The Last Invasion
A Ride Home
"So she just ran out screaming?" Zeke repeated, a look of disbelief on his face. Casey nodded, "Yeah, Stokely saw it to. It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen Riva do." "Riva can do some pretty funky stuff."
"Yeah, but never like this. She looked terrified, as if in pain. She didn't seem to like the substitute teacher very well, either, but I can't blame her. Miss Miller is seriously scary," Casey shuttered, grabbing his mocha and jugging it down as if it would drown the bad memories. Zeke sighed as he leaned into the plush chair, flipping through a book boredly. Their homework lay sprawled on the table before the two boys at Borders bookstore. Casey concentrated on his intently; eager to get it down while Zeke scribbled careless answers down. Thankfully, they were nearly done.
"Do you think she's alright? Wasn't she suppose to meet us here?" Zeke muttered between the pencil head he gnawed on thoughtfully. Casey glanced up and shrugged, "I don't know. I called her earlier, and went over to her house, but I couldn't find a sign of life over there. She had said she'd meet us here," he glanced as his watch frowning, "three hours ago. But that was before the whole run-out-of-the-class-screaming incident."
Zeke slammed his book closed then stuffed it into his book bag while standing, "Obviously, she isn't coming. I wouldn't worry about her, yet, Case. Maybe it's an alien PMS thing."
Casey's eyes widened and the other boy chuckled, "Come on, let's go. The store closes soon." He swung his bag over his shoulders and drew the keys to his GTO out while heading to the exit. Casey scrambled to collect his homework, throw away his trash, and catch up with Zeke, all while digging in his pocket for his cell phone.
The night was crisp and clear as Zeke stepped outside. A stiff wind blew his hair into his face, which he aggregately shoved back while scanning the nearly empty parking lot. He could spot his car a mile away; after all, it was his baby. That, and it looked like it belonged in a junkyard having slammed into a bus. Bad memory, he grimaced, recalling the sight of his teacher's head lying decapitated on the ground.
He turned as Casey blundered out beside him, balancing his books in one arm, dialing a phone with the other. "Who are you calling?" Zeke asked starting for his car. "My uncle Matt, let him know I'm on my way home," the blue eyed boy replied then stopped and cursed, "I left my bag in the store. I'll be right back." Zeke snickered as Casey sprinted away, a stray paper escaping his grasp. Poor kid was a klutz, even as a senior.
He lazily strolled across the lot to pick up the paper that floated across the breeze. Bending, he snatched it up when a shadow fell across his path. He glanced up and frowned, "What are you doing here?" Then there was a thud as his body hit the ground limply.
Casey scurried between the rows of shelves stocked with books. The overhead lights were dimmed, a not-to-subtle hint to scram because the shop was closing. He hurried to where he and Zeke had been sitting in two plush leather chairs near a large coffee table. There it was, oh great, an employee was picking it up. "Uh, hey, that's my bag!" He called, jogging up to the clerk, reaching out for his bag. The man shot him a nasty glare, "Here. The store is closed."
"Yeah, uh, I know. Sorry." He quickly dropped his school supplies into the bag and slung it around his neck, shying away from the clerk's evil glare. Muttering darkly beneath his breath, Casey retraced his steps to the doors leading outside. The parking lot looked eerie, nearly empty except for Zeke's trashed GTO and a large van parked off to the side. He glanced around for Zeke, wondering where his companion could be, since he wasn't in his car.
"Zeke?"
He headed slowly to the car, glancing into each cracked window. The only thing in there was a bunch of crumpled fast food wrappers. He straightened and searched the area carefully.
"This isn't funny, Zeke. Where are you?"
He withdrew his cell phone, about to give up and call Matt for a ride, when he caught sight of movement from the corner of his eye. There, in the alley beside Borders, where the dumpsters were kept, he heard scuffling. "Very funny, Zeke, let's play hide and seek," he mumbled dryly, heading towards the alley. It was dim except for the lonely streetlight that barely illuminated the dark corners. Casey paused beside the dumpster, then recoiled from the smell, "Come on man, I need to get home. What are you doing? Making out with the rats?"
He heard movement behind him and whirled around. He searched the darkness warily, desperately, a bad feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. "Forget it, I'll get a ride," he said as he turned on his cell phone. Nearly running, he began to leave the alley when something collided with the back of his head. It was sharp, like a hot knife being pulled across his skin, burning his blood. Everything began to blur and twist, swimming before his eyes, and he dully noted that the blacktop was racing to meet his face.
As he lost all sense of consciousness, he heard the distant sound of his cell phone beeping. But suddenly, getting a ride home wasn't that big of a priority.
A.N: Thank you all for the reviews! You're all to nice to me! * sob * But seriously, I really do appreaciate them all. It's what motivates me to write. I've just started a few new stories, so it may be a bit longer between updates. Plus, I'm rather busy with our new puppy: Oliver. ^-^ But just so you know, this is finally on track, and I've got the plot laid out in my head. Well, most of it. Anyway, hope you enjoy!
A Ride Home
"So she just ran out screaming?" Zeke repeated, a look of disbelief on his face. Casey nodded, "Yeah, Stokely saw it to. It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen Riva do." "Riva can do some pretty funky stuff."
"Yeah, but never like this. She looked terrified, as if in pain. She didn't seem to like the substitute teacher very well, either, but I can't blame her. Miss Miller is seriously scary," Casey shuttered, grabbing his mocha and jugging it down as if it would drown the bad memories. Zeke sighed as he leaned into the plush chair, flipping through a book boredly. Their homework lay sprawled on the table before the two boys at Borders bookstore. Casey concentrated on his intently; eager to get it down while Zeke scribbled careless answers down. Thankfully, they were nearly done.
"Do you think she's alright? Wasn't she suppose to meet us here?" Zeke muttered between the pencil head he gnawed on thoughtfully. Casey glanced up and shrugged, "I don't know. I called her earlier, and went over to her house, but I couldn't find a sign of life over there. She had said she'd meet us here," he glanced as his watch frowning, "three hours ago. But that was before the whole run-out-of-the-class-screaming incident."
Zeke slammed his book closed then stuffed it into his book bag while standing, "Obviously, she isn't coming. I wouldn't worry about her, yet, Case. Maybe it's an alien PMS thing."
Casey's eyes widened and the other boy chuckled, "Come on, let's go. The store closes soon." He swung his bag over his shoulders and drew the keys to his GTO out while heading to the exit. Casey scrambled to collect his homework, throw away his trash, and catch up with Zeke, all while digging in his pocket for his cell phone.
The night was crisp and clear as Zeke stepped outside. A stiff wind blew his hair into his face, which he aggregately shoved back while scanning the nearly empty parking lot. He could spot his car a mile away; after all, it was his baby. That, and it looked like it belonged in a junkyard having slammed into a bus. Bad memory, he grimaced, recalling the sight of his teacher's head lying decapitated on the ground.
He turned as Casey blundered out beside him, balancing his books in one arm, dialing a phone with the other. "Who are you calling?" Zeke asked starting for his car. "My uncle Matt, let him know I'm on my way home," the blue eyed boy replied then stopped and cursed, "I left my bag in the store. I'll be right back." Zeke snickered as Casey sprinted away, a stray paper escaping his grasp. Poor kid was a klutz, even as a senior.
He lazily strolled across the lot to pick up the paper that floated across the breeze. Bending, he snatched it up when a shadow fell across his path. He glanced up and frowned, "What are you doing here?" Then there was a thud as his body hit the ground limply.
Casey scurried between the rows of shelves stocked with books. The overhead lights were dimmed, a not-to-subtle hint to scram because the shop was closing. He hurried to where he and Zeke had been sitting in two plush leather chairs near a large coffee table. There it was, oh great, an employee was picking it up. "Uh, hey, that's my bag!" He called, jogging up to the clerk, reaching out for his bag. The man shot him a nasty glare, "Here. The store is closed."
"Yeah, uh, I know. Sorry." He quickly dropped his school supplies into the bag and slung it around his neck, shying away from the clerk's evil glare. Muttering darkly beneath his breath, Casey retraced his steps to the doors leading outside. The parking lot looked eerie, nearly empty except for Zeke's trashed GTO and a large van parked off to the side. He glanced around for Zeke, wondering where his companion could be, since he wasn't in his car.
"Zeke?"
He headed slowly to the car, glancing into each cracked window. The only thing in there was a bunch of crumpled fast food wrappers. He straightened and searched the area carefully.
"This isn't funny, Zeke. Where are you?"
He withdrew his cell phone, about to give up and call Matt for a ride, when he caught sight of movement from the corner of his eye. There, in the alley beside Borders, where the dumpsters were kept, he heard scuffling. "Very funny, Zeke, let's play hide and seek," he mumbled dryly, heading towards the alley. It was dim except for the lonely streetlight that barely illuminated the dark corners. Casey paused beside the dumpster, then recoiled from the smell, "Come on man, I need to get home. What are you doing? Making out with the rats?"
He heard movement behind him and whirled around. He searched the darkness warily, desperately, a bad feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. "Forget it, I'll get a ride," he said as he turned on his cell phone. Nearly running, he began to leave the alley when something collided with the back of his head. It was sharp, like a hot knife being pulled across his skin, burning his blood. Everything began to blur and twist, swimming before his eyes, and he dully noted that the blacktop was racing to meet his face.
As he lost all sense of consciousness, he heard the distant sound of his cell phone beeping. But suddenly, getting a ride home wasn't that big of a priority.
A.N: Thank you all for the reviews! You're all to nice to me! * sob * But seriously, I really do appreaciate them all. It's what motivates me to write. I've just started a few new stories, so it may be a bit longer between updates. Plus, I'm rather busy with our new puppy: Oliver. ^-^ But just so you know, this is finally on track, and I've got the plot laid out in my head. Well, most of it. Anyway, hope you enjoy!