The Impossible Adventure

by Betsy Flak

  Davey falls backward and crashes into you. You slam into the ground.

  A figure with inch-long canines wrestles with Davey. With a powerful twist, Davey hurls the man into one of the dumpsters. The dumpster crumples beneath the force, but the man lands in a squat. Ebony eyes that absorb every speck of light meet yours.

  Your whole body trembles. What’s going on?

  Davey tilts his head toward you and growls, “Out. Get out.”

  The man circles toward Davey, away from the collapsed dumpster. Hands form claws on either side.

  You step backward.

  The man’s gaze flicks back to you. A bloodthirsty grin twists his wormlike lips. He stalks forward.

  Davey blocks the path to you. His left hand clutches a wooden stake. His eyes are glued to the man, but he whispers to you, “I told you, get out of here.”

  Your heart pounds. You can’t breathe. You can’t think.

  Your eye catches on a dented metal bat on the opposite side of the alleyway. It shimmers in the flickering light from the alley’s mouth.

  Your fingers twitch at your sides. Should you ignore Davey’s order and take the bat and fight with him? Or do you listen and run for your life?

  If you take the bat and fight with Davey, click here.

  If you leave Davey and run for your life, click here.

  “I’ll go get help, Davey.” Panic chokes your voice. It’s barely a whisper.

  Spinning on your heel, you grab your phone, then sprint away from them and back toward the entrance of the alley. All those reports from over the summer—all those missing people—bounce around your mind. You push your legs even harder.

  The sounds of a scuffle echo off the alley’s brick walls.

  You swallow your guilt. Once you’re to safety, you can help Davey. Call the police or something.

  You reach the alley’s opening. There, you’re faced with a choice. Do you turn right to race to Julia’s house, a few blocks away? Or do you turn left and hope that Sammy and Bryce haven’t closed Corner Coffee early?

  If you turn right and head to Julia’s house, click here.

  If you turn left and head to Corner Coffee, click here.

  It hasn’t been that long, so you take a chance and turn left. In a haze, you race back to Corner Coffee, dodging the couples on their romantic strolls and the hurried loners alike. All hurl disgruntled, confused, or concerned looks at you. A few yell at you to slow down.

  You don’t register any of it. All you know is that you have to escape, that you have to make it back to the safe haven of Corner Coffee. When at last you arrive in front of the familiar glass door, you tug on the handle.

  The door doesn’t budge.

  Horror surges within you like a tsunami. You shake the door against its frame, then peek over your shoulder, back toward the alleyway. The Fruitvale citizens walking by give you weird looks. You start banging on the glass.

  “I’m comin’, I’m comin’.” Sammy emerges from the back room, dragging his Corner Coffee T-shirt over his six-pack. His straight brows collapse into a scowl. When he sees you at the door, it deepens, but he unlocks the door and lets you in with a grumble. “You know I have to make things up to Bryce right now.”

  Your hand wraps around his muscled forearm. “I know, but listen. There’s…” Like a slap to the face, it hits you. You’re being stupid. You just ran away from a random figure in an alley because some weird guy told you to. What are you, a toddler afraid of the dark? No, you are not. An idiot maybe, but not a scared child.

  That whole…episode back there must have been a prank to see how freaked out you can get. Magda probably set it up. Maybe she even recorded it. Maybe she—maybe they—are watching the video right now, cackling at your terror.

  You should have laughed in Davey’s face, then grabbed your bike and pedaled far away from him.

  “There’s?” Sammy prods. He crosses his arms and juts one hip out. Impatience—not empathy—oozes from his pores.

  You sigh and run your fingers through your hair, vowing to forget all about Davey. “I’m sorry, I guess I just freaked out.”

  “You freaked out? About what?” Bryce leans against the doorway to the back room. His cheeks are flushed.

  You wave off his light concern. “Nothing. It’s nothing.” Even with your revelations about Davey and Magda, the thought of walking back to that alleyway alone, of riding your bike home alone, sends fear pumping through your veins. You steady your voice, then ask, “Would you mind driving me home, though? I’ll pick up my bike later.” In the daylight.

  Bryce sighs, but gathers his keys from a wooden drawer beneath the counter. “Sure, let’s go.” His finger wags at Sammy. “And you’re coming in early tomorrow to clean up before we open.”

  Sammy raises two fingers. “Scout’s honor.” As soon as Bryce turns toward the exit, Sammy tilts toward you and shakes his head with a mischievous smile.

  You smirk, your fear fading away. At least Sammy can make you feel better. As you follow Bryce and Sammy to the car, you text Paige. She doesn’t answer, not during the drive back to your house, not while you get ready for bed. Sitting in your pajamas with your hair still wet from a supposedly soothing shower, you resort to an actual phone call. You call Paige twice, three times. She never answers.

  Giving up on hearing from her tonight, you curl up in your bed, but sleep is hard. No matter how many times you tell yourself you’re being stupid, that creep in the alley haunts your dreams. When your alarm goes off in the morning, it’s almost a relief. At least you don’t have to try to sleep any longer.

  Your dad drops you off at school with more than a few reprimands about being responsible and not leaving your brand new bike in a random alley overnight. You ignore his lecture. It’s not like you wanted to leave your bike there.

  After waving goodbye to him, you hurry to your usual spot. Just like yesterday, Paige waits for you, perched on the same picnic table, sucking on a new lollipop. One bare leg extends into the weak morning sun.

  You climb onto the table to sit next to her. The stone chills the backs of your thighs, even through your jeans.

  Paige beams at you. Her shoulder bumps against yours. “Sorry I never returned your call last night. I was busy.”

  You lie, “It’s okay.”

  “Was it about anything important?”

  “Nope.” Something about what Paige just said bothers you. Yesterday being the first day of school, you didn’t get any homework. And Julia’s dad is strict about curfews, both for Julia herself and for her friends. “What were you busy with?”

  Paige bops your nose with her lollipop. Her hazel eyes gleam. “I don’t kiss and tell, silly.”

  Confusion wrinkles your forehead. Paige always kisses and tells.

  “Hey, guys.” Julia pops onto the tabletop next to you, her loose waves tied back into a shiny ponytail. “Did I miss anything last night?”

  “Last night?” You didn’t tell anyone about last night, so what is Julia talking about?

  Julia shoots you a relaxed smile. “Yeah, last night. When you and Paige were hangin’ out in Corner Coffee after my dad kicked her out. Did you forget or somethin’?”

  In the corner of your eye, Paige shakes her head. She uses your body as a shield between her and Julia.

  Now you’re more curious than ever. What was Paige doing last night? Guess I’ll just have to ask her later. “Yeah, no. I mean, nothing of interest happened. Just the usual, you know.”

  “Gotcha.” Julia’s phone buzzes. She checks it, then rolls her eyes. Without a word, she hands her phone to you.

  Out loud, you read the text from Julia’s dad.

  Stay safe, there’s a rumor that someone went missing last night.

  Paige rips the phone out of your hand and hunches over it.

  You laugh. “Whoa, overreact much, Paige?”

  With a wrinkled brow, Paige stares at the screen. Her front teeth worry her glossy lower lip. At last, she gives the phone back to Julia
. “No, it’s nothing…just, where exactly does your dad get his information, Julia? I mean, my mom shoulda told me…”

  Julia shrugs. “I dunno.”

  The warning bell rings. All three of you hop off the picnic table. When you approach the stairs of the main class building, Paige peels off. You move to follow her, but she wriggles her phone at you. Apparently, she has to make a call. Before classes. At eight in the morning.

  Something’s off with Paige. You’d like to know what it is.

  If you follow Paige, intending to listen to her phone call, click here.

  If you mind your own business and follow Julia into North Fruitvale High School, click here.

  Before Paige can look up, you charge. Your shoulder rams into her sternum. She tumbles backward. Her chain clatters onto the ground.

  You leap on top of her. Your shins dig into her inner thighs. Your forearms pin her chest and shoulders down. Your canines throb with pleasure.

  Paige snaps her jaw, her fangs bright in the darkness.

  But she can’t reach you. Her arms flail toward you. You slam them into the cold concrete. You inch your hands toward Paige’s throat. She wriggles under your hold, but you’re stronger. Your fingers wrap around her neck. You squeeze.

  Paige’s black eyes bulge. She twists and turns like a bucking bronco. You squeeze her throat more, then begin tugging upward. Your hands slide upward, tucking underneath Paige’s sharp jawline. You push against it. And push. And push.

  Paige’s head pops off her body like the top of a bottle of champagne. It rolls along the cement away from you. Before you can collect your trophy, it turns to dust. So does Paige’s body beneath you.

  Your knees smash into the unyielding ground, but you hardly notice. You stare at your hands, gray with Paige’s remains. Did you really just do that? Did you really just decapitate someone with your bare hands?

  tap

  You cock your head. Your brows furrow.

  Something stabs between your ribs, straight into your heart. You can’t breathe. You can’t move. Brain-breaking pain erupts from the wound.

  “Sorry, I just wanted to see who would win. Gotta wrap up those pesky loose ends now.”

  Poof! Nothingness swallows you whole.

  You die. For real this time.

  To continue, click here.

  You shrug off your curiosity. If Paige wanted you to know, she’d tell you. Besides, you can always pester her about it later.

  You follow Julia up the stone staircase. An instant before you pass through one of the four transparent doors marked “NFHS,” you glance over your shoulder. Paige’s dark locks disappear around the brick corner.

  Ignorance is bliss, right?

  To continue, click here.

  Not daring to slow down even a hair, you swing right. Julia’s house isn’t too far away. Plus, Sammy and Bryce probably locked up Corner Coffee the second you were out that door. If they are still there, they’re likely in the back room “assessing inventory” anyway. No, heading to Julia’s house is a much better option.

  Your feet pound against the cement as you dash down State Ave. You dodge the few people in your path, ignoring their curious glances.

  A little over half a block away, your heels dig into the sidewalk. You skid to a halt.

  Paige rushes toward you with her palms raised. “Stop, stop! What is it? What’s wrong?”

  You exhale a sigh of relief. The sight of Paige—sweet, normal Paige—brings it all home. What are you doing? Running away from some random person in an alleyway? What are you, a toddler afraid of the dark? No, you are not. An idiot maybe, but not a scared child. “Nothing, Paige, I…I guess I just thought I saw something.” You glance down at her. A smile plays over your lips. “I am glad to see you though.”

  “Mmhmm.” Paige’s finger slips a strand of your hair back in place, then she laces her arm through yours. “Why don’t we go get our bikes?”

  You smother the spike of fear. You were just being stupid earlier. “Yeah, of course.”

  Paige leads you back toward the alley. When you reach it, the lamps closest to the entrance still flicker. Inky blackness shrouds the middle.

  Your heart speeds. Your feet refuse to move forward.

  Paige peeks back at you. Her fingers trail down your bare forearm and intertwine with yours. They tug you forward, into the alleyway.

  With a tight hold on Paige, you follow her to the bike rack. A couple of feet away from it, she stops. You stumble to avoid running into her.

  Paige turns around to face you. She’s so close that you can smell the coffee on her breath. Her fingertips skim down your cheek.

  You can’t breathe.

  “I’m just sorry it had to be you.”

  Confusion furrows your brows. “Paige?”

  With a sad smile, she backs away from you.

  A body slams into your side. You crash onto the rocky asphalt. Talons slash your abdomen, tracing your ribs. Daggers of pain stab through your torso, then radiate through your body. Every breath is agony. Tears spring to your eyes.

  Rough hands flip you onto your back. Your skull bounces off the unyielding ground. Stars in the night sky swirl above the brick walls looming over you.

  A man with greasy locks blocks them out. His pitch-black eyes swallow the lamp light. Canines almost an inch long poke through his lips. His fangs shine so white it hurts your eyes.

  He leers at you, then darts to your neck. The movement is nothing but a blur. Twin knives puncture your throat.

  Your life drains away.

  Oops, I forgot to scream.

  You die.

  To continue, click here.

  Guess it doesn’t hurt to be polite.

  You grasp Magda’s hand. A spark of electricity jolts through your palm.

  Magda tears her hand out of yours. As you caress your palm with your thumb—the pain already fading away—you glance askance at Magda.

  Her fingers crawl toward you, but they stay a careful inch away. Concern widens her coppery eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, ’course I’m okay. It was just a little shock, not a big deal.”

  Magda stares at the fake wood tabletop. One nail traces the grain. “Yeah, of course.”

  Taking pity on the awkward new girl, you bump your shoulder against Magda’s with a smile. “See, no shock this time.” You raise your “injured” hand with fingers extended. “And I’m fine already. No pain, no blood, no anything.”

  Magda offers a weak smile. “Still. Sorry about that.”

  “Why? It’s not like it’s your fault.”

  “Quiet down, class.” Ms. Lin settles her hands along the edges of the steel podium. “As you might—or might not—have noticed, we have two new students this year. Magda and Davey Dalca, would you come to the front of the room?” While stated as a question, it’s no request.

  Magda frowns as she pushes her chair back. It screams against the tile. When she reaches the front of the classroom, she flips on a heel. Her hands dig into her hips. She stares at her fellow students.

  Next to Magda, Davey sends a sunbeam of a smile over the class, a direct contrast to his sister. His ivory teeth shine in the fluorescent lighting.

  “Just say your name, why you moved here, and something interesting about yourself.” Ms. Lin takes a sip from a charcoal mug displaying the periodic table.

  Davey’s chest puffs out. He sways back on his heels with his hands in his pockets. “Well, my name’s Davey Dalca, like you just heard.” His elbow bounces off Magda’s upper arm. “This here is my sister Magda, which you pro’ly figured out already. Magda and I moved to North Fruitvale cuz our mom got a really good job offer. She’s the Dean of Admissions over at Krendley now, so if you need some help getting into college…” Davey winks at the crowd.

  A few students chuckle.

  “Anyway, yeah, something interesting about myself…” Davey’s hand rubs the back of his neck. “I dunno, there’s not really that much. Like most red-blooded young
men, I like playing football, basketball, baseball, you know, all the sports.”

  “You gonna try out for the football team?” Harry—Paige’s new lab partner and a member of said football team—yells from the back. His beady eyes narrow. The NFHS football team has a home winning streak going back two seasons that Harry, Josh, and the others seek to continue this year. But that doesn’t mean they welcome strangers.

  Davey shrugs Harry’s loaded question off. “Dunno. Pro’ly not.”

  “And what about you, Magda?” Ms. Lin prods.

  “Oh, um…” Magda’s front teeth, as white as Davey’s, worry her lower lip. “Well, I guess, like you said, my name’s Magda Dalca. Davey said why we moved here and for my ’something interesting’…I’m Davey’s twin. The end.”

  Ms. Lin frowns, but she dismisses Davey and Magda back to their seats.

  After wriggling into her plastic chair, Magda glances at you.

  You lean toward her and whisper, “Nice job.”

  “You’re a dirty liar.” Despite her words, a smile plays over Magda’s lips.

  You chuckle. “Maybe.”

  “Definitely.”

  Through the rest of class, you sneak peeks at Magda beside you. A few times your gaze even meets hers. When the bell rings, you stack your battered notebook on top of your ancient Chemistry textbook. Keeping one eye on Magda, you tuck your pen into the spiral binding of the notebook.

  “You ready?” a bell-like voice chimes from behind you.

  It’s familiar, too familiar. Squashing your grimace, you turn around. Paige hovers at the edge of your table, as far away from Magda as possible. Harry lingers behind her.

  “Yeah, Paige, just a sec.” You gather your neat stack into your arms and stand, then shift toward Magda. “See ya later.”

  “Yeah, see you later.” Without looking up, Magda collects her textbook, notebook, binder, and bright orange pencil pouch.