Laura Monster Crusher

by Wesley King

  The spider scurried after me, raising its deadly looking fangs. I screamed again and sprinted for the castle, but for the first time I noticed that the heavy iron doors were closed. There was no way I’d have time to open them before the spider attacked.

  What if there were more spiders? What if everyone else was already dead?

  I whirled around and saw the spider racing toward me. I sprinted to the left, trying to circle back to the gate and make a break for the village. But the spider was too fast. It moved laterally with quick little steps, blocking my path and continuing toward me.

  “Eldon!”

  I looked around the courtyard in desperation. It was still set up for training, so there were bows and swords and spears littered everywhere. I spotted a long silver spear propped against the wall about three metres away and made a dash to grab it. The spider chased after me. I just managed to scoop up the spear when the spider flung itself through the air toward me, hissing loudly again. I dove onto the hard stones, and the spider crashed right into the wall, its hairy legs flailing as it stood itself upright again.

  I might have been able to get up and stab it with the spear, but instead, I raced back toward the gate into the village.

  I was halfway there when I heard a fast-moving patter closing in on me. I looked back and saw the spider right behind me. I wasn’t going to make it. In a last desperate attempt, I tried to turn around and stab it with the spear.

  It didn’t quite work out.

  My feet crashed into each other, and I went spinning back-first toward the ground, realizing in horror that the spider was going to land right on top of me. Just before I hit the ground, I pointed the spear at the creature’s soft padded underbelly as it launched itself through the air. I slammed into the stones, and the spider landed right on top of me, the spear tip piercing right through its chest and out its back.

  But I didn’t have much time to celebrate. The spider was still alive.

  It sunk closer and closer to my face, its massive fangs gnashing in front of me, the black venom already beginning to form droplets at their tips. I tried to push it off, but it was too strong. The fangs got closer. They were centimetres from my face now.

  Suddenly a long feathered arrow flew into its head, followed by three more. The spider went limp and I managed to shove it off me, using the spear for leverage.

  I lay there for a second, unable to move. Then I heard it. Laughter.

  Warriors started appearing on the walls, some of them holding bows. I looked around in disbelief from where I was lying in the middle of the courtyard and saw Eldon appear over the gate. Even he wore a faint smile.

  I scrambled to my feet and looked at him furiously. “You sent a spider after me?”

  “I wanted to prove you weren’t a coward.”

  I scowled. “Well that worked. I screamed, ran away, and fell over.”

  “You also killed it,” he replied simply. “Mostly. You said you were afraid of spiders. Now you’ve killed it. You should be proud.”

  “Proud? It almost killed me!” I shouted, starting for the door. “I’m going home.”

  Eldon jumped off the roof, landing in a practised crouch in front of me.

  “Every Monster Crusher must kill a monster before their training can be complete. It’s one of the tests. We always try to find the monster they fear most to test their courage. You’ve done it early. That was worth a hundred trips through the Way.”

  I paused. “Does that mean I don’t have to do it anymore?”

  Eldon laughed. “Of course not.”

  “Great,” I muttered, walking around him and heading for the elevator. I could hear the warriors snickering on the walls. “I’m taking a break tonight.”

  “Fair enough,” Eldon said. “But I do want to speak to you for a moment.”

  I glanced at him. “What about?”

  “Walk,” he said, falling into line beside me.

  We strode through the gate, and I noticed the villagers starting to emerge from their houses, many laughing and talking to each other. Apparently all of Derwin was sharing in the joke.

  “The war is intensifying in Riverfield. We are killing more and more monsters surrounding your house. They obviously want to murder you soon.”

  “This isn’t making me feel better.”

  “They also seem to be searching for our tunnels, just as we are searching for theirs. At the moment we are both chasing shadows. We need to figure out where their tunnels are, and soon.” He shook his head. “There is something we are missing here. The monsters have never attacked the Monster Crushers on the surface before. For some reason they’re paying special attention to you.”

  “Lucky me,” I muttered.

  He stopped in front of a white stone fountain and put a rough hand on my shoulder. “We’ll protect your house as best as we can. But the war is coming faster now…you must be ready soon.”

  “I don’t know if I can do this,” I said, meeting his blue eyes.

  He smiled. “That’s the one good part about these situations. You have no choice.”

  “That’s a good part?” I asked skeptically.

  “Absolutely,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about if you can. You either will…or you won’t.”

  “That’s very comforting.”

  “I try.”

  I shook my head and started for the elevator, ignoring the whispering villagers.

  “And Laura?”

  I glanced back.

  “That was some scream,” he said.

  I scowled. “Shut up.”

  He laughed as I stormed across the meadow. But I was smiling as I changed my clothes later that night and plopped exhaustedly into bed. Suddenly I wasn’t that worried about little spiders in my bedroom.

  —

  The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful: Shal had forgotten she had a cousin’s birthday to attend on the Saturday, so the three of us made plans to hang out next weekend instead. I spent my Saturday watching an old Western with Stache and Tom—he always enjoyed the old-fashioned lingo—while my mom read a book on the recliner.

  When it was done, I went upstairs at ten and left for training as usual. It was pretty much the same thing Sunday night as well: run the Warrior’s Way, train with weaponry, and learn about monsters. I again asked to train with the hammer, but Eldon told me I still hadn’t earned it.

  “Coming back is a start,” he said, “but it doesn’t make you a Monster Crusher.”

  And so I just kept working, and I thought maybe, just maybe, I was getting a little better. I was certainly a lot sorer. When I woke up Monday morning my legs were so cramped I basically had to crawl out of bed and warm them up in the shower. Even if I wasn’t becoming the best warrior, I was at least getting plenty of exercise.

  But when I climbed out of my mom’s van on another brisk morning and walked into the schoolyard, I instantly knew there was trouble. Allison was already there, and she was talking feverishly with the seagulls. They were up to something.

  As it turned out, they had a lot of things in mind.

  I soon learned that people don’t usually mess with Allison. Not because they don’t want to, but because she decides to make destroying you her new priority. In this case that meant all the people who had liked the page as well—Mia and Shal included.

  Actually Shal had folded and taken her like back before school that morning, but it was too late. She was already on the Kill List. Of course, Liam was right up there today. But I think Allison assumed I was part of creating the photo as well because she saved me for last.

  It started out normal enough. Allison and her seagulls swooped around the yard calling people names and whispering gossip. Mia ran away three times. Liam was playing his game with Paul and Steve and ignored them, but some of the other targets weren’t taking the new attention very well. One girl went inside early, probably to cry in the bathroom stall.

  Unfortunately that was nothing new.

  But things got progr
essively more evil as the day continued. Allison did what any self-respecting wicked witch would do. She found our weaknesses, and she targeted them. I suspect everyone got hit in one way or another. But there were three that I saw first-hand: Shal, Liam, and of course, myself. Shal was first.

  Hers came at lunch. It was pretty easy, I guess. She’d already cried in front of them about the ginger thing, and she was clearly very self-conscious about her appearance. That gave Allison her target.

  “What is she doing?” Shal asked worriedly, watching Allison from our usual spot in the corner.

  “I don’t know,” I said, not even bothering to turn around. “Something evil, I’m sure.”

  Mia turned to look. “She’s handing something out.”

  I frowned and looked behind me. Most of the boys played basketball or handball against the back wall of the school, where there was a big paved area. Naturally all the popular girls hung out in the near vicinity. And it was there that Allison, Ashley, and a few of the other seagulls were walking around handing out little slips of paper.

  “That can’t be good,” I murmured.

  We watched as they handed them out to every eighth grader in the school, and then they gathered together and set off across the yard toward us. Poof. Mia was gone.

  “Here we go again,” I muttered.

  Allison and the other girls stopped in front of us. She smiled, revealing those sparkling white teeth. “We’re having a vote. Here’s your ballot.”

  Shal and I exchanged a concerned look and took the ballots. As soon as I read it, I knew this was not going be good. At the top of the paper it said: Ugliest Ginger in the School. There was just one box with a name next to it: Michelle Webster.

  Shal’s hands trembled as she held the paper, and then her eyes started watering. Suddenly she stood up and ran toward the school, letting the ballot fall to the ground.

  “I think she’ll win even without that vote,” Allison said. The seagulls giggled.

  “Why?” I asked, looking at her in disgust.

  She smiled. “Because I’m the Wicked Witch of Riverfield.”

  Mia and I spent the whole recess trying to console Shal as she sobbed in the bathroom stall. Didn’t help. I was really getting sick of Allison Black.

  Liam was next. I didn’t know what his weakness was at first, but I should have.

  His mom. She was a single mother, and he was an only child.

  Allison started a rumour during last recess that his mom was a stripper. It was a fairly basic rumour, but when the boys started doing catcalls, I could see him flushing.

  They broke him right before last period.

  I was getting my math books out of my locker when I noticed Liam walking down the hall toward class. Tim stepped in front of him, wearing a crooked grin.

  “Hey, Kelp. My older brother saw your mom last night. She put on a good show.”

  That was too much. Liam flushed red, dropped his books, and took a swing at Tim’s head. I could tell he wasn’t a fighter. His punch sailed wide, and Tim tackled him to the ground like a football player. He sat up and punched Liam in the face as every kid in the hallway crowded around and started shouting. I came running just as Mr. Lell ran out of his class and forcibly pulled Tim off of Liam. Liam shakily climbed to his feet, bloody and shamefaced, and Mr. Lell escorted them both to the office.

  I wanted to cry as I watched Liam walk by, tears in his bright-blue eyes.

  They both got suspended. I had a feeling it would be the first day of school Liam had ever missed. I saw his mom arrive from where I was watching through the window. She looked disappointed.

  Allison saved me for last. It was a simple prank.

  As I sat there in last period thinking about Liam, she took a water bottle and ever so delicately squeezed some through the hole in the back of my chair. I didn’t notice until I stood up to leave and Allison and her friends burst out laughing.

  I was wearing light jeans that day, of course.

  Soon half the class was laughing, and I hurried out without even knowing why. When Mia and Shal told me at my locker, I felt sick. It was stupid, but I knew they’d all believe it. The fat girl had peed herself. Why not? I wrapped my coat around my waist and left to a chorus of laughter. Allison just smiled evilly.

  What was my weakness? The fact that I was so used to fat jokes. Mix it up and I broke like glass.

  I was so upset I didn’t even leave my room when I got home. It wasn’t just the prank. It was Liam’s face and Shal’s tears and the fact that I still couldn’t stand up to Allison. Because I knew it always gets worse.

  I just wanted to be invisible. I wanted them to leave me alone.

  I missed dinner. I ignored my parents’ and Tom’s questions. I just lay in bed and ignored everything until past nine when everyone had gone to sleep. I blearily checked my cellphone. Ten missed calls, all from Shal and Mia. Six messages too:

  Where are you?

  Are you okay?

  Do you want to talk?

  I can’t believe she called me the ugliest ginger.

  Do you think Carl voted?

  Call me.

  I sighed and put the phone down. I didn’t want to talk. I just wanted to lie here.

  But a little voice in my head reminded me that I wasn’t invisible. That they would never leave me alone. Because I could keep a low profile and hide, but I would run into Allison eventually, and she would always have something to say.

  And worse, I would always be waiting for her to say it.

  I wasn’t invisible in the Under Earth either. I was part of this war, whether or not I wanted it. And it was time to start getting better. I threw on my usual training outfit of track pants and a T-shirt and climbed through the panel into the elevator.

  When I walked out into the courtyard, Eldon turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

  “You came early.”

  “Yep,” I said.

  “Why?”

  I walked right by him. “Because I really love this obstacle course.”

  I heard a quiet laugh behind me, and then he shouted at me to start.

  —

  I plunked myself against the wall a little while later, and this time, Eldon sat down beside me. We watched in silence for a moment as two of the other Monster Crushers sparred in the ring, their muscular arms bulging as they crashed against one another.

  I had read in the guide about the fifty Monster Crusher houses that were scattered around the world, ranging from Riverfield to Rio de Janeiro to Cairo. I had even read with interest that the pyramids themselves were heavily linked with the intricate tunnels running beneath the earth. That, of course, meant the other Monster Crushers were just as international: Lee had pointed out an Oskar Romanowich from Siberia, a Hu Jing from Shanghai, and a Bo Kobongo from Nigeria. There were two other Americans: one from Brooklyn and another from outside of Phoenix. There were also two Canadians: Lee and another boy, from Whitehorse, who looked like he was carved out of stone himself.

  I watched them all training, or at least the ones who were there—because most had far greater distances to travel through the tunnels, they often had to devise elaborate stories of going to school overseas or joining the military. There were smaller training centres in the other realms, but Arnwell Castle was the centre, and that’s where Monster Crushers spent most of their time.

  “How are things on the surface?” Eldon asked quietly.

  I shrugged. “The same, I guess.”

  I watched as Lee knocked another Monster Crusher down with a vicious sideways blow, his entire body rippling at the impact. He politely helped the other boy to his feet and then stalked off toward the Warrior’s Way, slinging the wooden club he’d been using onto his broad shoulder. The Monster Crushers seemed to have a deep respect for each other: I didn’t see many cheap shots or anything of the sort. I glanced at Eldon.

  “Who are my Swords going to be?” I paused. “You know, if I actually complete this training. It won’t be that redhead, will it?
She kind of hates me.”

  He laughed. “Caria? No. She is one of Arnwell’s Protectorates and doesn’t act as a Monster Crusher’s Sword. Other than the Protectorate, all the Swords that you see are matched with their respective Monster Crushers: they travel with them to Derwin and train with them. And they are under the same rules: they cannot help out at another surface location. They are all responsible for their own tunnels, and they cannot go to Riverfield, even if more warriors would be nice. If they die fighting another Monster Crusher’s battles, they have left their own area vulnerable to attack.

  “You won’t have met your Swords yet. I have asked that they suspend their training until you are ready, or at least to come at times when you are not here. You won’t meet them, in fact, unless you complete your training. We do that to protect their identities. Most Swords are from the Under Earth, but some are from the surface. They find tunnels and stumble across our world, and if they do, and they are capable of the task, they have a choice.”

  “Which is?”

  “Join our fight or return to your world and say nothing on threat of death.”

  I snorted. “Pleasant.”

  “And necessary.”

  “At least they have a choice. I didn’t.”

  He nodded. “The Swords are not chosen by a spell. They are chosen based on courage and skill. In our world it is a rare and special honour. Some preference is given to those from the surface, if they find their way here, as we believe they may have found the Under Earth for a reason. In the past I have agreed to train some from the surface that otherwise would never have been chosen. And often they turn out to be the best ones of all.”

  He turned to me. He was a striking man, or would have been, if there wasn’t so much danger in his cold eyes. His stubble had grown almost into a full beard now, creeping down his neck and meeting his long hair at his shoulders.

  “We will keep running the Way. I don’t want you sparring yet, for your safety.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “But we will begin more advanced monster training starting tomorrow. You need to know how to outthink your enemies, as well as crush them. Have you read the Tips on Monster Crushing section yet?”