During the monotony of work today, I decided to waste a little time by
playing a little scrambled word game I found. Most of the time, I was
stumped. The unscrambled words were usually something I've never heard of,
or something I was sure wasn't a word. After a while I thought: "Well, if
you're going to play an impossible game, you might as well cheat."
I went to Google and found an anagram generator. It was working a little, but most of the time, it failed to find the nonsensical scrambled word. Eventually, I started playing around with it.
I entered my name: Tomm Caudillo. Quickly, it spit out over a thousand anagrams.
It turns out there is a small cost to be me, for I had to pay "a modicum toll".
Looking for difficult to find periodic table element? Check out my "Ol' Cadmium Lot."
When I play poker, I like to wear bowling shirts. I have a few custom made, with a funny name and a made-up sponsor on the back. My next one will have the name "Poison", with my new sponsor: the "Ultima Mold Co."
I could do this all day. But I got a chapter to write. So, here's some advice: "On Wires: Persevere."
Reviewer Response:
Digimon-lover (You're a haunted house! "Deviling Room"), Roquelle (The rocks are revolting! "Quell Ore"!): I wasn't gonna leave you hanging for too long...that'd be mean. And thanks for the congratulations, Roquelle.
Phillip (Triple Point) Walker (too many anagrams to list): Your review was a major help, it made me rethink the next few chapters. The original idea was a little too over-the-top.
Freak Apple (Do you like dessert? You're a "frappe lake".): Thanks for the "save as web page" trick.
L ("L"): New fic, eh? Well, I'll review it as soon as I can.
Alara-Sirinial-Amalon (When someone orders your first volume of stories: "Airmail a Oral Annals: I"!): Don't worry, the update is here. Now pay me back and update over on FictionPress!
Okay, enough fluff. Let's roll.
Chapter 9: Ryan's POV
MOVE!!!
I dived out of the way as quickly as I could, a few seconds before this monster barreled through the door.
At first, I just lay there, stunned. After all, some weird demon, monster, animal or whatever just blew my door open. I was at a loss for words.
I wasn't at a loss for action, though. I got up, and ran. The monster seemed to be clearing the cobwebs out, but he started to chase me!
"RAGASH! ANDALITE ALLY!" it yelled.
I had no clue what he said, but I was more occupied at the moment.
I ran through the house as fast as I could. I ran for the kitchen. There was a door to the outside in the kitchen. But as I ran across the floor, I tripped. I fell forward, and crashed into the cupboard under the sink.
"ARGGH!" I managed to say. My shoulder took the hit, and it was quite a hit. It was throbbing in pain.
It didn't look like it was going to hurt much longer. I was about to die.
I always wondered how I'd go. I didn't think I'd die as a teenager on my kitchen floor, killed by some psychotic walking Swiss Army Knife. Didn't I get a little more time on this earth?
Didn't I get more time?
The monster stood over me. Then, I think it smiled.
"Ragash, Andalite ally."
And then, it raised an arm and swung it down.
I shut my eyes. And prepared.
One. Two. Three.
Hmmm. I'm still here.
I opened my eyes. The monster still had his arm raised. He was still swinging it down. Swinging it very, very slowly.
The time distortion! It's happening again!
I tried to get out of the way. Unfortunately, it was VERY difficult. It was as if my body weighed ten times as much.
This didn't happen last time.
Oh wait, all I really moved last time was my eyes.
Yes! I could still look around! Frantically, I tried to find an answer.
The sink cupboard had opened. I guess one side was jolted open when I crashed into it.
There were plenty of cleaning chemicals. Dishwasher soap. Carpet cleaner.
Also a red aerosol canister.
There's the answer!
I willed every ounce of strength I had to grab that canister. I moved my arm with all my might.
I was able to grab it. The monster's arm was closer, but it still hadn't hit me yet.
I then aimed the canister to spray right in his face. Aimed right for the eyes. And then I pressed the trigger down.
Time in.
As I pushed the trigger down, the white spray filled the air. It also collided right in the monster's face.
He couldn't bring himself to kill me anymore. He clutched his face in pain instead.
"AAARRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!" His voice caused a rumble in my stomach. He was reeling in pain. He didn't know what hit him. But I did.
"Raid. Kills on contact," I said, jubilantly.
Yup. I was just saved by a can of Raid.
But this thing wasn't a cockroach. He wouldn't be incapacitated forever.
I shouldn't run outside...there are cops outside. But if I stay in the house, there's a 100% chance of me getting killed by one of these things.
Reluctantly, I went out into the back yard.
* * *
POV Unknown.
It would have been suicide to enter from the front. The police are probably swarming the place. My only option was to stop on the other side of the block, and enter through the back. I was going to try and get Ryan out, if he hadn't been taken yet.
I stopped thinking about that option. Ryan's resourceful, he can hold out long enough.
Fortunately, our neighbors on the opposite side of the block weren't home. That simplified things.
I ran up to their fence, and vaulted over it. I charged across the their back yard and climbed into ours.
I then heard a scream. A very loud scream.
Ryan? Has he?
No. The voice was too deep. It couldn't have been him.
Just as I was a few feet from the kitchen door, it opened.
I prepared. I felt it happen...I actually felt the outside world slow down. The door would probably take thirty seconds to open. That would be plenty of time to dispatch whatever or whoever was opening it.
It's an odd ability we have. The power to slow time. We cannot stop time outright...that is impossible. But it can be slowed. I never really understood why exactly why me and other members of my family could do this. How we got the power is unknown to me.
But our purpose was clear. We are the latest incarnation of shepherds, those who watch over the many. It is our duty to protect them.
I should have learned of this alien invasion long ago. I probably could have stopped it.
Forget it. What's done is done.
The door was open to the point where I could clearly see who was walking through. It was Ryan.
I stopped. Stopped slowing time, that is.
Ryan immediately pointed a red aerosol can at me, and nearly fired.
"Mom? What the?!"
"Ryan, it's not safe here. We have to go, now!"
"No, really? I didn't notice."
"Not now, Ryan. Let's go."
I started to feel winded, as I always did. The time distortion always took a lot out of me. I doubt it would slow Ryan down when he starts to use it, though. He has such great endurance as a result of soccer.
I'm very proud of him.
As we got to the back fence, I clasped my hands together to give Ryan a boost over. He put his foot on my hand, and pushed off to get over.
And that's when I realized my mistake.
The kitchen door was still open. Inside, one of the cops had a gun, and fired. All I heard was the noise.
Here's the thing with guns and the time distortion. See, the muzzle velocity if an handgun is about 800 MPH. The time distortion slows time to about one fifteenth of normal speed.
Even with that, a small, metal object designed to pierce skin still travels over 50 MPH. It's almost impossible to dodge. You must be able to see the muzzle flash, then get out of the way before the bullet actually exits the gun.
I didn't see a muzzle the flash. Therefore, I could not dodge.
It hit me just next to my spine. It definitely pierced a lung.
I collapsed, still not over the fence.
Ryan had made it to the other side. Getting away was now up to him.
The last thing I saw were a few birds of prey, flying overhead. What were they? An eagle, and two...
* * *
A/N: The song quotes from the previous chapter were from "Bring Me To Life" by Evanesence.
I went to Google and found an anagram generator. It was working a little, but most of the time, it failed to find the nonsensical scrambled word. Eventually, I started playing around with it.
I entered my name: Tomm Caudillo. Quickly, it spit out over a thousand anagrams.
It turns out there is a small cost to be me, for I had to pay "a modicum toll".
Looking for difficult to find periodic table element? Check out my "Ol' Cadmium Lot."
When I play poker, I like to wear bowling shirts. I have a few custom made, with a funny name and a made-up sponsor on the back. My next one will have the name "Poison", with my new sponsor: the "Ultima Mold Co."
I could do this all day. But I got a chapter to write. So, here's some advice: "On Wires: Persevere."
Reviewer Response:
Digimon-lover (You're a haunted house! "Deviling Room"), Roquelle (The rocks are revolting! "Quell Ore"!): I wasn't gonna leave you hanging for too long...that'd be mean. And thanks for the congratulations, Roquelle.
Phillip (Triple Point) Walker (too many anagrams to list): Your review was a major help, it made me rethink the next few chapters. The original idea was a little too over-the-top.
Freak Apple (Do you like dessert? You're a "frappe lake".): Thanks for the "save as web page" trick.
L ("L"): New fic, eh? Well, I'll review it as soon as I can.
Alara-Sirinial-Amalon (When someone orders your first volume of stories: "Airmail a Oral Annals: I"!): Don't worry, the update is here. Now pay me back and update over on FictionPress!
Okay, enough fluff. Let's roll.
Chapter 9: Ryan's POV
MOVE!!!
I dived out of the way as quickly as I could, a few seconds before this monster barreled through the door.
At first, I just lay there, stunned. After all, some weird demon, monster, animal or whatever just blew my door open. I was at a loss for words.
I wasn't at a loss for action, though. I got up, and ran. The monster seemed to be clearing the cobwebs out, but he started to chase me!
"RAGASH! ANDALITE ALLY!" it yelled.
I had no clue what he said, but I was more occupied at the moment.
I ran through the house as fast as I could. I ran for the kitchen. There was a door to the outside in the kitchen. But as I ran across the floor, I tripped. I fell forward, and crashed into the cupboard under the sink.
"ARGGH!" I managed to say. My shoulder took the hit, and it was quite a hit. It was throbbing in pain.
It didn't look like it was going to hurt much longer. I was about to die.
I always wondered how I'd go. I didn't think I'd die as a teenager on my kitchen floor, killed by some psychotic walking Swiss Army Knife. Didn't I get a little more time on this earth?
Didn't I get more time?
The monster stood over me. Then, I think it smiled.
"Ragash, Andalite ally."
And then, it raised an arm and swung it down.
I shut my eyes. And prepared.
One. Two. Three.
Hmmm. I'm still here.
I opened my eyes. The monster still had his arm raised. He was still swinging it down. Swinging it very, very slowly.
The time distortion! It's happening again!
I tried to get out of the way. Unfortunately, it was VERY difficult. It was as if my body weighed ten times as much.
This didn't happen last time.
Oh wait, all I really moved last time was my eyes.
Yes! I could still look around! Frantically, I tried to find an answer.
The sink cupboard had opened. I guess one side was jolted open when I crashed into it.
There were plenty of cleaning chemicals. Dishwasher soap. Carpet cleaner.
Also a red aerosol canister.
There's the answer!
I willed every ounce of strength I had to grab that canister. I moved my arm with all my might.
I was able to grab it. The monster's arm was closer, but it still hadn't hit me yet.
I then aimed the canister to spray right in his face. Aimed right for the eyes. And then I pressed the trigger down.
Time in.
As I pushed the trigger down, the white spray filled the air. It also collided right in the monster's face.
He couldn't bring himself to kill me anymore. He clutched his face in pain instead.
"AAARRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!" His voice caused a rumble in my stomach. He was reeling in pain. He didn't know what hit him. But I did.
"Raid. Kills on contact," I said, jubilantly.
Yup. I was just saved by a can of Raid.
But this thing wasn't a cockroach. He wouldn't be incapacitated forever.
I shouldn't run outside...there are cops outside. But if I stay in the house, there's a 100% chance of me getting killed by one of these things.
Reluctantly, I went out into the back yard.
* * *
POV Unknown.
It would have been suicide to enter from the front. The police are probably swarming the place. My only option was to stop on the other side of the block, and enter through the back. I was going to try and get Ryan out, if he hadn't been taken yet.
I stopped thinking about that option. Ryan's resourceful, he can hold out long enough.
Fortunately, our neighbors on the opposite side of the block weren't home. That simplified things.
I ran up to their fence, and vaulted over it. I charged across the their back yard and climbed into ours.
I then heard a scream. A very loud scream.
Ryan? Has he?
No. The voice was too deep. It couldn't have been him.
Just as I was a few feet from the kitchen door, it opened.
I prepared. I felt it happen...I actually felt the outside world slow down. The door would probably take thirty seconds to open. That would be plenty of time to dispatch whatever or whoever was opening it.
It's an odd ability we have. The power to slow time. We cannot stop time outright...that is impossible. But it can be slowed. I never really understood why exactly why me and other members of my family could do this. How we got the power is unknown to me.
But our purpose was clear. We are the latest incarnation of shepherds, those who watch over the many. It is our duty to protect them.
I should have learned of this alien invasion long ago. I probably could have stopped it.
Forget it. What's done is done.
The door was open to the point where I could clearly see who was walking through. It was Ryan.
I stopped. Stopped slowing time, that is.
Ryan immediately pointed a red aerosol can at me, and nearly fired.
"Mom? What the?!"
"Ryan, it's not safe here. We have to go, now!"
"No, really? I didn't notice."
"Not now, Ryan. Let's go."
I started to feel winded, as I always did. The time distortion always took a lot out of me. I doubt it would slow Ryan down when he starts to use it, though. He has such great endurance as a result of soccer.
I'm very proud of him.
As we got to the back fence, I clasped my hands together to give Ryan a boost over. He put his foot on my hand, and pushed off to get over.
And that's when I realized my mistake.
The kitchen door was still open. Inside, one of the cops had a gun, and fired. All I heard was the noise.
Here's the thing with guns and the time distortion. See, the muzzle velocity if an handgun is about 800 MPH. The time distortion slows time to about one fifteenth of normal speed.
Even with that, a small, metal object designed to pierce skin still travels over 50 MPH. It's almost impossible to dodge. You must be able to see the muzzle flash, then get out of the way before the bullet actually exits the gun.
I didn't see a muzzle the flash. Therefore, I could not dodge.
It hit me just next to my spine. It definitely pierced a lung.
I collapsed, still not over the fence.
Ryan had made it to the other side. Getting away was now up to him.
The last thing I saw were a few birds of prey, flying overhead. What were they? An eagle, and two...
* * *
A/N: The song quotes from the previous chapter were from "Bring Me To Life" by Evanesence.
