by E. Van Lowe
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The creature was standing dead center of the gym floor, one powerful arm locked securely around Lara’s waist, while the other giant pincer closed around her throat. Lara looked over at me, wide-eyed and helpless.
“Now!” I cried out.
The lights came up full blast, and a large net fell from the rafters, corralling both of them. In the past, the netting had been used to hold balloons to drop down on students during the prom. Tonight it was a trap.
As soon as the net settled over them, Lara moved quickly, securing one of the creature’s giant pincers with a large blue rubber band. The creature released Lara’s waist, and lurched for her throat with his second pincer. Lara moved faster than our eyes could register, and before we knew it, both of the creature’s pincers were secured with large rubber bands.
“Alan, now!” I called.
Alan stepped from the shadows, and dumped the two bottles of enchanted spring water over of the creature, while Lara scrambled to get out from under the net.
There was no “I’m melting!” or anything like that. The creature silently squirmed, as Alan poured the enchanted water over it.
Once the bottles had been emptied over the creature, I called out: “We got him, Conner.” Then, the clunking, grinding of gears filled the gym, and the net slowly began being hauled up off the floor, pulling in its deadly catch.
We three stood where we were, intently watching the net rise from the floor. Once the netted creature was five feet above the floor, the gear grinding ceased, and the net stopped rising.
I continued gaping at the creature squirming in the net like a giant lobster. I couldn’t believe how easy it had been to secure him.
“Your turn, Dude. Open the gym floor,” came Conner’s voice from over the PA system.
“On my way,” I called back. I gazed over at Alan who also seemed amazed at what we had accomplished. “You okay to stay here and watch him? We’ll be right back,” I said.
“No problem,” Alan replied, and I could tell from the sound of his voice his machismo had returned full blast.
“Come with me,” I said to Lara, and we hastily exited the gym.
The Beverly Hills high school gymnasium is one of the world’s great technological marvels. A key is placed in a special lock and then turned, and the gym floor parts like the Red Sea, unveiling the beautiful Beverly Hills high school swimming pool beneath the floor.
The pool had been around for a long time. The gym floor and pool were used in a very famous scene in the nineteen forty-six movie, It’s A Wonderful Life. Young, James Stewart, and his dance partner, Donna Reed, along with other students are at a school hop, dancing up a storm with no idea the floor is opening until it’s too late. The gym floor opens, and they all topple into the pool. It’s a great scene from a classic movie.
The Beverly Hills high school gymnasium and pool was a mechanical wonder then, and it was still a wonder today, more than seventy-five years after it had been constructed. The pool beneath the floor was also the perfect lobster pot to subdue the Lycorian.
Lara and I raced through the halls and upstairs to the booth above the gym floor. Both Conner and I were members of the school’s AV team—the geek squad as they were called—since our freshman year. Being on the team, I knew many of the school’s secrets, including where Coach Campo stashed the gym floor key.
When we arrived in the booth, I went right to the key’s hiding place. Once I retrieved the key, and turned it in the lock, the floor would open and Conner would lower the creature into the pool. Once this happened, our part of the plan would be done. The rest would be up to Petros and Rive.
Alan and The Creature
Alan stood guarding the creature, and feeling good about himself. Alexia would be pleased.
If this thing tries to get out, I’m going to nail him with a throwing star, Alan mused, even though he knew if the creature were to escape he’d run for his life.
“Hey, Pal, aren’t you going to release me?”
Alan’s head whipped around as he glanced in all directions. That’s when it dawned on him the words had not been spoken out loud. The words were in his mind.
“Huh?” he said out loud.
“Let me down. It’s very uncomfortable up here.” The creature’s telepathic words crept into Alan’s thoughts.
“I don’t care,” Alan called out loud, eyeing the creature with contempt.
“Come on, Alan, you can stop with the games now. There’s no one around but us.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The creature chuckled in his thoughts. “It means we’re on the same side. Always have been.”
“No, I’m not. And in a few minutes, we’re going to dump your sorry ass in the pool.”
The sound of more gears beginning to churn echoed throughout the gymnasium as the floor began to part.
“Come on, Pal! You know it was you who tipped me off to follow your friends to the old lady’s place.”
No, I didn’t!” Alan blurted, and yet a small part of him thought he remembered stopping off by the pool just before they called for their ride. Or was that just a trick the Lycorian was playing with his mind?
“You were right to tip me off. Those two don’t have your best interest at heart. The only one who cares what happens to you is me” The Lycorian’s words oozed into his mind like a soothing balm. “I bet I know what those two love birds are doing right now while you’re down here twiddling your thumbs. And it involves way more than kissing.”
“You’re wrong. Josh is my best friend.”
“Was your best friend.” The creature gazed down and saw that the floor below had opened two feet. His words took on a sense of urgency. “We both know Josh and his new best friend are off in a corner somewhere doin’ the nasty. And if you don’t believe it, it’s no wonder he calls you a dipstick behind your back.”
“He doesn’t call me a dipstick,” Alan said, his voice faltering.
Yeah, right! They say there’s a sucker born every day. Happy Birthday, Sucker.”
The Lycorian laughed, the insulting laughter bouncing around the crevasses inside Alan’s mind. He shook his head, trying to get it out.
“You’re just trying to get in my head!” Alan called out.
“I’m not trying. I’m already there. By the way, smooth move pouring out the enchanted water and replacing it with pool water. That stuff could’ve done some serious damage to my baby soft skin.”
“I… didn’t dump it out… Did I?” The question was like a pin prick, scratching at Alan’s thoughts, and as much as he tried to dismiss it, he couldn’t.
“Josh nearly caught us when he walked up on you sitting by the pool with the two bottles. Close call.”
“I didn’t dump out the enchanted water,” he uttered, defensively, yet he wasn’t sure. A part of him remembered pouring the water into the plants. Or was that just a Lycorian mind trick?
“Just remove one band. I can take care of the rest. No one will ever know. Okay, Pal?”
The Lycorian again gazed down at the slowly parting gymnasium floor.