chloe asks.
"Yeah, I got it right here." Clark says as he pulls the flashlight out of his backpack. Chloe takes it and shines the light into the darkness. Several rocks from the cave in have blocked the path that once led deep into the earth. Chloe begins to walk closer into the mine; the collapsed floor is buried under the big rocks. Chloe shines the light around the ground, sure enough meteor rocks lay scattered around.
"Yeah, this whole area is full of meteor rocks you guys, and Mr. Stewart had to of been wrong…there is no way Doug O'Dell would have been able to survive this. These rocks piled up on top of him, no one could live through that." Chloe says.
"That's where you're wrong, miss." A man says as he walks up to Clark, Pete and Chloe.
"Woah! Jeeze…scared me there, mister." Pete says as he jumps back and sees a tall, middle aged man standing there.
"Who are you?" Chloe says as she comes out of the mine.
"My name is John Melville, sorry if I scared you." The man, now known as John says.
"What did you mean when you said Chloe was wrong?" Clark asks.
"It's just that, Doug O'Dell is alive. I was right around here one night, a few weeks ago. Sometimes I come here and think about old times. I saw Doug, or at least I heard him…he was in there, calling out to me for help, even after all these years." John says looking into the mine.
"Oh, you're John Melville? Wait…why are you here? I thought the police put you and your family in a safe house." Chloe says.
"They did, but that safe house isn't far from here. It's a couple of miles down that road, in the town adjacent to Smallville." John says pointing down a dirt road.
"So, you really heard him calling out to you?" Pete asks.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe…thought maybe I had dreamed it, but it was real. I don't know how but Doug is back somehow, and he's getting back at all of us for letting him die. But we didn't let him die…I remember we tried helping him, we wanted to so badly. By the time we got out Doug was already beginning to get showered by rocks…and then the wooden floor broke and he fell. It doesn't matter what I do…I'll never forget that day." John says.
"So…the meteor rocks brought Doug back to life, and now he can walk through walls and all he wants his revenge." Chloe says.
"Doesn't he have any weaknesses?" John Melville asks.
"Yeah…light, I saw it…he has to stay in the dark or else he starts burning." Clark replies.
"You know…Doug won't stop until he's finished, eventually he will kill me and our other friend. I know that now, and there isn't a thing I can do." John says without much care.
"No, Mr. Melville…don't talk like that. You're under police protection, remember?" Pete says.
"The man can walk through walls, and it won't be hard for him to find out where we are. Looks like night will be coming soon…I suggest you three get back home before it does, because that's when he comes." John says as he starts to walk away.
"Don't worry, Mr. Melville, nothing is going to happen to you or anyone else. I can assure you that." Clark says as he watches John Melville walk away down the dirt road.
"Right, kid…whatever you say." John replies. Chloe, Clark and Pete watch John walk out of sight; then they go back home as well.
The next day at Smallville High, Clark is sitting in his English class once again; Mr. Stewart is back and in good health. "So, I know some of you kids probably thought I would be gone a few days, I hate to burst your bubble but I'm not going away that easy." Mr. Stewart says as some of the kids laugh. "So, today you'll be starting your reports about a famous author who inspires you. Then you will write a short biography about them and the key events in their lives, then you will pick one book written by them and write a short essay about it. This year, I'll be putting you into groups of two, so I don't want to hear anymore moans and groans. I've prepared a list of pairs, so I'll just name off your partners and then you can go to the library and get to work. First pair, Walter and Bradley…second pair, Julie and Steven…third, Chloe and Peter…fourth, Clark and…Lana Lang." Mr. Stewart says, continuing to name off pairs. Clark tries to hold back a big smile and jump out of his seat in excitement. He looks over to where Lana is sitting and waves to her, she smiles and waves back. Clark turns his head back and looks down at his paper, letting the smile sweep across his face.
In the library only a few minutes later, the pairs of students are working together to research information and write about the author of their choice. Clark and Lana sit at the far end of the room next to one of the very large windows; Pete and Chloe sit nearby. Books are scattered across the tables, with kids highlighting things and talking to one another about what they want to include in their reports. Clark looks up from his book he's getting information out of and stares at Lana, who is writing notes down in her notebook. She looks up at him and as fast as possible he looks back down at his book, trying to make it seem like his eyes weren't just glued to her. "Alright, Clark. I wrote down some passages and some notes from this book…what do you have?" Lana asks.
"Oh, um…I'm just reading, still. I'll write down some stuff soon." Clark replies.
"Ok, Clark. Hey are you going to Janie Carmichael's party on Saturday night?" Lana asks.
"Well…I hadn't really thought about it. Are you?" Clark replies.
"Yeah, I'm going even though Whitney won't be there. He'll be out of town until Monday. You should go too, you could mingle with a girl or something." Lana says with a smile.
"Right, a girl…" Clark says trying to think of a better response.
"You don't have to, Clark. But if you do, I'll be there…and it's always nice to have someone you know around." Lana says.
"Lana…I will definitely go to Janie's party on Saturday night." Clark says smiling.
"Glad to hear that, Clark…but promise me this time you'll be there…wait, no…don't promise me, you are the king of broken promises. Just…be there." Lana says.
"I will, Lana…and that is not a promise." Clark replies. The two smile and turn back to working on their reports. As Clark is about to turn the page, his head begins to hurt once again. He becomes dizzy and his eyes get blurry…the pain intensifies as he looks around the room and hears the voices of scared people in need of help pound louder and louder in his head. Clark begins to wobble, not being able to control his balance any longer he falls out of his chair and blacks out.
"Oh my god…Clark!" Lana yells.
In the newsroom of the Torch one half hour after school has ended, Clark, Chloe and Pete discuss the newest weirdness surrounding the town of Smallville, Kansas. "So…a man was holding Mr. Stewart up by his neck, choking him and then you come back in because you forgot your notebook…and then you turn on the light, he starts smoking like he's on fire…and then he jumps straight into the wall? Is that what you're telling me, Clark?" Chloe asks as she walks around Clark trying to get all the facts straight.
"If you don't believe me, ask Mr. Stewart. I'm telling you Chloe, he jumped straight into the wall…didn't leave any marks on it or anything." Clark replies.
"Is there any connection between this attempted murder and the murder that happened two nights ago?" Pete asks.
"The police found out when they were talking to Mr. Stewart that he and Paul Winters used to play together as kids. And that's not all, Mr. Stewart told the police that the killer is a man named Doug O'Dell…another childhood friend of theirs." Chloe says.
"So…why can't the police just go and arrest him?" Clark asks.
"Because, Clark…Doug O'Dell died when he was ten years old. Paul Winters, Mr. Stewart, Doug O'Dell and two other guys used to play around that old mine way out on the outskirts of Smallville. Mr. Stewart said that one day while they were playing, they went into the mine and there was a cave in…the floor collapsed and everyone got out except for Doug. His friends were traumatized, especially when the body was never found." Chloe replies.
"Chloe, are you telling me a ghost killed Paul Winters and tried to kill Mr. Stewart?" Clark asks.
"Maybe…remember, anything's possible in Smallville." Chloe says.
"Two other guys…could they be targets as well?" Clark asks.
"The cops got in contact with those two guys immediately and told them everything, they placed them in police protection." Chloe says.
"So now they and they're families are in houses in secret locations for the time being." Pete says.
"So how's Mr. Stewart doing?" Clark asks.
"He's pretty shaken up, but he's not hurt…he said he's going to go back to work tomorrow." Pete says.
"You know I wonder…about that old mine…" Chloe starts.
"No way, Chloe! Don't even think about…that is too creepy!" Pete says.
"We're not going to go looking around that mine for meteor rocks, Chloe. Besides, Doug O'Dell died there before the meteors hit." Clark says.
"The body was never found…maybe he didn't die there at all, maybe he was still alive somehow. Or he didn't actually die…he just fell into a coma or something. And then, when the meteors hit…they woke him up…somehow." Chloe says.
"I think this is something we should leave to the police, Chloe." Pete says.
"Come on, Pete…do the cops ever do their jobs right?" Chloe says.
"Well…knowing Chloe she'll never let this go, lets just check out that mine and then we can all get home for supper." Clark says as he gets out of his chair and grabs his backpack.
"Aw, man…" Pete says as he follows Chloe and Clark out the door.
Clark, Chloe and Pete arrive at the old, abandoned Smallville mine after lots of harsh walking. They walk through some tall grass and see it, about twenty feet ahead of them. Broken pieces of wood and large and small rocks lay scattered all around the dark mine. Clark can feel the symptoms of the meteor rocks as they get closer; he is the only one that sees some of them lying around. Clark keeps at a safe enough distance as the three come to a sign laying on the ground that reads, "Do Not Enter". "You see that? That right there is a sign, a sign saying DO NOT ENTER. So I say we just turn back now before something bad happens, which it will." Pete says, not wanting to go any further.
"Too late to turn back now, Pete." Clark says.
"It's really dark in there, you brought the flashlight right?" Chloe asks.
"Yeah, I got it right here." Clark says as he pulls the flashlight out of his backpack. Chloe takes it and shines the light into the darkness. Several rocks from the cave in have blocked the path that once led deep into the earth. Chloe begins to walk closer into the mine; the collapsed floor is buried under the big rocks. Chloe shines the light around the ground, sure enough meteor rocks lay scattered around.
"Yeah, this whole area is full of meteor rocks you guys, and Mr. Stewart had to of been wrong…there is no way Doug O'Dell would have been able to survive this. These rocks piled up on top of him, no one could live through that." Chloe says.
"That's where you're wrong, miss." A man says as he walks up to Clark, Pete and Chloe.
"Woah! Jeeze…scared me there, mister." Pete says as he jumps back and sees a tall, middle aged man standing there.
"Who are you?" Chloe says as she comes out of the mine.
"My name is John Melville, sorry if I scared you." The man, now known as John says.
"What did you mean when you said Chloe was wrong?" Clark asks.
"It's just that, Doug O'Dell is alive. I was right around here one night, a few weeks ago. Sometimes I come here and think about old times. I saw Doug, or at least I heard him…he was in there, calling out to me for help, even after all these years." John says looking into the mine.
"Oh, you're John Melville? Wait…why are you here? I thought the police put you and your family in a safe house." Chloe says.
"They did, but that safe house isn't far from here. It's a couple of miles down that road, in the town adjacent to Smallville." John says pointing down a dirt road.
"So, you really heard him calling out to you?" Pete asks.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe…thought maybe I had dreamed it, but it was real. I don't know how but Doug is back somehow, and he's getting back at all of us for letting him die. But we didn't let him die…I remember we tried helping him, we wanted to so badly. By the time we got out Doug was already beginning to get showered by rocks…and then the wooden floor broke and he fell. It doesn't matter what I do…I'll never forget that day." John says.
"So…the meteor rocks brought Doug back to life, and now he can walk through walls and all he wants his revenge." Chloe says.
"Doesn't he have any weaknesses?" John Melville asks.
"Yeah…light, I saw it…he has to stay in the dark or else he starts burning." Clark replies.
"You know…Doug won't stop until he's finished, eventually he will kill me and our other friend. I know that now, and there isn't a thing I can do." John says without much care.
"No, Mr. Melville…don't talk like that. You're under police protection, remember?" Pete says.
"The man can walk through walls, and it won't be hard for him to find out where we are. Looks like night will be coming soon…I suggest you three get back home before it does, because that's when he comes." John says as he starts to walk away.
"Don't worry, Mr. Melville, nothing is going to happen to you or anyone else. I can assure you that." Clark says as he watches John Melville walk away down the dirt road.
"Right, kid…whatever you say." John replies. Chloe, Clark and Pete watch John walk out of sight; then they go back home as well.
The next day at Smallville High, Clark is sitting in his English class once again; Mr. Stewart is back and in good health. "So, I know some of you kids probably thought I would be gone a few days, I hate to burst your bubble but I'm not going away that easy." Mr. Stewart says as some of the kids laugh. "So, today you'll be starting your reports about a famous author who inspires you. Then you will write a short biography about them and the key events in their lives, then you will pick one book written by them and write a short essay about it. This year, I'll be putting you into groups of two, so I don't want to hear anymore moans and groans. I've prepared a list of pairs, so I'll just name off your partners and then you can go to the library and get to work. First pair, Walter and Bradley…second pair, Julie and Steven…third, Chloe and Peter…fourth, Clark and…Lana Lang." Mr. Stewart says, continuing to name off pairs. Clark tries to hold back a big smile and jump out of his seat in excitement. He looks over to where Lana is sitting and waves to her, she smiles and waves back. Clark turns his head back and looks down at his paper, letting the smile sweep across his face.
In the library only a few minutes later, the pairs of students are working together to research information and write about the author of their choice. Clark and Lana sit at the far end of the room next to one of the very large windows; Pete and Chloe sit nearby. Books are scattered across the tables, with kids highlighting things and talking to one another about what they want to include in their reports. Clark looks up from his book he's getting information out of and stares at Lana, who is writing notes down in her notebook. She looks up at him and as fast as possible he looks back down at his book, trying to make it seem like his eyes weren't just glued to her. "Alright, Clark. I wrote down some passages and some notes from this book…what do you have?" Lana asks.
"Oh, um…I'm just reading, still. I'll write down some stuff soon." Clark replies.
"Ok, Clark. Hey are you going to Janie Carmichael's party on Saturday night?" Lana asks.
"Well…I hadn't really thought about it. Are you?" Clark replies.
"Yeah, I'm going even though Whitney won't be there. He'll be out of town until Monday. You should go too, you could mingle with a girl or something." Lana says with a smile.
"Right, a girl…" Clark says trying to think of a better response.
"You don't have to, Clark. But if you do, I'll be there…and it's always nice to have someone you know around." Lana says.
"Lana…I will definitely go to Janie's party on Saturday night." Clark says smiling.
"Glad to hear that, Clark…but promise me this time you'll be there…wait, no…don't promise me, you are the king of broken promises. Just…be there." Lana says.
"I will, Lana…and that is not a promise." Clark replies. The two smile and turn back to working on their reports. As Clark is about to turn the page, his head begins to hurt once again. He becomes dizzy and his eyes get blurry…the pain intensifies as he looks around the room and hears the voices of scared people in need of help pound louder and louder in his head. Clark begins to wobble, not being able to control his balance any longer he falls out of his chair and blacks out.
"Oh my god…Clark!" Lana yells.
