Chapter 2
Tragedy
"Dad, I'm going out with some friends now. Bye!" Sally said about to open the front door to leave.
"Wait! No, you're not." Jay said grabbing Sally's wrist and turning her to face him. Not harshly of course.
"Why not, dad?" Sally asked him pouting a little. I wonder if I can sucker him into letting me go, she thought to herself.
"Because we're going to have guests."
"And who's so important that I'll have to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity?" She asked still trying to win him over.
"Llyod, Zachery, Robin, your Uncle Kai, and your Cousin Blake. Oh and your Aunt Skylor." Jay said happily thinking about it.
"Ugh, them." I whined "I mean, Robin and Blake are ok but Zachery acts like a baby. Seriously he can't do anything. He can't even play video games. He also hit me the last time he was here, and then burst into tears like he was the victim. Can't he just stay home?"
"First, we both know that was not on purpose, and that he lost his meds that week. Se-"
Sally cut him off to say "It still feels like it was on purpose. Who punches someone in the freaking nose because they stole a pair of glasses?" She said folding her arms.
"I can think of many people who would," Jay said thoughtfully. "Anyway you always tell me he's not really attentive to you guys, so if you're not gonna pick on him why would he being here be a problem?"
"Firstly dad, you can't have Zachery over and not pick on him. Second, if he doesn't come, me, Blake, and Robin could go to the party." Sally said hoping he'd call Lloyd and tell him to tell Zachery to stay home so she could party.
"Why couldn't Zachery go?"
"Because it's a high school party and Zachery's in middle school."
"Listen, I know since you're in high school now that you're so past hanging out with middle schoolers, but I'm not gonna go and call Lloyd and tell him to leave his kid home because you don't like him. Plus Nya already asked Lloyd if he was bringing his kids so she could make cookies."
"But dad, mom makes horrible cookies so he wouldn't be missing out on anything and I doubt he likes it here anyway again he never e-"
"Even talks to anyone when he's here. 'All he does is read'." Jay said finishing her sentence. "We have this conversation every time Zachery comes over. I'm still not gonna do it though Sally." Then he sighed and asked, "When does this party start?"
"30 minutes!" Sally said probably too eagerly thinking to herself: YESSSS! I'VE WON!
"What if I let you go and you get back home in time for dinner?"
"That would be the most amazing thing you have ever done for me."
"You say that every time I let you go do something. Fine. But, don't tell your mother she'll scold me. And you have to be back before dinner." He said scowling.
Sally broke out into a happy dance but stopped immediately when her mother walked in the room. "Sally Walker, you are not going to that party," Nya said with her hands on her hips.
Just as Sally was about to defend her case Jay says. "But why not Nya? I mean, she's gonna be home before dinner so..."
"Jay, she asked me before she asked you. I told her no. But she didn't tell you that did she?" Nya asked.
Jay looked annoyed and angry. "Of course she didn't tell me. I wouldn't have told her she can go if she did."
Nya just shook her head and said: "Sally go to your room until our guests arrive."
The 16-year-old girl didn't even try to argue, not that she wasn't normally argumentative, but she already had a plan. They'll never know as long as I get back before our "guests arrive". Were her thoughts as she snuck out the window of her bedroom.
Kai's POV
"We can't keep moving around like this. Every time we've moved he's found us, there's no point anymore."
"I know, but what if the letters weren't meant for you?" My wife asked trying to be optimistic.
"You think he might've written someone else a letter and accidentally made the ink visible to me? Not to mention the fact that no matter where we go the letters come to us. You think that's just an accident?" I asked annoyed by the attempt of optimism. "I think... No, I know he's better than that."
When the Ninja went into hiding the attacks died down a lot except for few Ninjas who were captured or killed. Since then we were living ok trying to find a way to stop that stupid magician and a way to shut Zane back on. Then, Cole got captured and things started going to hell. Jen, after a while of thinking, decided to divorce Lloyd. Her life was endangered and she didn't want to be in that position any longer. She went in the night and left her sons as well as her husband. Lloyd was trying hard to look for Cole in secret but couldn't get over the grief of his wife leaving him so the task fell on me. I then realized I was being too careless. I received a letter in the mail with no return address, I opened the letter and I saw it. The thing I dreaded to see. The letter said in ink that only I could see:
Just a little warning Ninja,
You're next.
I knew immediately what it meant because Cole got the same message before he went missing. Lloyd, Jay, and Nya helped my family relocate to a safer place and since the others thought I should lay low, Jay took the responsibility of looking for Cole as well as trying to find a way to turn Zane back on. Eventually, both tasks became too much for Jay to handle and since Cole could die without a chance of resurrection Jay made Cole his priority. At that point, it had been 7 years since Cole went missing, and now it's been 15. So why am I so afraid now if I received that letter 10 years ago? Because about a month ago I got another letter that reassured me that he never forgot about us. We never lost him. He just put us off. The next letter read:
Did you really think you could hide?
I thought you knew, I always find my target.
31
Since then no matter where we've gone I receive a letter every day with a number on it. 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20... By the time it hit 19 I figured out it was a count down, a count down to death day. Today I got a letter with the number 0. I know that there is no chance to escape my fate. The others told to me to stay with them so we planned to go to Jay's, but I can't. I can't because I know that if I do he'll kill us all. I decided if I couldn't save myself I would save Skylar and my son, Blake.
"But you know there are some with the GoldenEye. Those who can see what is hidden to others. What if"
"You know that's not it Skylor." I looked up and I realized she's just as defeated as I am. "I need you to take Blake to Jay's house. Since he's only after me you two still have a-"
"No!" Now it was her turn to interrupt me. "I'm not leaving you."
"You have to. If not for me for your son." I said pleading for her to go.
"Blake stands a better chance with them, but you stand a better chance with me. I'm not leaving and that's final." I was about to try again but I couldn't because I saw the look. The look of fierce determination. A look that said my decision is final and no matter how much you try to make me change my mind, I won't.
Then Blake comes running down the steps and says "I'm ready guys!"
I look at him sadly. This is it. This is truly it. "Blake, there's been a change of plans."
"You mean we're not going?"
"No. I mean, you're going but I-" Skylor slightly elbowed me which was her way of saying you'd better include me. "Your mother and I are not. "
"Why not?"
I was struggling to find an excuse when Skylor chimed in and said: "Something's come up and we have to deal with it immediately."
Blake just shrugged and said "Ok. Bye."
"Wait!" I said taking his hand. "I just want you to know that you and your mother are the best things that have ever happened to me and that I'm sorry for everything that I've done wrong. It's too long a list to name everything but I'm sorry and l love you."
"I love you too dad, but it's not like I'm dying. Are you dying?" He asked frowning in confusion.
"No, and I know you're not dying I just thought I'd let you know that." After I said that I hugged him and he, he hugged me back and for a moment I forgot all about what was about to happen.
Then Skylor moved me and said something to Blake that I couldn't hear. When he left I asked her what she said to him "I said, don't let your fathers words mess with you, I won't let him do anything stupid. He thought that you were going to commit suicide." She laughed.
"You didn't even give him a parting message?" I asked a little of bewildered. (I thought mothers were more emotional when this kind of thing happens.)
"I told him to stay safe and that l love him. But this is not the end Kai. As long as I'm with you nothing will happen to us, and we will see our son again." I was amazed by her confidence. I didn't want to "burn" her confidence out so I just thought to myself (This is really it.)
Third Person POV
Lloyd gave his sons a look that said be polite and greet him as he rang the doorbell to the Walkers home. Jay was the one to open the door. "Hi, Mr. Walker," Zachery said as enthusiastically as he possibly could, considering he didn't want to be there.
"Hi, Zac!" Jay greeted. "Are you feeling all right?" He asked remembering the last time the boy was there.
Zachery had to think for a minute on why Jay might be asking him that. Do I look sick? Then going red with embarrassment he realized why. "Y-y-yeah I-i'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Jay asked.
"Yeah! Positive." Zachery said waving his hands as if that would make the feeling of embarrassment go away. Ugh. Why am I like this all the time? he thought to himself.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Lloyd asked in his concerned dad tone.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just spaced out." Zachery tried reassuring Lloyd, but he could tell by the face he made that it wasn't working very well.
"When was the last time you took your pills?" Lloyd questioned.
"Yesterday. Before you get mad or whatever, I ran out of pills so I left a note on your door last night." Zachery explained.
"I didn't see a note," Lloyd said. "No matter, I'll get your prescription refilled tomorrow."
"Ok," Zachery said.
"Are you guys gonna come in?" Jay asked trying to lift the tension.
"Oh yeah," Lloyd said dragging Robin inside with him. He hugged Jay and whispered, "Once Kai gets here I have some news."
"Good or bad?" Jay whispered back.
"Good, it's about Zane." Lloyd smiled, and Jay couldn't help but smile back.
Then Lloyd went to the kitchen to greet Nya. "Hi, Jay," Robin grumbled looking obviously annoyed.
"Hey Robin! You in trouble again?" He asked.
Robin looked a bit surprised by the question. "Yeah. How'd you know?" He asked like it was the biggest mystery in the world.
"Easy, you're always in trouble," Jay said enthusiastically. Zachery laughed, and Robin gave him a glare that made him immediately stop. "What are you laughing at? You're grounded too."
"What did you guys do?" Jay asked with interested.
"Snuck into my Dad's office," Robin said as nonchalantly
"Hi boys!" said Nya as she walked in.
"Hi, Mrs. Walker." Zachery smiled.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Mrs. Walker? Just call me Nya. Mrs. makes me feel old." She said playfully.
"Sorry. Nya." Zachery said trying to make sure he remembered for the next time.
"Hi, Nya," Robin said sulking as he saw the plate of cookies in her hand.
"Oh, Zachery what happened to your glasses?" She asked.
"My sight is getting better so I only have to wear them when I read."
"That's great! Do you boys want a cookie?" She asked with evil enthusiasm.
"Sure." "No!" Zachery and Robin said at the same time. He looked at Zachery like he'd lost his mind.
"Here you go boys," Nya said giving the brothers a cookie. She was staring at us, waiting for us to eat the cookies. Zachery took a bite of his cookie and felt a wave of nausea hit him, but smiled anyway and said they were good.
Robin asked "Really? Are they really good?" and tried his before Zachery could respond. He immediately spits it out.
Then the doorbell rang and Jay said "Sally's upstairs. You guys can go up to her room, but knock first ok."
"Ok." Zachery and Robin said in unison. (Like we'll ever make that mistake again.) Zachery thought.
3 years ago
"Sally's upstairs, she'll be down in just a minute," Jay said.
"Don't worry, we'll just go upstairs and get her," Robin said dragging Zachery up the steps with him. Jay tried to send them a warning, but they were already up the steps when by the time he said: "Wait!" Robin opened the door to Sally with no shirt. There was a scream, a crack, and a bang. The next day Robin had a black eye, and Jay had to buy new glasses for Zachery.
Robin knocked on Sally's door, but there was no answer. He tried again, but still no answer. Finally, after a few more tries he gave up and tried to open the door. Zachery quickly grabbed his hand and said "Wait! You know what happened last time you just barged in her room."
"Technically it's not barging, I knocked," Robin said shaking Zachery's hand off and opening the door before I could move to stop him. I quickly covered my eyes. "She's not here." Robin said.
"What?" Zachery asked uncovering his eyes.
"Really. She's not here," Robin said. "She's gonna be in sooo much trouble." He chuckled.
"What are you doing in my room?" A voice like Sally's interrupted.
Robin started looking around the room anxiously.
"Sally, why are you climbing through the window?" Zachery asked.
"None of your business moron."
Downstairs the doorbell rang and Jay went to go answer it. "Hey Uncle Jay!" Blake said happy to see him.
"Hey Blake!" He said sounding just as excited as Blake. "Where are your parents?"
"Oh, they had something to deal with, but my mom told me to tell you that they're sorry they couldn't come."
Jay looked concerned as he said "Oh." Then he asked" Can you go up to Sally's room? I, your Aunt, and Lloyd are gonna get something to eat and everyone else is upstairs."
"Lloyd's here? Is Robin?" I asked a little bit excited. One of the very few chances to hang out with Robin, the coolest kid at our school. Well, at least one of them. He thought.
"Yes. Now please go upstairs." Jay said urgently.
"Ok," Blake said walking up the steps. When I got to the top of the steps I heard "None of your business moron." (That was probably Sally) he thought as he heard the voice.
"Whatever." That was probably Zachery.
"What a dimwit. Asking a lady about her business." Robin chimed in.
"Seriously? Since when do you care about anyone's privacy." Zachery said getting aggravated. Maybe I shouldn't go upstairs. Maybe I should just stay downstairs until the adults get back. No, no. Don't wimp out now Blake. He thought.
"I do now." Robin asked.
"Oh shut up." Zachery said sounding agitated.
Blake stopped in the doorway of the room nervously and said: "Hey guys."
All three of them stopped talking and turned to face Blake. Zachery walked over to Blake and put his arm around his shoulder and started guiding him into the room. "Hey Blake!" Blake was surprised but then thought: he's probably just eager to drop the previous topic of conversation.
"Hey dude," Robin said putting his hands on his pockets.
"Hey cous," Sally said looking not even a bit excited to see Blake. "Hey Salls, so you still have that video game console?" Robin asked.
Sally shot him an angry glare "I told you not to call me that ever again. And yes, I do. Why?"
"Well since there are four of us here we might as well play a good game." He said obviously trying to win her over.
"Since you put it that way, no," Sally said teasing him.
"Oh come on Sally. Please." Robin said pleading.
"Only if you beg." She said mockingly.
Zachery laughed, and Robin's eyes widened like he couldn't believe what she was asking him to do. "No way I'm begging you for anything." Robin said looking annoyed. "If anything, you're in my debt."
"Really? When did that happen?" She asked smartly.
"Well, I did just see you sneaking back into your own house. Obviously, you were doing something you weren't supposed to be doing. I could just go tell your mom and then-"
"No." Sally hastily interrupted Robin. "You can go ahead and play the game. But I'm not playing with."
"Yes!" Robin jumped up excited. "Where is it?'
"In my closet." She said aggravated.
"Blake you're playing, right?" Robin asked going to get the game.
"Yeah, I'm in!" Blake said even though he didn't really like that game. "What about you Zachery?"
"Meh, I'm no good at video games. I'll just watch." Zachery said.
"Oh, ok!" Blake said happy to have someone in the room that's not too hard to fit in with.
Jay's POV
After Blake went upstairs I ran into the kitchen and almost screamed: "Kai's not coming!"
Lloyd looked up and said "What?"
(Maybe I said it too fast.) "I said, K-A-I-'S N-O-T C-O-M-I-N-G!" I said loud and slow so he could understand.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I heard you. Why?"
"I'm guessing he wanted to do the hero thing where you sacrifice your life for others because he sent Blake here," I said.
"Not Skylor?" Asked Nya.
"She probably did the thing that people do when they're really in love with someone and said "no I'm not leaving you"" I said using my best Skylor impression. "We have to go get them."
"Yeah, but what about the kids?" Lloyd asked.
"I've already got that covered. I told them we were going to get something to eat." I said. (I'm so good. One step ahead of you this time Lloyd.)
"What if Shou Shi decides to come after Blake? Who's gonna protect them, since they can't protect themselves?" Lloyd said with concern written all over his face. (Guess I didn't think about that.)
"I'll stay," Nya said. "Just go get my brother."
With that, we left.
When we arrived I wasn't sure we were even in the right place. I didn't want to believe that we were in the right place. There was nothing. Nothing, but ash.