Star Child: Places of Power

by Leonard Petracci

  “So close,” Siri said, twirling her hair. “Oh so close, but not quite there! You didn’t. I know you would have. You know you would have, for me.”

  She laughed as Blake shrank backwards, trying to become one with the shadows.

  “But you didn’t. I took care of you, Blake, just like I always do. And I always will. Now that’s enough fun for today – go on, time for you to retire. Without any memory of this in the morning, of course. You did well, Blake, you pleased me. Just like you will again.”

  A half smile formed across Blake’s face, Siri’s words pushing it upwards and the events of the last few minutes weighing it down, forgotten tracks of tears still streaking down his cheeks. I ducked away as he turned to walk back to the stairs, descending in silence, and following Lucio as he threw open the door to Connor’s room below. We slipped inside, frozen until we heard Blake’s door click shut, and then Siri lock the far door moments later before leaving the Upper hallway.

  In the darkness, I could just make out the whites of Lucio’s eyes, and could tell the words were building inside him to near overfill about what had just transpired. But I shook my head, nudging him in the direction of Connor, whose snores created their own Gregorian chant.

  Chapter 73

  “Seriously, it was sadistic,” said Lucio to Slugger as we waited in line for lunch, his face still stuck in the horrified expression it had adopted since the night before. “Psychotic. I’ve never seen anything like it. Explains a lot, though, if that’s where she gets her kicks.”

  “Oi, yeah it does,” mumbled Slugger, the dark rings under his eyes more prominent than ever, and his attention wandering.

  “No, man, you don’t get it,” exclaimed Lucio, throwing open his hands for emphasis. "It was absolutely insane, like—”

  “Aye now, I get it. Your lad SC here just has me on night watch. You’re practically speaking gibberish, not that it’s much different from normal.” He yawned, tapping his foot as the line slid forward a single person, then halted again.

  “Apparently, night watch makes you into a total prick as well, then!”

  “Nah, lad, I’ve always been that.” He craned his head, looking to where the front of the line was loading up their trays. “Speaking of pricks, looks like it’s an optimal time to put my abilities to good use. You two better prepare yourselves because this is going to be some real craic.”

  Slugger stepped to the left and out of the line to where he had a clear line of sight to the front, and raised his voice just as the line shifted again, and the next person started loading up their food.

  “Oi, Wendy!” he shouted just as she reached for an apple, then changed her mind and took the one next to it. “Think you can speed it up a bit, or is that too much cardio for your fat ass? We’re hungry back here, and frankly, you could do with a smaller lunch. Back home, we had potato famines for the likes of you.”

  “You, you—” Wendy stuttered, whipping around as a few in the line smirked, particularly those Lucio had worked on the night before. “You jackass!”

  She threw the apple at him, but it missed, sailing a few feet to the right and bouncing off the shoulder of an instructor across the room. Slugger laughed, widening his stance and throwing back his shoulders before retorting.

  “A few more minutes outside a day might fix that aiming problem of yours. Want to try again? I made myself a bigger target, but not as big as you’re used to, though.”

  He winked, nodding at Connor, who was now walking over from the Upper table, just as Wendy’s face turned a deeper shade of red than the next apple that found her hand. More laughs erupted along the length of the line but were extinguished out like a campfire in a tidal wave as Connor reached the group.

  “What the hell was that about, Slugger?” demanded Connor, and the smiles as laughing faces around him hardened to snarls.

  “Just speaking the truth, big guy,” answered Slugger. “You got a problem with that? Too bad I haven't challenged you yet in the Arena, or I’d have your position by now.”

  For a second, the old Connor shone through as his mouth fell open – the Connor from before he had been an Upper, when he struggled in the outdoor exercises, from before Siri’s song had instilled enough pretentious ego to answer Slugger with aggression. The Connor that would rather back down than maintain confrontation.

  “Lucio, a little help?” I whispered, nudging him in the ribs as the conversation stalled.

  “Already on it,” he whispered back, his eyes on Connor. “I’ll push him right over the edge.”

  A moment later, Connor puffed out his chest, and his voice turned to a shout as his fingers clenched. His eyes narrowed, the vein in his neck throbbed, and I heard his knuckles crack.

  “I’m sick of your attitude, and your remarks.” Connor took a step forward, shielding Wendy behind him, while Slugger held his ground. “And I’m done with ignoring it, especially when it’s coming from someone who was recently a filthy Bottom. Time to put you in your place.”

  “Damn, what’d you show him?” I hissed to Lucio, and we stepped backwards to avoid the brunt of Connor’s power as I felt anger wash over me.

  “Heh, he thinks Slugger hooked up with Wendy before he did. Nothing like a little jealousy to spur him forward.”

  Before Connor, Slugger raised his hands and curled them into fists, hopping back and forth as he punched air.

  “Bring it, big boy! Put ‘em up if you’re gonna protect your wagon!”

  Connor lumbered forwards, but before he had the chance to strike, Wendy threw another apple, this time hitting Slugger square in the chest. Connor hesitated, his face still seething, while the students around him with trays looked down at their food. Then the first plate was launched, a combination of spaghetti and meat sauce that splattered down the front of Slugger’s shirt and rained down onto the floor. The second plate followed shortly, then a third, this one coming from a maniacally laughing Lucio, who whipped it off the nearest table. It missed, landing among the crowd by Connor, and fueling the pulsing anger that emanated from him.

  Though Slugger was still at the center of the brawl, side arguments fueled by Connor’s power broke out in a wide radius around the duo, spurring on the chaos until pockets of food fighting filled the entire lunch room. Those whose minds had been cleaned by Lucio were the most eager, with little left internally to remind them to be good citizens, while many of the Uppers looked on in horror before trying to stop the escalation. Their interaction, however, only added more food to be thrown as they brought the fullest plates to the fray, providing more ammunition for those already knee deep in meat sauce.

  “Halt!” commanded a voice from the entranceway of the cafeteria. “Stop!”

  Even without the usual singsong quality, the words chilled the room, freezing students in various positions of the assault. Siri looked over them, her eyes livid, her blue suit the only piece of clothing not tainted by the remnants of the lunch.

  “He started it,” shouted Connor, pointing to Slugger, who was now little more than a mountain of spaghetti. “He made us—”

  “Dare you speak out of turn to me?” demanded Siri. “Dare any of you to shame yourselves like this? Have you forgotten your reformation?”

  She turned to the instructor who had fetched her, the one who Wendy’s apple had first struck, his face white as her words struck him like a whip.

  “I want a full assembly called. It’s time to put an end to this. Ensure every student is there, perform a full count. Bottoms, Averages, Uppers, I want them all. Now.”

  “And so,” I whispered as she stalked from the room and the instructors began to herd us together, “we begin.”

  Chapter 74

  The instructors corralled us towards the auditorium in three lines, each carrying a clipboard with names and marking them off as we passed by, checking for each student. All but three were present. Arial, who received a check mark despite her absence, and was being fetched from the nurse's room to join us. Mason, whose name
had been whited out long ago. And Darian, which the instructors had not yet removed, but had a single line through the lettering.

  Adrenaline flooded through me as we walked and as I reviewed what was about to happen, thinking back to when Lucio had first scrubbed my mind, and he had made a comment that stuck with me ever since about Siri’s power. A comment that formed the foundation of our plan.

  From what I can tell, she could enchant someone in a single session, but it would be dangerous. Basically, she would have to rip open their subconscious, and at that point, she would have far less control of the outcome. It’s much safer to gradually take root.

  And now that we had forced her hand, I twisted my fingers for luck, praying that Lucio was right. Knowing that as we entered that auditorium, and the instructors filed us into the bleachers, that I had one chance to turn the facility into my greatest weapon and asset. I nodded to Slugger from where he sat across from us, wisely having chosen an aisle seat nearest the door, and he winked back. Thanks to him, we had convinced Siri that the only way to ensure the entire school was under her control was to see it with her own eyes. To ensure no one escaped her power by being personally present.

  Slugger looked exhausted, his eyes barely open, but we would only need him for a few minutes more. Out of everyone in attendance, he was the only one I could trust with what had to happen next. For in his exhausted state, understanding the words of Siri's song would be near impossible.

  “You ready for this?” I asked Lucio as the last of the students ushered in.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” he answered. “It’s either freedom or I become one of Siri’s minions now. Can’t say I’m happy with those odds. Hell, I’d rather bet on an ass at a horse race than this.”

  “I’m just hoping we can shake it off,” I responded. “What’s your take on that? Once we’re under, is there no coming back?”

  “If she does it right, she’ll be stripping us down to our subconscious first. Classic mental technique – lure the victim into a state of security, then set your agenda. With Siri, she has enough experience to know the ins and outs of mental gymnastics. Otherwise, if she attempts to rush the job, she’ll risk her commands not taking root or eroding away too quickly. So long as we escape before she gets to the actual brainwashing part, we’re home free! I’m more worried about how fast Slugger can run.”

  “If we’re anywhere as near disoriented as the first time I went under, he might have to slow down on purpose,” I answered. “Besides, you’ve seen him fight. He’s crafty enough to hold his own.”

  “Fine,” Lucio said and pulled a face as Siri entered and walked towards the center of the room. “And when this is over, SC, don’t just disappear on me. I have nowhere to call home.”

  “When this is over, Lucio, that will change.”

  I patted his shoulder, then watched as the auditorium doors shut and were locked as each of the instructors departed, leaving us alone with Siri. In the pocket above my wrist, I already had two black orbs generated but hidden. And I stared at the spot where I would throw them, repeating the location over and over in my mind, knowing it would take every ounce of mental strength I had to use them.

  State champions, state champions, state champions.

  Those words would form my target, and I knew I must not forget them.

  Below, Siri began to sing, spinning in a circle, her voice loud enough to fill the auditorium without a microphone. Each of the words stuck heavier than before, lulling us into a trance, like a heavy lead blanket placed over reality. I smiled as I drifted away, and I realized that perhaps I had been wrong this entire time. That perhaps all I had to do to be happy was listen to Siri sing forever. That her voice not only made my problems seem minuscule, but removed them entirely. Like turning off a horror movie.

  Good citizens, good girls and good boys,

  Let your stress fade away,

  Listen now, my pride, my joys,

  Forever here you’ll stay.

  Siri continued to sing, her meaning lost as I was lulled under. And my smile grew deeper, more content, more relaxed.

  Ball’s in your court, Slugger, I thought, the words coming slow as I looked towards him, half forgetting why my heart was still pumping so fast.

  And I saw that he had fallen asleep.

  Chapter 75

  Wake up, I thought, my inner voice screaming. Wake up!

  But the thoughts faded as Siri’s voice continued, removing any concern that they carried with them. And even if they had mattered, and I had wanted to move, I wouldn’t have been able. It felt as if my mind had sunk deep within itself, that the part that controlled muscles was far away, unreachable. That if Siri kept singing forever, I doubted I’d ever be able to raise my consciousness enough to move a finger – and if she left me in that state, I doubt I would ever have escaped without outside interference.

  The same feeling flooded through the rest of the auditorium – from Bottom to Upper, all gathered in one place as Siri attempted to sweep any thoughts of rebellion away from us.

  As the minutes rolled by, I forgot why I was staring at Slugger – and in part, I looked through him, and not quite at him. He looked as peaceful as I felt, his breath coming and going slowly, his head tilted back. But then Siri’s voice changed its tone, wrapping up the first part of her procedure to expose the subconscious and preparing for the second part. To plant the seeds of obedience.

  And when it morphed, Slugger stirred, opening one eye. Then he jumped to his feet, shaking his head, and his expression panicked.

  “Damn!” he shouted, the words distant, Siri’s voice faltering from shock. “Damn, what was it? What was I supposed to say?” He paused, thinking, casting his gaze around the auditorium for inspiration. But besides him, the entire school was stone, their eyes straight ahead, their expressions unchanging, as if he were a ghost.

  “To your seats, and back to sleep!” sang Siri, her voice increasing in volume and determination, her stare focusing on Slugger. His face scrunched in annoyance and he shook his head, inserting his pinky into his ear and twisting as if to remove a lingering bit of earwax.

  “Oi, stop that racket. And that’s it!” He hit himself on the head, laughing. “Almost forgot. Wendy waddles!”

  He scanned the crowd, then found Wendy, though she gave no inkling of having heard him.

  “Wendy,” he yelled, jumping down from one bleacher to the next, being sure to stomp with each change of level. His own voice took on a mocking songlike quality as he pointed a finger at her. “Waddles! Wendy waddles, like a walrus!”

  “I—” started Wendy, drawing a sharp breath like she had risen out of frigid water and her voice slurred, but Siri’s song cut her off. And Siri walked towards Slugger, removing a small metal baton she kept on the inside of her suit, her voice growing louder and more commanding. More desperate.

  “Wendy Waddles like a fat Walrus!” belched Slugger as he darted away from Siri and danced towards Wendy, reaching out to give her a small pinch on the cheek, “The fattest one I ever did see!”

  “I do not Waddle!” screamed Wendy, shooting upwards, her fingers curled and voice so sharp it pierced through Siri’s command. It knocked the song construction down like house of cards, shattering Siri’s progress. She stomped her foot, narrowly missing Slugger’s toes, and the auditorium floor rebounded in a wave away from her. Wood splintered and cracked at the crests and troughs, utterly destroying the finish. The reverberation shook the bleachers like an earthquake, knocking over dazed students still partially eroded to their subconscious in a mess of tangled limbs.

  Wendy stomped again, her face furious, bouncing the bodies of confused students a foot in the air as she rounded on Slugger a second time. In this state, straight out of Siri’s hypnosis, she lacked any ability to govern herself. She felt, not capable of thought, moving and acting on instinct. Like an animal.

  Behind her, a figure stood from the mess of bodies and howled, his eyes bloodshot and teeth showing in a snarl. Raw ra
ge rolled over me as Connor leapt towards Wendy, a boiling emotion that erupted from me as my voice matched his, my vocal cords burning as I roared, the blood vessels feeding my muscles popping as I flexed. As I rose to my feet, I felt the sheer power for destruction at my fingertips, my vision laser focused upon the object of my hate that continued to taunt Wendy.

  The ferocity infected the auditorium, intoxicating the other students as Connor’s power flooded forwards again, turning them all towards Slugger. Alone, he stood against the mob, Siri fallen near his feet from where Wendy’s power had knocked her over, his chest puffed out and fists raised in defiance.

  “Oi, ya pissed?” taunted Slugger to him. “Come and get me, then. Let’s scrap!”

  Connor and the crowd started forwards in a rush, and my anger congealed in the black orb that rushed to my palm, ripping away at the edges of my shirt and whistling as wind rushed into it. I aimed as Slugger started to run towards the wall of the gym, leaping over the fragments of wood flooring that had popped loose, cornering himself as the rabid students rushed in a horde from all sides. I threw the orb as hard as I could, a voice jumping into my head just before I released, speaking the words I had repeated just before succumbing to Siri’s voice. The words that reminded me of the plan. Not destroying my anger, but directing it.

  State champions.

  Just before I released the orb, I tilted it slightly to the right, curving mere feet from Slugger’s body to intercept the State Champions banner hanging from the auditorium wall, carving a hole directly through the names of the team members who had earned the honor years before. Cinderblocks gave way as I propelled the orb forwards, powering it to pull the wall inwards until it caved in, leaving a hole the size of a door that Slugger leapt through before the dust had a chance to settle, tossing loose sections of wall behind him as if they were made of marshmallow. And through the dust were rays of sunlight stretching inside, illuminating the path to freedom.