I got up, feeling strangely energized. That same warm feeling I’d felt before passing out lingered, but Kristiana’s cool voice cut through it as soon as she spoke.
“There’s no time for talking,” she said with a frown. “We must keep going.”
We followed her to the back of the room, where a computer screen was mounted on a platform. Kristiana walked to the computer and started typing. “Now we’ll see what you can do,” she said. “Your Segols are about to be put to the test, so prepare yourselves.”
“What kind of test?” I asked, feeling the anxiety come flooding back.
She offered a non-comforting smile. “You’ll see. Good luck out there.”
She hit a button on the computer, and with no warning, everything went black and silent.
***
I opened my eyes to an unpleasant humming sound. Everything looked blurry as I sat up.
I felt the unmistakable prickle of grass on my legs and hands. Was I…outside?
As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out the shape of a giant oak tree towering over me. I grabbed on to its trunk to hoist myself up. I felt a little disoriented, and that humming noise was getting louder.
I looked around. I was on the edge of an open field surrounded by forest. The sky was dark and starry, and the full moon lingered just over the trees in the distance.
“Um, hello?” I called. Nobody answered. All was quiet, except for the consistent humming.
I didn’t know where I was, but I wasn’t about to just stand there and wait for something to happen. I started toward the patch of trees that the moon rested above, but before I even left the tree’s cover, I was knocked down by something hard and heavy.
When I saw what hit me I almost fell back over. It looked like a metal, floating bowling ball. It just hovered there, bobbing up and down. It floated just under eye level, and I could see my distorted reflection in its shiny surface.
I took a step back. It didn’t move. I took three steps back, and it still hovered in place. I turned around, but looked over my shoulder as I walked away but, just like last time, I was knocked down before I could get out from under the tree.
I looked up and saw another floating ball. Getting annoyed, I stood back up. I tried to slide past it, but stopped dead in my tracks as the smooth metal surface of the metal ball sharpened with spikes.
I stumbled backward and fell to the ground. Before I could get up, more spiky metal balls appeared out of nowhere and began to circle around the tree so fast that all I could see were blurs. The buzzing became so loud that I couldn’t even hear myself think as even more of them showed up, zooming around the tree at breakneck speed.
“Help me!” I screamed, but I couldn’t hear my own voice, so I doubted anyone else would.
Feeling the panic and aggravation building inside me, I grabbed a tree branch lying on the ground and threw it, but it was torn to shreds as the spike balls pelted it.
“I knew this was a bad idea!” I screamed as I stomped my foot in utter frustration.
My little tantrum was broken when I thought I heard someone call my name. I stopped and looked around. They called again, but it was impossible to tell from where because of the constant buzzing of the sonic-speed spike balls.
“Hello?” I yelled, praying it was someone friendly. “Help!”
Someone came rushing out of the forest. It was James! He ran clumsily toward me.
“Abby!” he yelled, stopping a good six feet away from the metal spikes circling the tree.
“James, thank God,” I said, feeling relief wash over me. “Help me out of here!”
His eyes darted back and forth like he was trying to keep up with the flying spikes. He looked back at me. “Let me think…” he said. He picked up a large stone that was about the size of one of the spike balls. “Get back!” he yelled.
I took a step back as he tossed the rock into the barrage of metal spikes. It was shredded almost as quickly as the tree branch had been.
Bits of sharp stone flew all over the place, and I lifted my hands to protect my face. The second I did, everything went dead quiet.
The spikes had stopped moving completely. I nervously took a step closer, and saw that it wasn’t just the spikes. Shards of rock were suspended in midair, too, like they were frozen or something.
“What...just happened?” I asked James.
James was studying one of the bigger chunks of rock that was suspended in the air. “I don’t know,” he said curiously. He looked at me. “But I think you should get over here in case they start moving again.”
I leaped past the immobilized cluster of spikes and rock shards and met James on the other side. The second I landed, the deafening buzz started up again as the spikes zoomed around the tree, and shards of rock shot in every direction. James and I ducked out of the way as the stony shrapnel came shooting toward us.
“Not one of my best ideas,” said James as he stood up straight.
I let out a sigh of relief. “At least I’m out of there. Thanks, James,” I said, brushing myself off. “Now, what is going on?”
James seemed to ponder the question. “Kristiana stated that our Segols were going to be put to the test, so this must be it.”
“This is one test I’d rather not take,” I said, looking at the zooming spikes. “Why would she put our lives in danger like this?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” said James thoughtfully. “Perhaps—” he paused for a long moment “—our abilities will show themselves only in times of stress.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You were trapped in that vortex of spikes,” he said, pointing toward the tree I was under. “After I tossed that rock into the spikes, you panicked, and the spikes, as well as the pieces of rock, were rendered immobile. It appears that you can somehow stop time, slow it down, or something to that effect.”
My eyes widened. “How is that even possible?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I am not a physicist.”
“If I can stop time, how come you were still moving?”
“Perhaps it works only on inanimate objects.”
“What about you, then?” I asked him. “Anything weird happen to you?”
He turned toward the patch of woods he’d come from. “I woke up alone in the middle of a dense, wooded area. I ran through the woods in a panic, trying to find anyone. Then, my head started to hur—”
An explosion erupted from the woods on the opposite side of the clearing and the two of us jumped.
“Wait, where are Nick and Kelly?” I asked.
“We need to find them,” said James anxiously. “They could be in danger.”
We ran toward the explosion. I hoped that Nick and Kelly weren’t in the blast, but I had a sinking feeling that was where we would find one or both of them.
We were a good way into the woods when James yelped and clasped his hand to his forehead.
“D-did you hear that?” he asked me.
My eyes widened. “Hear what?”
“That voice,” he whispered. When I shook my head, he said, “I did…”
“Great, now you’re hearing voices,” I said, throwing my hands up. “This is turning out to be a great night!”
“It’s saying that there’s a mechanized offensive unit heading toward us,” James said anxiously.
“James,” I said worriedly. “I didn’t hear any—” A low hum came from somewhere in the dense woods behind us.
Something big was heading right toward us. As the shadowed figure got into view, I couldn’t believe it. “Is that a freakin’ robot?”
“It would seem so,” said James with disbelief.
The robot was human-shaped for the most part, hovering about a foot off the ground as it moved, slicing down any tree that was in its way with its sharp, bladed arms and legs. Its entire body was enforced with flawless metal that shimmered even in the darkness of the woods.
The two of us stood there, apparently too shocked
to react as it quickly approached. Luckily, we snapped out of it just in time and dived out of the way as it barreled past. It didn’t seem to notice us at all.
“Of course there’re robots,” I said as I got up. “Why wouldn’t there be?”
“That voice in my head warned me before it came,” said James quietly.
I looked at him. “The voice warned you?”
He nodded. “That must be my ability.”
“Your ability...is hearing voices?” I asked, crossing my arms.
“No, not just the voice,” he said defensively. “When I was looking for you, I started to get a terrible headache, and suddenly I could see in infrared. An arrow appeared and guided me straight to you.”
“So, you’re a human GPS with night-vision?” I asked.
“Something like that,” he said.
Someone screamed off in the distance.
“We need to find Kelly and Nick,” I said quickly. “Who knows what kind of trouble they’re in?”
“I agree,” said James. “Something tells me that the robot that almost decapitated us was heading toward them.”
“Ugh, I have the same feeling,” I said, looking down the path of sliced-up trees.
We followed the path that the robot had taken, and it led us to a fifty-foot drop that overlooked a vast sea of trees. We heard another scream and a loud crash. A pillar of smoke rose from the trees below us.
“How’re we going to get down there?” I asked, looking for some path or stairway.
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” said James.
“Targets spotted. Targets spotted. Initiating capture mode,” said an automated voice from behind us. James and I whirled around to see another robot hovering there. It was like the one that we’d followed, but this one had large metal wings that spanned about twelve feet.
It lunged toward us. I screamed and held my hands out in front of me out of reflex. When I realized I hadn’t been thrown off the cliff, I opened my eyes. The robot wasn’t moving. It was only a foot or so away from us, frozen in the air.
“Fascinating,” said James, studying the robot. “Your ability seems to manifest through your hands.”
“Fascinating for you, maybe,” I said, trying not to have a panic attack.
“I think…I know how to get down there,” said James, still studying the robot.
“How?” I asked, looking down at the forest below.
“I don’t think you’ll like it,” he said. “But let’s jump on the robot’s back. It can fly us down there.”
“Are you insane?” I squealed. “I’m not doing that!”
“Do you have a better idea?” he asked.
I didn’t.
“Come on,” he said, getting behind the robot. “Before it starts moving again.”
I sighed and followed him. “I had no idea you could be so reckless.”
“I’m not being reckless,” he said with offense. “This is a calculated risk… Ready?” He prepared himself to jump onto the robot. “One…two…three!”
We jumped on the robot’s back. As soon as we touched it, it started moving again and we flew off the cliff.
“Warning…abnormality detected,” said the robot. “Preparing to dive—”
No sooner had the robot said it that it took a nose dive, and we were plummeting to the forest below.
“Let go!” James yelled as the robot continued to dive.
We both let go and landed hard on the ground. The robot crashed a few feet away and skidded across the dirt, hitting a large tree. “Initiating recovery mode,” it said, then went silent.
“Are you okay?” I asked James.
“I think so,” he said, taking off his glasses and squinting at them. “Are you?”
“Better than the robot,” I answered.
He chuckled as he put his glasses back on.
A voice echoed through the trees. “Back off, you tin can!”
“That’s Nick!” I said, looking around. “He sounds close.”
“Be careful, Nick,” said another voice. It was Kelly.
James and I rushed down a hill and into a small open field. I almost tripped over a spiky, round metal object that looked a lot like the ones that had trapped me under that tree, but this one was crushed into scrap. Another one was right next to it, just as torn up.
“Abby—” said James, pointing ahead.
I looked up just in time to see that the robot we’d followed to the cliffside was closing in on Nick and Kelly.
Nick kept Kelly behind him as the robot closed in.
“Must capture targets,” said the robot.
“Don’t even try it!” Nick said.
The robot’s mouth opened and the barrel of a gun popped out, aimed directly at Nick.
CHAPTER 7:
under the sapphire moon—nick
When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a clear, black starry sky. The chilly air sent a shiver down my body.
There was a jabbing pain along my back. I sat up and saw that I was lying on a dry patch of dirt and my back was getting poked at by little rocks. All I could see around me were mounds of dirt, and it looked like I was all by my lonesome.
“Hello?” I yelled as I stood up, but the only answer I got was my own echo. I tried again. “Hello? Abbs? Kelly? J-Man?” Nothin’ but crickets.
“Great. Just great!” I yelled as I kicked a clod of dirt apart.
I climbed the biggest mound to get a better look at my surroundings. It wasn’t much of a view; just more dry mud mostly. The full moon offered me some light, making it a little easier to see in the dark. Off in the distance was a patch of trees. Using my mad athletic skills, I ran down the mound of dirt and headed toward it.
The woods looked to be about a quarter-mile away. About two-thirds of the way there, the dry, cracked path cut off into a cliff overlooking a creek. I tried to slow down, but it was too late. I tumbled down the steep cliff and crashed into the water.
Perfect. Not only was I lost and alone, but now I was bruised up, soaking wet and freezing cold.
I swam the rest of the way to the woods. The water was uncomfortably cool against my skin, and I hated the feeling of my soaked shoes. This was turning out to be a real drag.
I got out of the creek and tried to wring some of the water out of my shirt.
The quiet night was broken by a scream. “Help!” It sounded like Kelly.
I ran into the woods, toward the scream. Thorns slashed my arms as I pushed through the brush. There was no clear path that I could see, so I kept pushing the thorns out of my way. Just as I stumbled on to a clearing, something blindsided me, and I fell. Whatever it was was on top of me. I was about to start swinging when I realized it was Kelly.
“Nick, I’m so glad to see you!” she said between heavy breaths.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, looking up at her. Even in the dark, I could clearly see how pretty she was. Her skin was milky pale in the moonlight, and her long, earthy golden hair glistened like starry strands of wheat.
She glanced behind her. “Something’s following me.”
“I don’t see anything,” I said, looking past her.
“But they were right behind me,” she said, turning back to me. It was dark out, but I could see that her gorgeous hazel eyes were wide and full of worry. “You have to believe me.”
“I believe you,” I said. “I’d believe anything at this point.”
She got off me, and the bottom of her jacket and her skirt were wet. “Um, Nick? Why are you soaking wet?”
I laughed as I got up. “I fell in a creek.”
She grabbed my arm and examined it. “And you’re bleeding!”
I shrugged it off. “They’re just a few little scratches. I was running through some thorny bushes to find you after I heard you screaming. So, what’s following—”
I didn’t even finish the question when a low humming noise rang in my ears. Two metal spheres the size of bowling balls came shooting out of the sky heading right
toward us.
“Those!” Kelly yelled.
We dove out of the way. The spheres crashed into the ground where we had just been standing, sending dirt and twigs flying in the air.
“That could’ve ended badly,” I said, my heart pounding.
“Now you know what I’ve been dealing with,” she said with a panicky voice.
“I’m starting to think Abbs was right about this whole thing,” I said, looking at the metal balls that almost killed us. “Maybe this is some crazy abduction plot or something.”
“I don’t know…” Kelly said. “Kristiana said something about testing our abilities.”
“So, this is all a test?” I said, pointing down at the metal balls.
Kelly nodded. “I think so, but I haven’t shown any signs of having a superhuman ability. Have you?”
I smiled. “Besides being ruggedly handsome?”
She punched me in the shoulder.
“What was that for?” I asked, rubbing the spot she’d hit.
“I’m being serious!”
“You know, you hit pretty hard for a girl.”
She hit me harder. “You’re gonna see just how hard I can hit if you keep that up,” she said, sounding annoyed, but it looked like she was fighting a smile.
I heard the humming sound again. The metal spheres slowly rose up from the ground. They stayed parallel to each other and floated just a few feet away from us, bobbing up and down. Both of them made a click, and suddenly they were covered in spikes.
We backed away from them slowly, but they shot forward before we could even think about jumping out of the way. They were going to hit us!
I prepared for impact, but it didn’t happen. The spheres stopped right in front of us, and both of them were glowing purple.
I glanced at Kelly, whose hands were shielding her face. At first, I thought what I saw was a trick of the light. Her hands were glowing the same shade of purple as the spike balls.
Kelly looked at her hands, then at the orbs, and back at her hands. “What’s going on?”
“It’s your superpower,” I said, my eyes darting between Kelly’s hands and the spike balls.
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