He turned to look around the room, worried that he might be seen. I need to get out of here, he thought. He wiped his mouth and made his way to the stairwell, wanting to slip out as quickly and quietly as possible.
As he made his way through the building and to the exit, he ran into Benjamin.
“Hey! Where are you going?” Benjamin asked.
“I have to go,” he said. “Emergency.”
“Wait…” Benjamin called, but Aaron was already out the door.
As Aaron unlocked his bike from the rack, he was aware that Benjamin was watching him from the doorway. He got on his bike and pedaled, wanting to put as much distance as he could between himself and the library. He could feel Benjamin’s eyes in his back, watching him as he left.
The farther he got from the library, the better he felt. When he got home, he slipped into his bedroom and lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
What have I done? he thought, quickly becoming lost in a fresh whirl of emotion and guilt.
There was a knock at his door, and after a few seconds it opened.
“Aaron?” his mother said, poking in her head. “Are you alright?”
“Huh?” he said, torn from his thoughts.
“Well, you walked right past me. I asked you how you were, and you kept walking.”
He honestly didn’t remember the exchange his mother was describing. “Sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to be rude. I was preoccupied.”
“Where did you go?”
“The library. I needed to do some research.”
“Well, OK…you’re sure you’re fine?”
“Yeah,” he replied. Her head began to retreat from the door. “Mom?” he asked.
“Yeah?” she said, sticking her head back in.
“Are you obligated to follow through on a promise you believe is wrong?”
His mother opened the door and stepped inside. Immediately Aaron wondered if he’d made a mistake. His mother was always very careful about prying, but he realized he’d likely created concerns in her mind by how he’d worded the question.
“Well,” she said, “a promise is an important thing. What do you mean, exactly?”
“Well, if you made a promise, but then you find out that things aren’t the way you thought they were, are you still obligated to follow the promise? Especially if you believe that following through might be the wrong thing to do?”
“I suppose it depends,” she replied. “I wouldn’t feel obligated if I felt in my heart that something was wrong, and that following through would be wrong. You have to trust your heart sometimes.”
“Even if breaking the promise might create more problems?”
She sat next to him on the bed. “Listen, you know the difference between right and wrong.”
“Yeah,” he replied, starting to feel guilty for going along with any of the revenge the School had offered.
“Keeping your word is important,” she said. “Your reputation depends on it. But doing the right thing is also important. Keeping your word and doing the wrong thing doesn’t do much for your reputation. So I’d say, if I had to choose between breaking a promise and doing the right thing, I’d do the right thing and deal with the consequences.”
Aaron thought about what she was saying.
She stood up and walked to the door. “And then I’d make sure I thought long and hard before I made promises in the future.”
“Thanks, Mom,” he said.
As she pulled the door closed, he shut his eyes and let her words rumble around in his head, grateful that she hadn’t dug deeper.
She’s always knows how far to go, he thought, deciding to follow her advice.
Chapter Nine
“So, you left early,” Phillip said, sitting across from him at lunch.
“Yeah, I wasn’t feeling well,” Aaron replied.
“At least you got to see it,” Phillip said. “Boy, did she deliver!”
He knew Phillip was trying to draw out an objection, baiting him into another argument. He sidestepped it.
“Have you seen Curtis or Dirk today?” he asked.
“Saw them both in the hall this morning,” Phillip replied.
“And?”
“And!” Phillip replied, smiling. “They looked fine, as usual. In fact, there they are now.”
Aaron turned to see Curtis and Dirk entering the lunchroom along with Matt and Bob. Matt caught him looking.
“Shit!” Aaron said, turning back. “Matt saw me.”
“He’s grabbing Curtis’ shoulder,” Phillip said. “He’s trying to get his attention.”
“Come on, let’s go,” Aaron said, not wanting a confrontation with the gang.
“Hang on,” Phillip replied. “Curtis is listening to him. Matt’s pointing over here…and…Curtis brushes him off. They’re headed to the other end of the room.”
“Whoa,” Aaron said.
Phillip looked at him. “See, I told you so. Problem solved.”
Aaron turned to look once again. The four boys were indeed headed to the other end of the lunchroom. He saw Curtis raise his closed hand to his mouth, and he coughed into it.
“He’s coughing,” Aaron said.
“Maybe he’s getting sick,” Phillip offered.
Aaron turned back to him. “Seriously?”
“After what he’s been through, I’m not surprised he might have a sore throat.” Phillip smirked.
“Not funny.”
“It’s hilarious, and I can’t believe you’re being such a prude that you can’t even enjoy the best moment of revenge I’ve seen in my lifetime. By the way, I’m not very happy with you for getting us assigned recruitment work tonight. My brother stole my dad’s Netflix account password and we were going to start a Daredevil marathon while he’s out of town.”
“Trust me, it isn’t anything I wanted,” Aaron replied. “I’m not sure I’m going to go.”
Phillip lowered his fork. “You have to.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You swore an oath.”
“While my hand was held inside a box!” Aaron said. “That was all before I knew what they really do to people. You’re welcome to come over after school for GTA, but I’m not going to the library. I’m not going to recruit for them, and I’m out of their School. I mean it.”
Phillip shook his head.
Aaron rose from the table. “I gotta go,” he said, taking his tray and heading for the exits.
—
As Aaron drove his virtual car around the streets of Los Santos, he became angrier and angrier. It was well past the time when they normally played video games, and Phillip hadn’t shown.
He’s out recruiting for them, he thought. I guess I know where his loyalties lie.
He turned off the Xbox and tried to study. He had English, algebra, and a current events quiz to study for, but he found it hard to concentrate on any of the materials. He wondered if Phillip had been paired up with some other Adherent, or if he was out throwing wadded flyers through windows on his own.
What was that thing, anyway? he thought, picturing the disc they’d used to locate Johnathan Woulk. How does it know to find people? How did it know to find Phillip and me? It’s not random like people walking door to door, trying every house. Somehow it zeroed in on him.
The door opened and his mother entered, holding a plate of cookies.
“Oh!” she said, lowering the plate to his desk. “Xbox is already off. That never happens. And no Phillip today.”
“He had plans,” Aaron replied.
He could feel her watching him. He tried to look as though he was interested in the open English book in front of him, hoping she didn’t pry further; he knew she considered the circumstances unusual, especially on the heels of last night’s conversation.
“Well, these are all for you today, I guess,” she said.
She backed out, closing the door behind her. Aaron sighed in relief, grateful he didn’t have to explain what was going on.
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Instead, his mind drifted from the textbook and back to the School, wondering if he was making a mistake by not attending.
—
Aaron felt dread creep over his body as he listened to the school announcements over the intercom the next morning during home hour. They started with the phrase “we have very sad news,” and he knew in his heart what the news would be before the words crackled through the speakers.
Ryan had died.
A memorial was being planned for later in the week, and football tryouts had been pushed back in response. Aaron looked around the room as the announcement droned on; everyone appeared to be in shock. Some people were crying. Aaron felt a twisting in his stomach, and wished he hadn’t eaten breakfast.
They also announced that Karissa was not recovering well. The cheerleading squad had made a giant Get Well Soon card; it was on display in the foyer, and students were encouraged to stop and sign it at some point during the day. The squad was going to deliver it to her tonight.
The feeling of dread stuck with him through the rest of the morning, until he met Phillip at lunch.
“So, I assume you heard about Ryan,” Aaron said. “Guess it wasn’t just a fantasy.”
“There’s no proof Ryan’s death is connected to the School,” Phillip replied.
“They’re murderers, Phillip!”
“They’re not murderers,” Phillip replied, “but they are pissed. Jeremy said you’d better show up for a meeting with Herrod tonight.”
“What, Herrod wants to meet with us?”
“No, just you,” Phillip replied. “They’re pissed at you. I was there last night. I went recruiting like they asked. They’re not pissed at me.”
“Did they ask you about me?”
“Yeah, Jeremy brought it up. He told me to tell you.”
“That I’m to meet with Herrod tonight?”
“Right.”
“Well, I’m not going.”
“I don’t think that’s a wise idea.”
“What are they going to do?” Aaron asked. “Just because I spoke some stupid oath doesn’t mean I have to stay part of their cult for the rest of my life.”
“Then go and tell Herrod that,” Phillip said. “But I wouldn’t no-show. I think they would interpret that very badly.”
Screw that, Aaron thought, but he didn’t say it. He was tired of the constant arguing with Phillip about the School; he wanted things to go back to the way they had been, before they got wrapped up in it.
—
Phillip joined him after school, and their discussion centered on video games and homework; Aaron was grateful it didn’t include the School.
When they finished, Phillip picked up his backpack. “So, you going to go?”
“Where?”
“You know where.”
“Haven’t decided.”
Phillip shook his head and left.
Aaron turned the Xbox back on and tried to forget about the School. Sitting in his room, surrounded by all the familiar things of his life, he felt safe, and didn’t feel the need to travel to the library and meet with Herrod.
I’m staying home, he thought. I’ll play Fallout the rest of the night.
He got up from the screen and walked to his window. It was open thanks to his mother, who always opened it when she brought cookies, unless it was freezing outside. He looked out into the yard; the trees were just beginning to turn. It seemed early this year.
He closed the window and locked the latch, then returned to the game.
The next time he checked the clock, it was 8:30.
Now or never, he thought. I could still slip out and go.
No. Not going.
He returned to the game and played it until bedtime, shutting it down just before his mother came up the stairs. He could hear her in the hallway, moving between the bathroom and her bedroom.
He turned off his light and crawled into bed. It’s done, he thought. They know I’m not coming.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
—
The pain in his arms increased as he tried to move them. He shifted his legs, and felt the same sharp points, pressing down into his skin.
He opened his eyes. The room was dark; he guessed it was the middle of the night. With the window closed, the room had been warm, and he’d kicked the covers from his bed.
What’s on my arms?
He raised his head and looked down; at first it was too dark to make out what was touching him, keeping him pressed to the mattress. He struggled again; every time he moved, he felt sharp stings enter his flesh. He tried shifting his torso, and felt the same stings in his sides. The only part of him he could move without pain was his head.
He strained his eyes to see what was holding him down; the room was very dark, and his eyes weren’t yet letting in enough light to see details.
Then he felt a cold wind rushing at his face from the foot of the bed. The window? he thought, turning his head to see it; it was still closed and locked.
A pair of glowing green eyes rose from below the foot of the bed and reared up like a snake, stopping near the ceiling. He saw the pupils inside the eyes roll down to look at him; they were comprised of many sections, like an insect.
The eyes bathed the bedroom in a dim green glow, and Aaron could now make out what was holding him down: hundreds of spiny legs, running the length of his arms and legs. They looked like giant centipedes, each at least twelve inches in length, all lined up, coordinated in their effort to keep him in place.
The eyes above him sat frozen, positioned high in the air. Aaron could now make out the rest of the figure the eyes were attached to; it, too, had dozens of legs pointing out from its sides, but much, much larger.
In the blink of an eye it came at him, halting three feet from his face. Two long antennae dipped down from above the eyes and ran the length of his body, sending a chill down his spine, causing him to tense up and remain frozen. The tips of the antennae slid down his arms and waist until they reached his feet, and then traced back up his body, finally reaching his face. They slithered around his eyes and nose, feeling his skin.
Aaron, you disappoint me, he heard. He knew the words hadn’t been spoken; they were coming to him through the antennae, somehow forming in his brain.
He didn’t know how to respond. He considered talking, and opened his mouth. Instantly one of the antenna flew into it, forcing itself down his throat. He felt himself gagging.
No speaking, he heard.
He panicked; tiny hairs on the antenna were tickling his throat, and he felt as though he might vomit. He considered biting down on the invader, but all things considered, he reasoned it might be a bad idea.
The antenna slipped from his mouth and he closed it, tasting a powder that had transferred from the surface of the antenna to the inside of his mouth. It tasted awful.
Your friend told you we wanted to speak to you, did he not? the voice inside his head droned.
You? he thought. You’re from the School?
Did he tell you? it repeated.
Yes, he thought. Phillip told me.
You recall the oath you made?
Yes, Aaron thought. But I want out.
You don’t have that option, the voice said, and Aaron felt hundreds of sharp legs press down into the flesh of his arms and legs. He opened his mouth to cry out in response, but the antenna was there, blocking him.
Let me go! he thought, wanting to twist his body and resist the legs; any movement he made just brought more pain, driving the sharp points deeper into his skin.
The head of the monster above him rotated back and its mandibles came into view, twisting back and forth, looking for food to clasp and drag to the opening of its mouth. It descended toward his face, stopping just inches from his head. He felt the mandibles reach out and scrape along the sides of his cheek.
You will meet with Herrod tomorrow, the voice inside his head said, and you will follow his instructions.
&nbs
p; Aaron didn’t reply. He fought against the restraint, driving the sharp points farther into his skin.
You like your hands, don’t you? the voice said. Aaron felt a crawling sensation over his right hand; something was moving there, wrapping itself around his wrist.
It would be hard to hold a controller without them, wouldn’t it? Imagine losing a hand, like Ryan. He felt the centipede at his wrist tighten.
You killed him! Aaron thought in reply. You killed Ryan!
Karma killed Ryan, the voice replied. He got what was coming to him.
The creature on his wrist slithered off, crawling to his leg. He could feel its spiny legs and segmented body wrapping around his upper thigh, just below his genitals.
Or Karissa’s legs? She’ll never walk again, even if she recovers.
The eyes of the creature rotated down, looking at him for a response. He didn’t reply.
Or how about Curtis’ throat?
The creature moved its mandibles and gaping jaws over Aaron’s face until the tip of his nose had entered the mouth and the mandibles scraped at it, trying to force more inside.
Imagine, the voice said. He felt the horrible scratching at his nose and cheeks, terrified that the mouth would clamp down on him. He pressed his head back into the pillow, hoping to create more distance between his face and the mouth, but the creature just moved closer, wrapping its opening over him.
Then suddenly it reared back to the foot of the bed, its body poised once again like the striking position of a snake.
You’re resistant, it said. So, my next visit will be to your mother. When she is taken to the hospital for the pains she feels inside her body, you can be sure she’ll not survive. You’ll have only a day to say goodbye to her.
I’ll go! Aaron cried. I’ll meet with Herrod!
If you do not, the creature said, I promise you more pain than you can possibly comprehend.
The eyes turned, and Aaron watched as it flattened out and lowered, headed for the floor. The dozens of insects holding him down released his arms and legs, and Aaron immediately reached for the light on his nightstand, turning it on.
The School of Revenge Page 9