The Abnormals: Book One

by Isabelle Sorrells

  “Hey, Alex what time is it?” Brooke shouted. Alex looked up at the sky and shielded his eyes from the sun.

  “Somewhere around two, I think?” he shouted back. Alex was still shaken from the memory, so his voice cracked.

  “Are you okay?” called Nicole.

  “Just fine,” Alex answered.

  “You should come join us!” David shouted before turning back to the others to continue their conversation. At that moment, Alex wished he had shoved his headphones into his backpack before he jumped out of the window and ran away. Music always helped him to calm down. Alex stood up and walked back down to the tents. Retrieving his water bottle and holding it above his head, he discovered that all of the water was gone.

  Quietly, Alex snuck back out of the tent and sauntered into the woods. His friends were busy talking about something else and he didn’t feel like interrupting them. As he walked, he cleared his mind and focused his thoughts on one thing. Finding a stream. He didn’t want any more memories seeping through the cracks of the cages he had locked them up in.

  Finding a stream was taking longer than Alex expected. When he finally found one, it was so hidden he might have not found it if the sound of rushing water wasn’t so loud. Alex kneeled down beside the stream and stuck his hand in it. The water was an icy cold against his fingertips. With an odd satisfaction, Alex lifted his hand out of the stream and shook the water off his hand. He unscrewed the top to his bottle and scooped it into the stream, filling it with water.

  “What was that all about?” Jack asked from a nearby shadow.

  “What was what?” Alex asked, standing up and screwing the top back onto his bottle. He had gotten so used to Jack’s random appearances he could easily feel it whenever he appeared. Jack sighed.

  “Never mind. Why didn’t you tell those friends of yours you were leaving? Won’t they worry?”

  “If I get there in time, no, they won’t. And they were busy. I didn’t want to bother them.” Alex stood up and turned toward Jack. “I should probably begin heading back now if I want to get there before sunset. Daylight ends quickly here. I’m sure you have noticed.” Alex turned and began walking back toward the camp.

  “Not yet.”

  Alex felt a firm hand grip his shoulder tightly. Alex twisted his head and looked at the hand. It was long, skinny, and pale but strong. Alex swung around to see who the owner was, thinking it couldn’t have been Jack, for every time Alex had seen his hand it was glazed over with shadow making it impossible to see its features.

  Alex staggered back in astonishment as he witnessed Jack stepping out of the shadow he was hidden in. His eyes were as blue as the afternoon sky. His hair was a light brown and slicked back like a gentleman’s. A plain black top hat rested neatly atop his head. His neat gray dress pants went well with his lavender purple dress shirt, and his black dress shoes made him look like a businessman. Around his waist was a brown, square satchel. Alex did not know what was inside.

  Alex might have mistaken him for a businessman if the jacket wasn’t replaced with a long black cloak that went down to the soles of his feet. Inside the folds of the cloak, instead of black was a dark purple. The cloak was held together by two golden buttons on either side that rested against his collarbone and by a short golden chain that ran across the small gap, pulling the two buttons together.

  Suddenly, Alex felt as though he recognized him. But from where? And from where in the world would Alex have recognized him? Alex was curious, but he decided to hide his curiosity and save his questions for later. Jack’s cloak fluttered in the wind, and he held the tip of his hat down as if to greet someone.

  “It’s a pleasure, Alex Shaffer,” Jack announced. “Or at least, officially.”

  That’s when it hit him. He had met him for a brief moment on his first day of school.

  “Mr. Pandemonium?” Alex gasped in astonishment.

  “My last name, yes. Jack Pandemonium is my full name.”

  “Wait, it was you? You were the teacher I helped gather papers for?”

  “Yes, that is true, but I don’t actually teach there. Never did.”

  “Well, as much as I’d like to continue this conversation, I should start heading back. It took a while to get here.” Alex began walking back and Jack followed. “We should start heading back if we want to make it there by sunset. And by the way, it’s just Alex now.”

  Jack walked alongside Alex for the rest of the way. Both of them filled the trip with endless conversation, with Alex asking most of the questions. When they were a few yards away from the clearing, Jack disappeared into the night. His last words were, “See you soon.”

  Alex ran up behind the tents and peered around the corner. The fire had long since died out, and David, Brooke, Mark, and Nicole were all laying around in a circle fast asleep. Alex walked around the tents and over to his snoring companions.

  He went around one by one, grabbing their arms and dragging them into their separate tents. When he had finished, he built up the fire again and then sat on the ground next to it, continually poking it with a stick. The fire was warm against Alex’s skin and grew even warmer the more Alex threw kindling in.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  "So? Where did you run off to?”

  Alex jumped and turned toward the sound of the one who had spoken. He was relieved to find that it was Brooke. She was standing in front of her tent with her hands folded behind her back. Her expression was gentle and her voice was soft.

  “I went to go find a stream to fill my water bottle,” said Alex as he held up his full water bottle to prove that his explanation was the truth.

  “We were worried for a bit, you know, after we saw you sneaking away from camp. But we figured you didn’t want us coming along. Am I wrong?”

  “No,” Alex replied. “That’s pretty much it.”

  “We got a little anxious when a few hours passed. But we decided that we would wait and see. If you weren’t back by the morning, we would go looking for you. Or at least that’s what they decided.” Brooke broke out into a wide, crooked grin. The grotesque smile curved upward from eye to eye, showing her sharp, pointed teeth. Her eyes grew as wide as they could go while her pupils shrunk to a small sliver, dancing wildly as she began to speak. This time her voice was hushed but threatening.

  “How about it, Alex? Do you want to die?” Brooke’s head tilted back toward the sky and she began to laugh. Quietly at first. Then gradually it grew louder and louder until it rang throughout the forest.

  “Brooke? What are you doing?” Alex stood up and slowly backed away, frightened. Brooke’s laugh ceased and she righted her head. Still smiling, she stared at Alex and watched as he backed away. Alex groped for his sword, but all he felt was air. Alex looked back where the handle of his sword should be strapped to his back to find nothing. Where had it gone? He didn’t remember taking it off. Alex looked back at Brooke helplessly. If this really was Brooke, he couldn’t hurt her, even if it meant she was going to do something horrible.

  “Who are you? You’re not Brooke. You can’t be,” Alex said hopefully. Brooke continued to laugh.

  “Glad you finally noticed.” Brooke launched herself at Alex, bringing her hands out from behind her back. In her hand, she held Alex’s sword. Alex tried to dodge her attack only to realize his feet would no longer move. Alex willed them to run, but they remained stuck to the ground. He looked down at his feet, and his eyes widened.

  Thorn-covered vines were emerging from the ground and wrapping themselves around Alex’s hands and legs, swirling around his body, locking him in place. Alex watched helplessly as Brooke ran toward him with the sword outstretched and pointed at Alex. He watched in horror as the sword pierced through his stomach with a loud squelch and blood splattered across the ground. Brooke leaned in, pushing the sword deeper into his stomach.

  She whispered in his ear, “You’re dead.”<
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  Alex tried to scream but he only coughed up blood, as Brooke repeatedly screamed, “You’re dead!”

  Alex shot up from the ground in a panicked sweat. Was that all a dream? He grabbed his stomach where the sword had gone through. There was no wound. Alex searched the ground and his body for blood. No blood either. Realizing the sun was setting, Alex looked up as Mark, David, Nicole, and Brooke came running out of their tents.

  “Is everything okay? We heard you scream!” Nicole shouted. Alex looked around at his friends, relieved it was only a dream until his eyes fell on Brooke. She was in the same position as the fake-Brooke in his dream. Her expression was calm and gentle, and her hands were neatly folded behind her back. Alex’s eyes went wide as the scene of Brooke stabbing him played through his head. Alex felt for his sword and ripped it out of its sheath on his back.

  “Who are you and where is Brooke?” Alex shouted at Brooke and pointed the tip of his sword at her, the blade wobbling in his grip. Brooke stepped back in surprise and dropped her hands to her side, revealing she had been holding nothing.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Brooke, startled.

  “You turned into a maniac and stole my sword, using it to kill me,” Alex shouted. “Or… at least in my dream you did.” Slowly, Alex lowered his sword and sighed, realizing how foolish he was being.

  “Did vines randomly pop out of the ground and bind you to the spot?” asked David.

  “Yeah, they did. How did you know that?” Alex asked, turning toward David and sheathing his sword.

  “The same thing happened to me as well,” David remarked. “Brooke broke out into the creepiest smile ever and she had a gun. She was just about to shoot me when I heard you scream and woke up. The worst part was that you were all standing next to her just watching and not doing anything!” David replied.

  “Yeah that was like mine! But none of you guys were there and Brooke used my sword. Not a gun.”

  “Well, I didn’t have that dream,” Mark commented.

  “Neither did me or Brooke,” Nicole added.

  “Never mind. Forget about it. Brooke, I’m sorry for lashing out at you like that. I was still caught up in my dream to realize that it was the real you,” Alex apologized.

  “It’s fine. I would be freaked out if I had a dream like that,” Brooke nodded.

  “It is a warning from the Nichters,” a voice suddenly echoed through the air.

  “Who said that?” Mark asked the people around him. All of them shook their heads.

  “I did,” Jack stepped out of the cover of a Shadow and bowed, his cloak fluttering in the wind. Alex turned from Jack to his friends. They all stood frozen to the spot, slack-jawed.

  “V...v...v... vampire!” David screeched, stumbling backward. “You can’t have my blood!” David turned and prepared to run, but Alex grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him back. David wobbled off balance, falling at Jack’s feet. David looked up at Jack’s amused expression and jumped back to hide behind Alex.

  “Everyone, relax. This is Jack.” Alex stepped out of David’s reach and stepped over to Jack’s side. Alex pointed to each individual as he introduced them to Jack.

  “Oh, I know. I know who all of you are,” said Jack, chuckling. It wasn’t until then that Alex realized Jack had been there all along. Observing them within his Shadows. Oh that’s creepy. Alex thought.

  Jack leaned forward and whispered into Alex’s ear. “I didn’t watch you everyday all the time. You can relax. I was only there when it seemed that you would be in trouble. Turns out you always had it under control. I do have a life, you know.”

  Alex scoffed as Jack stood up straight.

  “You may know who we are, but we have no clue who you are,” Nicole spoke up.

  “All you need to know is that my name is Jack and I am your ally,” Jack replied before randomly changing the subject. “Why haven’t you changed your clothes this whole time? It’s already been a month and a half and you haven’t changed your clothes even once.”

  Everyone stared down at their ripped and torn clothes. Leaves and sticks caked in mud stuck to their shoes and pants, revealing infected scratches and dried blood through tears in their jeans. Their hair was knotted and dirty. How had they not noticed this before?

  “But don’t worry about any of that. I have just the thing.” Jack smiled. Alex jerked his head up, but before he was able to ask what he was talking about Jack snapped his fingers and a white light clouded his vision. The white light only lasted for a few seconds before dying down.

  “What did you just do?” Alex asked, sounding concerned.

  “Look at your clothes. They look much better now,” said Jack as he nodded to Alex. Alex did what Jack had instructed and found his clothes mended and clean, and his cuts healed. Alex thought back to what Jack said and remembered something he had missed.

  “ A month and a half?” Alex screeched. Everyone who had been studying their now clean clothes stared at Alex then at Jack. “We’ve been on this island for a month and a half?”

  “Yes, of course. You haven’t been keeping track of the days?” asked Jack.

  “No, why would I? I have no way of keeping track and with everything that’s been going on I haven’t had much time to,” Alex exclaimed.

  “Well, don’t worry, I have been. Now, what is this I hear about Brooke killing you? You look alive enough to me,” Jack commented. Suddenly, Alex felt a jerk to the arm, and he was pulled away by Mark and Nicole.

  “What are you doing?” Alex asked once they had pulled him far away from Jack.

  “Alex, we just want to clarify some things right now. And to put it bluntly, we don’t trust that man. Whatever he said his name was,” Nicole replied.

  “Don’t get us wrong. We trust you completely. But we don’t trust him. How do you expect us to? When he just showed up at the drop of a hat?” Mark whispered.

  “His name is Jack. I don’t expect you to trust him. He’s a stranger. For all you know, he could be a mass murderer,” Alex whispered back.

  “That doesn’t help,” Nicole said sternly.

  “It’s not supposed to. I’m not asking you to trust him. I’m not even asking you to be friendly with him. What I am asking you, though, is to trust me.”

  “I don’t expect you to trust me either,” Jack said from behind. Alex, Mark, and Nicole all jumped and turned to the figure looming over them. “You may trust me right off the bat, or it may take a while. You may not come to trust me at all. I am not looking for your approval,” Jack paused and smiled. “Now please, answer my question.”

  Mark and Nicole blushed as Brooke and David made their way over from where they had been standing and talking to Jack only moments ago.

  “You want to know about our dream? I’m sure it was just a nightmare, but I can tell you if you’d like,” David said.

  “Yes, I would,” Jack responded, turning to face the nearing teenagers.

  “It was nothing, really. Alex and I just had a similar dream is all.“ David stepped in front of Jack.

  “Maybe so, but I would still like to hear about it,” Jack insisted. David gave in to Jack’s request and told him about their strange nightmares. When David had finished, Jack nodded his head thoughtfully, going over the details of the boy’s story.

  “I see. If you’ll excuse your friend, Alex and I need to speak alone for a moment.” Jack placed his hand on Alex’s back and ushered him to the silent emptiness of the cliff. “Is this true?” he asked.

  “Yeah, for the most part. The only big difference is the dying part,” Alex shrugged. “What’s this got to do with anything?”

  “This could prove my suspicions,” Jack muttered.

  “What ‘suspicions’?”

  “Well, the storm was clearly the work of a Storm Conjurer, and the dreams are clearly the work of a Prestidigitator. But wha
t puzzles me is the fact that they seem to be working together,” Jack continued to mutter under his breath.

  “What’s a Prestidigitator?”

  “A Prestidigitator is a being who belongs to the Illusionists. They create illusions, hence the name. They have the ability to create illusions anywhere and anytime. Only the most experienced, however, may control a Nichter. While their victim is under their influence, they can force them to do anything they wish. Even kill.” Jack paused. “Tell me, how did it feel when you were stabbed by your own sword? Was there blood?”

  “It felt real. I thought I was awake and living the real thing until I woke up. And yes, there was blood.“

  “It is a good thing your friend David woke up when he did. He would have been in a much worse state if he hadn’t.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Alex asked, slightly offended.

  “Nothing that concerns you.” Jack turned and walked back to the others with Alex at his heel.

  “What? How the heck doesn’t it concern me?” Alex called, but Jack didn’t answer.

  “Do you think we could catch some meat or something? Maybe a bird? Or a squirrel?” Nicole shouted at Alex as he walked back, holding an orange in her hand. “I seriously need some meat! After all, we have been on this island for what? A month? Month and a half? It’s been too long without it.”

  Mark looked up from his bag at Nicole as she shouted her last words. He felt his heart pang against his ribcage and hundreds of questions flooded his mind. Home. His family. What was his family doing now? Where did they think he was? Did they miss him? When would he see them again? Would he ever see them again? Would he ever escape this forsaken island? Mark swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

  Mark could tell he wasn’t the only one who had felt the sudden homesickness. He looked around at his friends and noticed that they had all felt the same thing. Nicole was still holding the fruit in the air, but her eyes had traveled to the ground and she had a far off look in her eyes. David had his hand covering his eyes, and Brooke was staring at Nicole with her eyes as big as saucers. Mark swallowed again. He missed his family too much. For all he knew, he could die on this island and never see them again. Mark turned and hid within the tent so no one could notice his struggle.