Lucas Ryan Versus: The Hive (The Lucas Ryan Versus Series) (19 page)

LEVEL 27:
Everlong

AFTERMATH:

Moments after stumbling from the rebuilt gymnasium, Taylor, Morgan, Roland and Olivia had wandered into the nearby Cafeteria building. Taylor tapped on the face of his cracked watch, noticing that no time had passed. It was five minutes before the first bell to signal the start of the school day. They had spent all day fighting the worst evils of the universe, but now, it was as if nothing had happened.

The cafeteria began to fill with students, readying themselves for morning breakfast that was served every day. Some students laughed, some still groggy from the morning commute. Teachers shuffled through the doors, sipping on their steaming cups of coffee, pretending they weren’t just as tired as all their students. The smell of the school breakfast cut through the air like a blade. The janitor strolled by, pushing his mop and bucket on wheels. He happily whistled as he walked. The whole sight was surreal and surprising.

“This has to be a dream,” Roland mumbled, in shock. He looked over at his silent sister. Morgan fought her tears with all her stubborn resolve.

“Look at all of them,” Taylor said, pointing to the crowds of kids. “They have no memory of the General or his men. No idea of the sacrifice Lucas and Sophia just made for us...for them.”

Olivia digested his words. “Sacrifice,” she whimpered. From the opposite side of the schoolyard she spotted Dax. He was alive, but just as beat up as the rest of them. He waved for Olivia to join him, but she didn’t. She couldn’t, not now. She turned from his stare and he walked away tired and upset.

They all watched as more students moved past them, ignoring their weary faces and heavy hearts. In the distance a familiar teacher appeared from the bustling crowd of faces. He walked right up to Olivia, his eyes accusing from behind thick glasses.

“Ms. Weaver, I missed you in morning detention,” Mr. Parker said, annoyed. He held Olivia’s gaze, waiting intently.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Parker.” Her mind raced to the last time she had seen him. Running from the Art room, clawing at his infested face while screaming bloody murder. The image made her stomach turn over.

“I’m sure you had something more important to deal with instead of wasting away with me,” he said, wryly.

“I guess.”

“I presume I’ll see you in after school detention then.”

“Yes,” she sulked. It was the furthest thing from her mind, at the moment. The horrible thought of having to tell her mother about Sophia never coming home again was stealing her sanity. After a long awkward pause, Mr. Parker smiled.

“Well, don’t let me keep you and your friends. Schools about to start, I don’t want any of you to be late,” he snorted, lightly. “The crowded hallways can be quite chaotic in the mornings, you know, busy, busy, busy.”

“I know,” she said.

He leaned into Olivia, stopping only an inch from her cheek, so only she could hear, “Like a beehive.”

Olivia pulled from him, slowly. Mr. Parker took a quick sip of his coffee and walked past her. She watched him walk into a herd of students milling around at the edge of the courtyard, and just before he disappeared into the entrance of the school, he winked at her. She froze in place.

The others hadn’t noticed Olivia and Mr. Parker’s conversation. They were still tying to come up with a plan.

“How are we supposed to just go about our day, acting like everything’s okay? I mean, someone’s bound to ask about Lucas’ absence. What do we do? What do we say?” Roland panicked, but tried to keep his calm.

“We say nothing!” Olivia snapped back to life. “Nobody would believe us if we tried to explain what happened here today.”

“There has to be a way to find them,” Taylor spoke up.

Roland wilted, “I hope so.”

“Taylor, what do we do?” Morgan asked, trying to find a thread of positivity.

“I don’t know,” Taylor sighed.

“I still don’t understand what happened to them. Where’d they all go?” Morgan asked, shaking in place. Taylor walked up to her and placed a comforting arm around her.

“Gone,” he said. “But I’ll do whatever I can to get them back. All of them.”

“But, how?” she began to cry harder. He held her tighter.

Olivia wiped away a fresh tear and exhaled a soothing breath, “Felicity wished them back home...she wished them back to where they came from.”

“So, they went home? Lucas and Sophia are at their houses?” Morgan stuttered, with a sliver of hope.

“No, not them. Felicity used the power of the magic
Jynshee
rings that she and Sophia were wearing. She wished all the creatures back home, including the
Jynshee
. Back to where they came from,” Olivia paused.

“And?” Roland asked, not really wanting to hear the rest of her theory.

“But Felicity didn’t realize that the people holding the alien power, the people wearing the rings would be victims of her wishes too,” Olivia said in a weird calmness. Emotions fell away as her thoughts smothered her.

“But why did Lucas disappear too? He wasn’t wearing any of the rings,” Taylor asked, trying to comprehend the whole situation. Olivia glanced up at him, unnerved.

“I’m not sure. Sophia was still holding onto him...she wouldn’t let go. Or she couldn’t let go. Maybe he was still connected to the power of the rings.” She turned to walk away, “It doesn’t really matter now. She’s gone...they’re gone. Both of them.”

The first bell rang throughout the schoolyard. Students hurried to their morning classes. Taylor, Morgan, Roland and Olivia all stood in a quiet circle as the students scurried past them. All four of them holding onto each other with their emptiness. None of them wanting to head to first period. None of them ready to face the day and its impending normalcy.

Roland finally spoke up with the most obvious of questions, “Will we ever see them again?”

At that moment, the wind rustled along the trees and twisted itself at Olivia’s feet. It carried with it a surprise. She bent down and picked up the breezes small gift. Her face lit up with a powerful new calmness and she turned and walked away. Everyone watched her stunned.

“Where’s she going?” Roland asked, with a shrug. Morgan ran after Olivia, catching her by the arm.

“Olivia, wait...” she called out. “What’s going on? Why are you so calm all of a sudden?”

Olivia let a peaceful smile fill her lips. “Because no matter where they are, no matter how far, no matter the challenge...Lucas will protect Sophia. He will keep her safe. He will bring her home.”

“How can you be so sure?” Morgan fought the words with new tears approaching.

“Lucas will find a way,” Olivia whispered.

“How could you possibly know that?” Morgan gave in to her emotions.

Olivia reached out and wiped away one of Morgan’s tears, then slid something into her hand.

“I believe,” Olivia said, hopeful.

“I believe in Lucas Ryan.”

Olivia hugged her and walked away. Morgan opened her hand and lost her breath. In her trembling palm was a single, green gummy bear.

THE END?

~ EPILOGUE ~

LEVEL UP:
Irresistible Force

Just breathe, don’t freak out.
Easier said than done. As the feeling began to return to my body, so did the pain. Whatever Sophia had done to heal me had worked, just not all the way. The circulation of pain started at my fingertips and palms. It reverberated along my arms and chest, down to my thighs. Trying to find my bearings, I pushed against the grainy, glassy ground. It felt like millions of tiny smooth beads beneath my hands, sliding into the crevices of my fingers. I pushed myself up as my heavy body became free of its temporary atrophy.

The line of bones along my spine popped with short snaps. “That’s better.” The hazy fuzz in my eyes began to fade too. My eyelids slid together trying to focus on the failing light all around. It looked like dusk or sunset, without the familiar blazing sun I’ve come to know and love. A howling wind caressed my body, bringing a sticky heat with it. The warmth quickly changed to an icy chill in an instant.

As the scenery finally slipped into my brain, I was overcome with wonder. The silky beaded ground was like a colorful beach, bright and beautiful. The sand twinkled with dozens of colors like an old
Lite-Brite
children’s toy and stretched for miles in all directions. Patches of shining white grass-like sticks stuck from the vibrant beaches, blinking in the breeze. The skies were purple with orange clouds of fire. At least they resembled clouds, but seemed to move as if they were organic and alive.

“Where did we end up?” I asked the wind. My voice carried everywhere in a tiny metallic echo. When I spoke, blue and gray ribbons of sand spun from my mouth like billowy smoke. The two colors knotted together in the air before me, then softly disappeared. It faded away quickly, in the same way hot breath turns to icy blasts of white steam on a freezing cold day. Watching it drift away made me realize I was alone. I filled with a frightened chill.

“Sophia! Are you okay?” I hollered out. There was no response except my spinning bruised colored breath. I called out again, even louder, “Sophia!” This time the blue color in the smoke was darker, almost black, as I yelled. Hope started to fade.

“She’s over here!” Felicity answered from a few yards away. I whipped around to find her hunched over Sophia’s still body, lying in the beaded sand. Felicity gasped and a huge stream of red and gray smoke twisted from her lips. I ran up to them as fast as I possibly could. The ground felt as hard as rock under my feet, but slick like water on a hard floor. My sore and weary legs fought to keep themselves underneath me as I slid up to them.

“Felicity, are you hurt?” I asked more worried about Sophia’s condition. I fell down next to Sophia’s motionless frame. Felicity stood up with her hands heavy on each hip, annoyed that I didn’t even wait for her answer.

“No! Are you crazy? Of course I am not okay! Were lost in some alien world or dimension, you idiot!” she scolded, with red and orange puffs of smoke circling her head. I tried my best to ease her attitude.

“Are you done?” I asked, kinda calm.

“What are we going to do?” she asked, with no hesitation. I had decided to completely avoid more conflict.

Gently, I slid my hands under Sophia’s head and neck. “Soph, can you hear me?” She didn’t respond. I could feel her pulse pushing against my fingers, slightly. “Sophia?”

“I hope your happy, Lucas! This is all your fault, ya know!” Felicity accused, staring down at me in tears. She clutched the small ring around her index finger in a knuckled ball.

“My fault? You’re the spaz that wished us here.”

She glared down at me as if she had forgotten that. “Wish?” She spent another few seconds staring at her shiny prize when a smile pulled across her face, in relief.

She threw her fist into the air, “I wish I was home!” Her voice cracked with excitement. More colors twisted from her mouth, this time, yellow and red. The frosty breath seemed to change with our moods. After a long moment of her standing above me like a cheerleader frozen in place, locked in her routine, she began to pout as nothing happened. She stomped both of her feet, sending beads all over the place, and called out her wish again. Nothing happened, again.

“What’s wrong with this thing?” she said, in a tantrum. I glanced down at Sophia and her wish-granting jewelry. They must not work while their host is unconscious.

“Calm down, Felicity. We can’t afford to panic,” I tried to sound calm, but secretly, I was freaking out inside too.

“This stupid thing is broken!” she wailed, slapping her hands together.

“It’s not broken. It just needs to have the other bands working too,” I nodded toward Sophia’s limp arms and body. Felicity looked at me in an all-knowing disgust.

“Lucas, how do you know that?”

“I don’t,” I said in a shrug. “But for some reason, it just feels right.”

She squatted down next me in a soft thud, “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

I looked into her worried eyes and saw the first flicker of common sense, “Maybe.”

An idea hit me and I slowly reached down to Sophia’s right wrist. My fingers slid along the band that hung snugly there. With little force, I slipped it over her thumb and fingers. It fell into my hand with warmth inside its curved shape. Before I could even move, the bracelet snapped onto my wrist, locking itself to the edges of the scarring along my inner forearm.

“Is that a good sign?” Felicity whispered.

I forced a smile to my lips, awkwardly, “I hope so.”

Suddenly, the alien ground started rolling in waves beneath us. It started slow, but intensified with the force of a tidal wave. Giant, lumbering shapes moved under the glass-beaded ground as if thousands of serpents had awoken, trying to push themselves to the surface. Sections of the colorful beach bounced like popcorn all around us. Felicity locked her arms around my left arm, squeezing me tight enough to cut off the circulation. The ground pushed upward and I placed my free arm around Sophia, ready to scoop her up and run.

“What’s happening?” Felicity screamed in my ear.

Wincing from the pain, “Just hang on!”

Mammoth sized dunes bulged into the sky, the glassy beads sliding away like sand over a waterfall. Everything seemed to be shaking now and a teeth-chattering hum filled our heads. It shook the molars in the back of my mouth with its force. I was about to run with Sophia in my arms, when the growing mound of sand filled in a familiar silver and golden glow. The silvery light gleamed intensely as golden sparks peppered through the bright glow. The markings along my arm lit up in the same wild colors.

“Ripley?” I swallowed hard.

~ Believe, Lucas. ~

My genie, my dragon, my new hope, was back.

“Is that you...you’re back?” I yelled out. Felicity watched the glowing mound in front of us as it seemed to stop growing larger. I stepped forward, closer to it and my arm and wrist burned with a new stinging sensation. My scars throbbed in yellow fire. The burning flames pushed outward, hovering just above my skin in the exact positions as my markings. The flickering symbol floated before my face, littering its movement with dripping metal embers.

~ Yes, but I’m not sure why. When Felicity wished us here, something changed. She’s altered my existence somehow. ~

“Awesome!” I cheered.

~ Lucas, you must listen. I cannot hold THEM back for very long. ~

I glanced at the impregnated mound of sand and let out a nervous laugh, “I’m listening.”

~ Most of my power, the power inside the rings, is gone. There is only one way to refill them. ~

“Okay, what do I need to do to bring you back?”

~ There are three beacons, one made of Light, one made of Virtue, and the final one, Darkness. You are the Light Beacon. Sophia is the Virtue Beacon... ~
Ripley’s voice faded.

“And the third?” I asked, and the mound cracked open with a sliver of red light, unleashing thick black tar that oozed everywhere. The skies overhead darkened, immediately.

~ The third beacon is lost. ~

“Lost?”

~ Yes. It’s hidden here, in this dimension. ~

“Where is here? Where did we end up?”

~ This place has no name. It’s where HE grows his horde, the birth place of General Love’s Hive. ~

“Is the General still alive?”

~ I don’t know. There is no time. THEY are close. THEY are hungry. ~

“Who’s hungry?” I asked, already knowing the frightening answer.

~ The new Hive. ~

“Great.”

~ You have to find the third and final beacon. It’s the only way you can get back home. ~

The rumbling mini mountain before us started to swell again, causing more cracks to cut along its surface. Cold black ooze rained down from the sky, covering us in filth. Felicity screamed out, disgusted and scared.

~ Lucas, find the Dark Beacon! ~

“How?” I cried out, covered in black oil.

~ Use the markings on your arm. They will show you when your are close to the third beacon. You have little time to find it. When the thirteen scars heal, you will be stuck here...forever. ~

Disbelief filled my head with fuzz as I looked down at my wrist and watched as one of my markings faded away, leaving only twelve.

I asked, winded, “How much time?”

~ You have seven shades until your beacon extinguishes. ~

“How long is seven shades?” I grumbled, and leaned down, lifting Sophia into my arms.

~ In Earth time...two hours. ~

With a sarcastic roll of my eyes, I said, “Perfect.” More cracks ripped along the curve of the menacing mound of dirt, and with the new openings came a horrific roar. The force of the sound sent ripples along our skin, and dried Felicity’s tearstained cheeks.

~ One last thing, Lucas... ~

I glared over my shoulder at the once bulging section of ground and it was gone.

~ Run! ~

“Oh, no...” I shrank as my eyes glossed over in terror. Hundreds of putrid green tentacles waved from the gaping hole in the ground. Each one twisting and turning like wild snakes begging to be free. Spinning razors lined the alien snakes backs and heads. These wicked barbs spewed black tar down their sides and onto the ground. Their eyes locked onto us as their long bodies danced in place. Instinctively, I shoved Felicity the opposite direction and tightened my hold on Sophia.

“Move it!” I screamed, but Felicity couldn’t hear my voice over the trumpeting new born Hive. Felicity panicked and pushed herself forward, losing traction instantly and tumbled to the blackened soil. With the miles of soft beaded sand all around us, she managed to find one of the few solid rocks embedded in the ground. Her curly haired head smashed into it with a dull crack, leaving her unconscious and bleeding. I didn’t have time to adjust for her accident, and tripped over Felicity’s tangled legs, dropping Sophia to the ground. Her small body slid next to Felicity’s, and my palms slammed into the smooth sand.

“Crap!” I shouted, in pain. The markings along my arm and wrist ignited in white fire, before pulling into a small ball of flames. It spun in front of my face and then shot off into the distance. I watched as it flew with blinding speed and then exploded along the ridge of a distant mountain. At the edge of this new vista was a tall lanky shadow, staring at me with glowing blue eyes. The shadow person waved at me, revealing bands of light reflecting back my way. Immediately, I knew who it was.

“The Dark Beacon.”

With a vicious eruption, the ground exploded in front of us and more serpent demons stretched upward, hundreds more. Their gritty bodies towered over us with falling spit and sickening screams. Surrounded by the overly hungry Hive, I trembled in their swaying shadows as they ate up the last of the skies failing light.

“Lucas?” Sophia’s broken voice spoke from beside me, her face half covered in dirt and blood. Hearing that she was alive renewed my hope, even if it was only for a moment. I completely forgot about the prying stare of the shadowed stranger and arched my body over Sophia with the slim possibility of blocking the terrible sight above us. If we were about to die, maybe I could at least save her the horror of witnessing it.

“Close your eyes, Soph,” my throat filled with dust. Her sad eyes wilted as the morbid shadows above us, engulfed everything. Felicity snapped upward, sitting on her heals, grabbing at her bleeding head. She grabbed onto me in shock, shaking more than the tremors below us. She sobbed next to me and gently placed her hand over Sophia’s eyes. Her last act of kindness, startled me and I shared a real moment with her, staring into her broken face.

“This is my fault, Lucas,” Felicity cried.

Her words stunned me. I took a deep breath, trying to process what she had just said, but all I could do was feel anger rising up inside of me. Building fury turned into strength and I closed my eyes, embracing it. My hand pulled tightly into a ball and silvery white light popped from my hand. The power grew more intense as the markings along my wrist and forearm came to life. Tiny threads of mirror colored energy popped along our bodies like a million metallic fireflies, tracing every line around us.

“I’m sorry,” Felicity sobbed. More magical threads covered our outlines, growing brighter and thicker.

“Don’t be. We’re not dead, yet!” I declared. The nightmarish horde of demons pulled upward, readying their bleeding teeth for the first bite. I slammed my burning fist into the beads below me, covering all three of us in warm light. A thousand hungry mouths fell down on us at the same moment, blocking any glimpse of the alien world around us.

Gravity fell away and time stopped, leaving only darkness. In the blackness only one sound could be heard. It was faint, but it was everywhere.