ZaVeraid Trilogy: Awe

by Alexa Hoffman



  The ZaVeraid Trilogy

  Awe

  Alexa Hoffman

  Chapter 1

  “There’s a test? There’s a TEST?!?” I asked totally confused, “Mrs. Johannes NEVER said anything about a test! I didn’t study, and my lowest grade’s in this subject!”

  “Settle down,” Liz huffed, a bit annoyed, “It’s just a vocabulary test, and you’re the smartest person in this school!”

  Liz had been my best friend since Pre-k, now in 6th grade; we weren’t as close as we used to be. Liz was always more popular and made friends easier. I, on the other hand, had only two close friends, Liz and Carmen.

  Carmen Landers was a short, skinny girl with wispy, short black hair and pale skin. She had ice blue eyes that seemed to always be looking at you. She was shy around big groups, but was always talkative around her friends. She was very close to her siblings, but not so much her parents. They were always busy working around the world, leaving for months at a time. I knew that Carmen relied on her two sisters, Amy and Ellie, and two brothers, Dakota and Brad, to help her in schoolwork—even though she would never admit it. Since all of her siblings were older than her, any of them could help.

  Sam Hillman, me, was the tallest of the group. I have shoulder length blond hair, hazel eyes, and cream skin. I always try to be happy because I love making people laugh. I’m terribly worried about school, not wanting to fail. I try to be kind and always help my friends, and I’m liked by all the teachers. This fact, however, was the one thing keeping me from making any friends because not a lot of people like teacher’s pets. I’m very close to my family. My mom is home a lot, but my three older brothers, Luke, Tom and Keith, With Luke being the oldest, and Keith being the youngest, are all in college. Keith was in his first year, and Luke was in his last, while Tom was a junior in college. I rarely got to see them. My dad got divorced with my mom when the boys were around my age. I never really got to bond with my father, and I never see him anymore.

  Liz Jacobs was the sporty one in the group. She has tanner skin and short, thick brown hair. Very popular around the school, she had all the boys drooling over her, and all the girls wishing they were her. Carmen and I were two of her first friends, and now we were spreading apart little by little. She still would hang out with us, but not as much as she used to. Liz was an only child, therefore, spoiled rotten. She got all of the new things and loved showing them off.

  I was busy worrying about the test to notice Mrs. Johannes walk in the room. Mrs. Johannes was a fairly young teacher with black hair and a very skinny body. When you first look at her, you would think she would be nice, caring, and fun. Well, she was the opposite, mean, uncaring, and boring, or at least that’s what I think of her.

  I was wondering what I should do when Mrs. Johannes’ shrill voice rang out in the class.

  “Class, please clear your desk except for a pencil so we can take the vocabulary test! I hope you’re prepared, because this is worth double the points than just a regular assignment!”

  No “good morning class,” just straight to business, I thought, what kind of 6th grade teacher would do that? Getting out my pencil just as the quiz was handed back; I started answering the questions to the best of my ability.

  “Billy!” Mrs. Johannes yelled, breaking all concentration, “Go to the office and take the rest of your quiz there!” Billy, one of the boys who always get into trouble, gave the teacher a disgusted look. The teacher was furious, “Don’t look at me that way! I know you were looking at someone’s paper, and you know cheating is not allowed. You have a detention now, young man!”

  I was watching Billy the whole time, and, even though he wasn’t the brightest student, I knew he didn’t cheat. I hated that the teacher was as unfair as she was. Thank goodness it’s Friday and we get a weekend off from this demon of a teacher, I thought.

  Chapter 2

  All the tension left the room as the bell rang for the day to be over. As the kids rushed out of the room, Sam caught up with Carmen and grabbed her shoulder, making her turn around.

  “I’m not busy today,” I started to ask, “So, if you’re not busy, want to come over and hang out?”

  “No, not today,” Carmen declined, “My parents are coming home after their four month trip and I want to hang out with them.”

  “All right, I understand. See you sometime soon!” I replied heading out the school doors.

  Outside, I was surprised to find my mother talking to a police officer. I was even more surprised when I didn’t recognize the police. She was a little person, dwarf size, and had very short orange hair. She must be new, I thought. I knew all of the cops around my neighborhood and I was surprised they needed a new one for the little town of Rockville. Oh well, looks like I have someone new to meet.

  Not wanting to interrupt, I patiently waited in the car till my mom was done talking. When my mom finally got done chatting, I asked eagerly, “What was that all about?”

  “Just informing the cop about the graffiti incident,” my mom replied.

  Recently I had come home to a not so pleasant surprise. Someone had spray painted all the windows to my house and it was permanent. Thank goodness she finally did something about that, I thought, relieved.

  “So,” I ventured “Is that cop new around here?”

  “Yes,” my mom said, “I asked her the same thing and Betty, which is her name, worked for a different police station before she came here.”

  “And why would Rockville need a new police officer?” I asked

  “One of them retired, um, I think it was Kelly.”

  “Aw! Kelly was so nice and she was my favorite! She let me and my friends get out of so many things, like when…” I trailed off, realizing I was in very dangerous territory. My mom eyed me suspiciously, and then let the subject drop. I sighed, Thank goodness, things could’ve gotten ugly. Even though I’m an honor student, I’m not always the one to follow the rules.

  At home I was greeted by my amazing dog, Goldie, a three-year-old girl yellow lab. I went on with my daily routine take the dog outside so she could do her business, but at the fence, Goldie, took off, breaking my hold on the leash.

  “GOLDIE! GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!” I yelled in an angry voice. I was so scared. Goldie never ran away like this, she was always obedient, listening to all directions.

  I ran inside to inform my mom about the terrible news. Immediately, we went in the car to go and search for her, but we were unsuccessful.

  “Goldie, please come home!” I yelled out in one more desperate attempt to call my beloved dog.

  Silence greeted my call.

  Chapter 3

  Two whole months had past and I had seen no sign of Goldie. I was beginning to lose hope. I just have to face the fact that she’s squished in the road, or bleeding on the side of it, I sadly thought. Me and my mom put missing signs up all over the neighborhood, and looked in the pound. Great, I might as well get used to not having any dogs.

  School had gone on like always, Mrs. Johannes getting meaner every day, and Liz getting farther apart from me and Carmen every second. The strange thing that was happening around town, however, was how little I saw of the new cop, Betty. All the other cops would walk around the neighborhood, friendly as ever. Betty, however, would sulk in the shadows and hide, like she was keeping something a secret, or planning something. However, I dismissed the idea, thinking that that was just how the cop was.

  One evening, I was sitting on the front porch just thinking when I heard a barking. I was startled, for there were no dogs living near me, and then I saw her. I couldn’t believe it, it was Goldie! Goldie came back! I ran to my dog, tears swelling up in my eyes. I cried out in joy, “GOLDIE, Y
OUR HOME!”

  Something was different, I thought after a moment. It was the way Goldie looked, and walked. She was fatter and shambled slowly, like it hurt to walk. I thought for a moment. Then, it came to me, Goldie was pregnant! My dog was pregnant! I ran inside and told my mom the news, not knowing if it was good or bad. My mom was shocked, and rushed Goldie to the vet.

  The vet confirmed that I was right, and Goldie would be due any day now.

  “That’s why she was gone!” I spluttered unbelievingly, “She had a boyfriend!” laughing at the thought, I loaded Goldie into the car and we went by the local pet store to get supplies. The vet said that there were at least going to be four puppies.

  I was wondering who the father was the whole way home; there weren’t any other dogs around town, so I had no idea.

  “Do you know who the father could be?” I asked my mom, voicing my thoughts out loud.

  “You know as much as I do,” Began my mother, “If I learn anything different, I’ll tell you.”

  I was about to ask how we would learn anything else, but we heard a shrill yelp from Goldie, followed by a whimper.

  Goldie was going into labor.

 

  Chapter 4

  My mother instantly sped up until we were way past the speed limit. We had to get home, and fast!

  “Go get the supplies and set it up in the downstairs bathroom, I’ll get Goldie in the house,” my mother commanded as they pulled in the driveway.

  I rushed to do as she said and not a moment to soon. As Goldie came to lie on the bed we got her, the first puppy started coming. The whole labor took six hours, and at the end, there were four puppies born, but only three made it. Puppy number two was deformed and didn’t have a mouth.

  At school, I went to tell Carmen and Liz the news, even though we were growing apart from Liz, me and Carmen were still her friends. They were shocked.

  “They are SO cute! Ones grey with white paws, the second one is midnight black with beautiful blue eyes, and the runt is yellow like Goldie and really tiny.” I explained, “I just want to know who the father is.”

  “Whose dog would it be anyway?” Carmen wondered.

  “I have no idea, but I wish I could find out,” I answered

  The day went by at the same slow pace. Mrs. Johannes must have caught the evil flu, which I didn’t think was possible because I thought it was built into her system, because she was ten times meaner. I got my first detention just for raising my hand.

  On my way out the school door, I was in such a bad mood that I didn’t even say good-bye to Carmen. It had just started to storm and rain came down so hard it felt like hail.

  It’s crazy, I thought, how the weather usually matches your mood.

  And just to add to my bad luck, my mother wasn’t in the parking lot. I stayed there for five minutes and she still didn’t come.

  “Great!” I said out loud, “That’s just great!”

  I started my walk home when Carmen ran up beside me.

  “Your mother didn’t come either?” Carmen asked alarmed.

  “No, but she’ll miss days occasionally.” I answered, not surprised Carmen was walking home since she usually does.

  “Well, look around!” Carmen shouted over the pounding rain.

  I did, and what I saw shocked me. ALL of the kids were walking home, it even seemed like the teachers were gone.

  “This is just freaky.” I whispered to myself.

  “WHAT?!” Carmen yelled unable to hear because the rain was coming down so hard.

  “Never mind,” I shouted back “Let’s go find Liz!”

  After what seemed like hours searching in the rain, we found Liz. By then we were all soaking wet and the rain was already two inches high.

  “Let’s all go to my house and get some towels, it’s the closest place!” I said to Liz and Carmen.

  They quickly agreed and a few slips and a lot more soaking in the rain later and we were soon at my house. Relieved we rushed into shelter.

  “Mom!” I yelled, about to tell her what its like to be soaked to the bone, “why didn’t you pick me up?”

  There was no answer.

  I ran to check in her room. She wasn’t there. I looked in the bathroom, nothing. Then I looked in the basement, a couple of spider webs, but no mom.

  By this time Liz, Carmen, and I were all freaking out.

  I tried to call her but the phones lines were down.

  I went to check on Goldie and the pups, just to help me calm down. Liz and Carmen followed.

  My breath was caught in my throat.

  My mother, Goldie, and her three puppies were gone.

  Chapter 5

  After about a half hour of confusion, Liz suggested we dry off and think this through. We all agreed that it was probably the best thing to do.

  “She probably just took the puppies to the vet to get a check up, and, purely by coincidence, the phone lines were down.” Carmen reasoned.

  “But she would have left a note.” I argued

  “I’m sure everything’s just fine.” Liz said, siding with Carmen. “I’ll be right back; I have to go to the bathroom.”

  A few moments after Liz left, she let out a high pitched scream, which was abruptly cut off.

  My heart started to race, and by the look on Carmen’s face, hers was too. I got up silently and headed to the bathroom, jumping when the heater kicked on. As I opened the bathroom door, a hand shot out, quick as lightning, and barely touched me on the arm. Instantly I fell to the ground, unable to move. All I could do was blink my eyes and breathe.

  It was a weird sensation. I could still hear, smell, see, and feel, it was just minimized. So if someone cut me with a knife it would only feel like a pinch. I couldn’t see very far away and I barely heard anything.

  I was dragged under the bathroom rug by the hand that touched me, which was surprisingly small. Someone had dug a cave under the rug. It was dark, and I could only see outlines of a couple of people. It was damp and water would drip on the ground, echoing every time it reached the little puddle that was forming.

  I recognized one form, it was Liz. The other one looked familiar, but I couldn’t think of who it was. By the way her outline was Liz looked like she was in the same state as me.

  A couple minuets later another form was dragged under. Carmen had been captured as well.

  I was surprisingly calm. I thought I should be scared, but I didn’t know why anymore. After many minuets, a tunnel opened up on the side of the cave, just big enough for the small outline to fit through. We were dragged onto a gurney and wheeled through the tunnel. It was very smooth and the sound the gurney made as it rolled across the stone lulled me to sleep.

  ***

  When I woke up the weird sensation had worn off. I looked around me, and saw that I was alone in a giant cage. Outside of the cage I saw rows and rows of thousands of other cages, some empty, but most occupied another person. I couldn’t make out details of them, but I could, once again, only see their outline. I turned by gaze back to my cage, and saw a small cot, that was horribly uncomfortable, and a wooden toilet, that stunk so badly, I was about to hurl.

  Where am I, I thought to myself, terror building in my chest as I remembered what happened yesterday, or was it yesterday? How long have I been sleeping?

  But somehow, I knew that not a lot of time had past since I drifted off to sleep. I also knew that, where ever I was, this was where my mom, Liz and Carmen were taken, and I had to find a way out before something bad happened.

  Chapter 6

  First I inspected my cage. Floors harder than stone, nothing hidden inside the cot, nothing inside the toilet but, well, you know, and impenetrable walls.

  No way out.

  I decided to see if my prison neighbors were social. My cage had other cages right next to it on the left and right, but not on the front or back. I went to the left.

  “Hello?” I asked
quietly “Anybody in there?”

  I heard a deep, painful moan and knew I needed to shut up, so I moved to the right.

  “Hello?” I repeated “Please, if there’s anybody in there, talk to me. I just want to know what’s going on.”

  “We all do,” Answered a rough, but young female voice, “but so far, no answers. I just got here yesterday. I’m scared out of my mind.”

  “I did too; maybe we can get out of here together.” I said.

  “I already searched all over, no way out.” The voice answered.

  “There has to be a way!” I said.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Sam”

  “Ha, funny, that’s my best friends name, I’m Liz.”

  “Liz? Liz! Your okay! I was SO worried!”

  “Wait a minuet, your Sam, Sam Hillman?”

  “Yes!” I answered excitedly.

  “Oh my gosh! They got you too?” Liz asked.

  “Yeah, after I heard you scream, they captured me when I was looking for you.” I said.

  We went on exchanging what happened, getting stuck on who took us, and what happened that put us in that unusual state.

  “I think when they touched us; they put some sort of cream on us, because when the sensation wore off my arm was wet. It’s like ‘make you do nothing cream’” Liz pointed out, “and by the way, Carmen is in the cage on the other side of me.”

  “Are you serious? That’s great! I mean, at least we are all together.”

  We sat in a friendly silence.