Terminal
Chapter One
(Zak Saturday POV)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Secret Saturdays nor the characters!
I sat on the edge of my bed, fidgeting with my fingers as I waited for morning to come. I quickly glanced over to my clock to see what time it was.
2:04 AM
I could feel the small drops of sweat begin to slide down my face. My body began to tense up and my heart started racing. I can't let my mind win. I don't know what or why but my dreams, no, more like nightmares have been killing me for the past week and a half. They were filled with true horror. It was like reliving the war against Argost but a million times worse and Argost wasn't actually in these. I looked back over to my clock, hoping that at least an hour had passed.
2:07 AM
Ugh, move faster! I complained to myself but nothing changed. My body was begging for sleep but my eyes knew not to give in. I began to start trembling and shaking out of nowhere. A sudden cold breeze whistled over my face, sending goosebumps all up and down my arms and legs. I let out a minor yawn, which wasn't a good idea because my eyelids got heavier and my body began to fall asleep.
"Just, keep your eyes open, Zak." I kept whispering to myself. I took a few deep breaths before I felt something sharp stab onto my neck.
"YAAH!" I shouted out of surprise before the pain erupted through my body. I threw my arms up and hands behind my neck. I felt something small and, with wings attempting to attach onto my neck. That's when it hit me. A neural parasite.
I quickly started to shake my head and swat at the parasite with my hands but it was too late as it stabbed its tail into my neck completely. Normally, I would have screamed but I felt too drained, out of nowhere, to do anything. My body weakened and before I could process anything, I collapsed to the floor. I tried to fight it but I couldn't and eventually, my eyelids became too heavy too keep open. They slammed shut and I was back into the worst vision I had ever encountered.
A massive creature with broad wings, a muscular body, and a face that had replaced the mouth for some sort of octopus tentacles stood in front of me. In front of the octopus like cryptid stood another giant cryptid. This one was a monstrous, dark, dragon like cryptic with a scaly body and wings too large for its body. The two stared at each other for a moment, an obvious hatred reflecting off of their eyes.
I had been hoping that they wouldn't but just then and there, they did. The two cryptids engaged into combat with one another as citizens of the city began to attack innocents cryptids. The dragon like cryptid then clawed the octopus cryptid in the eye causing green blood to pour out of its face. I wanted to run away, maybe even out of this horrific nightmare but I couldn't. It was like my feet were stapled to the ground.
"This is your destiny, boy." A familiar voice echoed throughout my head but I quickly shook it off. The people began to charge at the cryptids. I was in a complete state of shock as I watched. If anything, shouldn't the cryptids be the ones attacking, not the other way around? Actually, no one, human or cryptid should have been attacking each other. I was drawn out of my thoughts when a cryptid screeched out in pain as a large spear was driven right through its stomach.
"NO!" I screamed as the sorrow and guilt didn't hesitate to strike me.
"It's a tragedy that, that magnificent beast had to be put down like that." A sharp voice muttered and I tried to process the voice but I couldn't. There was this overwhelming sadness that started building rapidly.
"Witness the realm of destruction, little Saturday." Those are the words that ripped through my skull and struck me out of my numbness. I slowly turned my head to observe a white yeti approaching me. This was not what I had expected.
"A-Argost? How.. How are you here?" I struggled to ask as an evil grinned gripped onto his lips.
"I could ask you the exact same question, couldn't I?" I was taken back by his remark. I looked down for a second and sighed. I glanced up again, the same smirk on his face. I knew my face portrayed pure confusion and that he was taking pleasure in it.
"What do you want?" I snapped, anger was raging within me but my confusion and shock were definitely overcoming it.
"I simply wish to talk-".
"I'm NOT making anymore deals with you." I interrupted, boldly.
"Ah, thats a shame. I figured a 15 year old boy would have liked to know a little about what his true destiny should have been."
"Huh?" Was all that managed to slip my lips before he laughed quietly. I hated this. I knew he was trying to get me to sucker up to him but I couldn't make out what was actually happening.
"This is not just a dream or a little vision. This is merely Kur's story, your story." Argost started as he began taking steps closer to me. I was trying to piece what he was saying together and before he had to add anything else, I solved it like a puzzle.
"You mean, that's K-Kur?" I gasped and pointed to the dark dragon. Argost nodded his head in response, no words, just a nod and a wicked smile. I knew he was enjoying this a lot more than me but I couldn't hide my emotions. "Why is it fighting.. That-",
"Cthulhu." Argost interjected and I stared at him with a blank face. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. "Boy, you're Kur and you have no knowledge on this ancient beast?" He exclaimed and I shrugged on instinct. "Once more, you've proven yourself unworthy of Kur's powers."
Slightly offended by his remark, I replied, "You know, I'm technically not Kur anymore." His smile grew wider and I began to feel uneasy.
"Is that so?" He cackled and I slowly nodded my head. His voice seemed to have doubt built all through it, but I tried to ignore it. He ruffled my hair, like my mom usually does and I instantly grew uncomfortable. "So tragic how one's fate must come so soon." He worded oddly. Why does everything he say have to be so confusing?
I watched him start walking away before he stopped and turned around to make eye-contact with me for a final time. I raised an eyebrow as the yeti pointed up. Random. But I followed his finger which was pointing up to a falling Cthulhu that was heading straight towards me. I gasped, panic building fast as I threw my arms over my head as if it was actually going to help me. I waited for its body to crush me but nothing came. I slowly put my arms down and opened my eyes up to pure darkness.
"Welcome back to the end of everything you've ever known."
My eyes shot back open to reality. My heart was racing faster than ever and my face was drenched in sweat… or tears. I couldn't tell but probably both. I quickly threw my hand onto my neck, feeling around. The neural parasite was gone. Thank goodness.
Even though, I was awake and in my room, I could still hear the cries of pain that the cryptids released. As the next few minutes passed, the vision began to fade from my memory but I couldn't help myself from sitting there with a lingering fear.
I grabbed onto my bed frame, using it to help me stand up and not fall over from my light headedness. I got a hold of myself and tried to remember that it was just another bad dream. But when I walked over to my mirror, my reflection said otherwise. My eyes were bloodshot, either from the fact that I had just slept for the first time in three days or because I was crying. My hair was laid partially stuck onto my head from the sweat and then some of it was just a mess. On the bright side, everything else seemed to be intact.
As I stared at myself, I heard footsteps approaching my door. On an old instinct, I grabbed the claw off of my dresser and pointed it at the door. I was fully ready to fire at whoever was nearing my door. The door knob then twisted and my heart began to pound rapidly as panic, once again, took over me. The door opened and revealed the last person that I thought it would have been but I don't know why. After all, she lives here too.
"Zak? Honey, are you okay?" My mom's voice spread through my head and I pulled the claw back down. Her eyes followed it, worry reflected off of them. I instantly felt bad, I hated making my mom worry, especially over something she wouldn't understand. "Zak?" She repeated and I quickly pulled off an awkward smile.
"Uh, bad dream, that's all." I shortly replied but I was questioning my own answer and I could tell my mom wasn't falling for it. She then sighed as she cupped my chin in one of her hands and continued to stare into my eyes with the same look of concern.
"Baby, two weeks of bad dreaming isn't normal, you know that. I know it's been more." I never really understood how my mom would know when I was lying but she always knows. "You don't have to keep this to yourself, you have a family for a reason."
"I know, I know. I'll tell you, I promise. Just, I'm not exactly sure how to."
"Don't worry, kiddo. You can wait until you're ready." I felt slightly better about having to tell the family and that no one would be crawling on my back for answers. "Whenever you're comfortable with coming out, we'll be in the kitchen, okay?" She finished with a soft, soothing tone.
"Alright, thanks mom." I mumbled quietly and she softly embraced me into a hug. It made me feel a lot better to have the reassuring arms of my mom around me, it always did but I wouldn't admit to it. After a moment, she pulled away, shot me a small smile, and then headed out of my room.
I sighed as the realization hit me that I still had the claw in my hand. I lifted it up and observed it for a second before I quickly placed it back down where it belonged. A part of my heart broke right then and there. I hadn't touched the claw since the war against Argost. It amazed me that some stupid series of terrifying visions would bring myself to pick it back up. What was I even thinking? Oh, Argost is in the airship now? Ugh, he's been gone for almost two years. He's long gone by now.
(Third Person POV)
"So, you think his nightmares are repercussions of him being the former Kur?" Doc questioned his wife who had just got done telling Doyle and himself what she had pieced together with Zak. The three were currently in the kitchen of the airship. Fiskerton, Zon, Komodo, and Zak were still not present in the room.
"I wouldn't doubt it, he did have part of that cryptids soul in his body." Doyle stated as he earned an agreeable nod and look from Doc. Ever since the battle against Argost that occurred a little under two years ago, both Doc and Doyle have grown more respect for each other but they still had their flaws in their relationship.
"Entire soul." Drew corrected her brother and he gave her a minor eye roll. "But, yes. Zak's never had nightmares that didn't connect to Kur in some way. It's the only logical reason I see here."
"But it doesn't make sense, Drew." Doc disagreed and earned confused looks from his wife and brother in law. "Kur's soul was drained from our boy some time ago. Why would he just now be getting these nightmares?"
"I'm not sure." Drew mumbled. She knew that they did have to consider every option that they had but they couldn't avoid the fact that, like it or not, Zak used to be Kur and apart of him would always have a Kur presence left behind. "I'm just saying, if this does have something to due with Kur, we need to find a resolution asap."
"Maybe, instead of coming up with theories, we could just ask Mini-man." Doyle suggested before continuing with, "Also, he will be here soon and we still don't have breakfast made so we should get to it."
"And by 'we', you mean Drew and myself?" Doc rhetorically asked, knowing that the former mercenary had no cooking experience whatsoever.
"Exactly." Doyle replied with a smug.
(Zak Saturday POV)
"Zak, sweetie, breakfast is ready!" I heard my mom shout and I quickly made myself presentable. Or at least as presentable as I could've been since everyone already thinks I'm a hot mess at the moment. I took a short glance at the claw before I left. I still felt extremely guilty for pulling it out on my mom earlier but I hope she understands that it wasn't on purpose.
I left my room and quickly made my way to the kitchen. Oddly but as I expected, when I entered, my mom, dad, and uncle Doyle all stared at me. I looked at each one of them and it didn't take me long to notice the absence of my siblings.
"Uh, where's Fisk? And where's Zon and Komodo?" Fisk is usually always the first one up but he likes to pretend to be asleep and eavesdrop on my parents. But usually if he heard my name, he'd meet me or if he heard anything to do with food, he was there. But he wasn't and neither were Zon or Komodo.
"They're probably asleep still. They've been staying out a lot later than usual." Doyle responded and even though I was curious about what they were doing out so late, I decided it could wait. "Wanna eat Mini-man? Your mom made waffles."
"Hey, I made the waffles. Drew made the eggs." My dad shot back and seemed offended that Doyle had gave my mom all the credit. Classic Doyle, getting under my dad's skin. Uncle Doyle easily shrugged it off and looked back at me for a response. I hesitated for a moment. I really wasn't in the mood for food at the moment. The thought of it made me gag.
"No thanks, I'm not really feeling it." I honestly answered as I watched my mom shoot my dad a confused look. I've turned down breakfast a lot in the past and I don't know why she seemed surprised by it this time.
"You sure?" Uncle Doyle asked and I nodded my head slowly. He gave me this puzzled look and I just shrugged. There was this awkward silence for a moment before I looked back to the sound of bread popping out of the toaster. This broke the silence which apparently gave my mom the courage to speak again.
"Zak, can we talk about what's been happening, please?" She questioned and the same look of concern form earlier found its way to her face. I couldn't just keep this to myself anyways but I felt like a major burden as of lately.
"Yeah, now's better than later, I guess."
—
Notes
Hello! I just wanted to let everyone know that, I do realize Zak's POV was used an awful lot but I will be trying to get the story to base around a Third person POV. Sometimes I feel as if First person can actually help bring scenes to life and that's how I felt for parts of this chapter. Anyways, please excuse any grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. My writing will (hopefully) improve as this story continues. Feel free to leave a review with your opinion. Thanks for reading!
