Red Shirt Kids

by Bryce Clark

  “Just pull the handle,” said Amy impatiently.

  “I would if it had a handle,” smirked Mike.

  Amy looked down at her sketch. “Oops,” she said as she quickly drew a handle on the extinguisher.

  A trigger handle suddenly appeared, and Mike sprayed several long blasts of liquid nitrogen all over the amber surrounding Sam. The gel froze.

  “Now, break out!” yelled Mike.

  Suddenly, Sam’s hand flew out of the hardened amber as it shattered into a thousand pieces. Sam tumbled to the ground.

  “Are you all right?” Mike asked.

  “Yeah. Thanks, Mike.”

  Mike next blasted the amber surrounding Amy. Sam grabbed the amber but recoiled in pain. “Ouch! It’s cold,” he said.

  Amy was shivering. “No kidding! Get me out of here!” she yelled.

  Sam grabbed the amber again, yelling as the cold stung his hands. He pulled with the full force of his strength, and the amber shattered, sending Amy tumbling to the floor. She stood up quickly and headed toward the door.

  “Let’s go!” yelled Mike. The three flew into the main chamber and made a beeline for the opening leading to the exit.

  “Wait,” Amy stopped in her tracks.

  “What is it?” asked Sam and Mike in unison.

  “What about Diane and Darren?”

  30

  LAURA AND KATHY stood in front of the chest in Laura’s attic.

  “What’s the medallion for?” asked Laura.

  “This was Greg’s … key,” replied Kathy.

  Kathy turned the medallion, and the lion’s head split and revealed the key inside. She inserted the key into the lion’s head lock and opened the chest.

  Laura and Kathy stared into the chest and saw the drawings for the tree fort lying next to a neatly folded red shirt. Kathy picked up the drawings. “What are these?”

  “I think Amy drew those,” Laura replied.

  “What are they? Blueprints?” asked Kathy.

  “I don’t know,” said Laura. She shook her head, wondering how she had missed the intrigue going on right under her nose.

  “Ow!” Kathy exclaimed, jumping back. “That shirt shocked me.”

  Laura looked inside the chest. “A red shirt,” she mused as she reached for the shirt. She too received a solid jolt from the magical fabric.

  “It won’t let us take it out,” said Kathy.

  Laura stepped back further and stared wide-eyed at the shirt. “They’re real?” she wondered aloud.

  “They’re only meant for certain people. Maybe everyone else gets shocked,” said Kathy.

  “They’re real.” Laura repeated, still trying to wrap her mind around everything she had learned during the past few hours. “They’re real.”

  “I wonder who this one is for,” said Kathy. They heard the front door open and shut.

  “Michael! Amy!” shouted Laura.

  “Nope, it’s me!” David yelled back.

  Laura turned to Kathy. “Should we tell him?”

  Kathy shrugged. “He’s your husband.”

  31

  SAM, MIKE, AND AMY faced the second door in the circular chamber inside the tree. “They could be in there,” whispered Amy.

  “Okay, who wants to go first?” asked Sam nervously.

  “Where’s Doctor Dread?” Mike whispered as he scanned the chamber.

  Sam pointed to the door on the second-floor landing of the chamber. “Up there,” he mouthed.

  “We’d better hurry,” said Amy.

  Sam nodded. He placed his hand on the apple knob and turned. “It’s open.”

  Sam eased the door open, and the three crept inside. The room was an exact replica of the one that Amy and Sam had been trapped inside. A boy and a girl stood, eyes closed, in the middle of the room, encased in blocks of amber up to their chests. Vine-like wires ran from the amber blocks to the slithering branches in the dirt walls.

  “It’s them,” said Sam.

  “Oh no,” Amy gasped. “Are they okay?”

  Sam stepped toward the boy. “Darren?” he whispered.

  The boy’s eyes fluttered open. “Help … me,” he pleaded softly.

  “Are you okay?” Sam asked Darren.

  Darren nodded but then closed his eyes from fatigue. It was clear that the amber and wires were zapping his strength.

  “What is this thing?” Sam asked.

  “He built it,” said Darren.

  “Who is he?” asked Amy, stepping closer to Darren.

  Darren looked at Amy, noticing her for the first time. “Francis.” He turned to Sam. “Your uncle.”

  “But he died in the fire!” Sam exclaimed.

  “He didn’t. Your dad and Francis found a way to combine pow—” Darren stopped suddenly and looked away.

  “We have shirts,” Amy prodded. “It’s okay, we understand.”

  Darren’s eyes widened. “You have shirts!” he said breathlessly. “What are your powers?”

  Amy smiled. “Well, Sam is very strong, and Mike, that’s my brother, he can be invisible—like right now. I’m Amy.”

  “What can you do?” asked Darren.

  “What I draw comes to life,” said Amy.

  “Cool,” Darren smiled softly as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

  “When you say they found a way to combine, you mean like to use each other’s powers?” Mike asked Darren.

  Darren opened his eyes wide, looking to see where the voice was coming from. “Well, they tried wearing each other’s shirts at the same time,” he said to the space in front of him.

  Mike’s cheeks reddened as he thought about the time he asked Amy to trade shirts. He was glad they couldn’t see his embarrassment.

  “That didn’t work,” Darren continued. “But Francis found another way. He built a machine like the one in here with the lights. He said that the first experiment started the fire. He said it was an accident.”

  “What is the machine?” asked Amy.

  “If we’re hooked up in here, he can use our powers. It’s powered by that huge chandelier,” said Darren.

  “Have you guys been in this stuff the whole time?” Sam asked.

  “No, he gives us food and lets us sleep. The branches keep us in here when he’s gone,” said Darren.

  Darren gestured with his head to the writhing branches running in and out of the dirt walls and ceiling. Mike shook his head, in awe at what he was hearing and seeing.

  “How’d he get you if you were wearing your shirts?” Mike’s voice asked Darren.

  Darren stared at Mike. “You don’t know how it was. He had Diane.”

  Sam stepped in. “Hey, Mike, he got me and Amy, remember?”

  Amy turned to look at Diane. “Is she okay?”

  Darren looked at Diane. “Diane! Diane!” he called.

  Diane opened her eyes slowly. She looked at Amy and then at Sam. Her eyes widened in hope. “Please,” she said weakly. “Please get us out of here. Help us. Please. Please.”

  Amy stepped closer to Diane. “We will.”

  “I still don’t get how the machine works,” said Mike.

  “It’s simple really,” said a raspy, horrible voice behind the kids.

  Mike, Sam, and Amy turned around slowly as Francis, the man in the cloak, glided into the room, his dark hood still covering his face.

  “Are you familiar with the term ‘osmosis’?” Francis asked, his toothless smile broadening. “This tree here; how do you think the leaves at the tiptop get the nutrients that come from the soil?” Francis gestured as he spoke, his pale hands with no fingernails emerging from beneath his cloak.

  No one answered.

  “Never thought about it, huh? That’s osmosis. The pressure—like when you put a straw in a cup of liquid and put your finger over it? This invention is like that, you see?” Again there was no reply.

  “No? When you wear the shirt, there is energy that supplies your various powers. I’ve found a way to tap into that energy,
to divert it into the amber, then along the conduits, then out through light waves.” Francis, clearly enjoying his monologue, pointed at the wires running from the amber cages to the vines slithering in the walls. “I’ve created quite a chandelier—have you seen it?” Francis filled the silence with a hoarse chuckle.

  The kids remained motionless.

  “The energy is delivered here,” said Francis as he opened his cloak, displaying a red shirt so dark that it was almost black. Clipped to the neckline of the shirt was a small antenna that looked similar to the wires embedded in the amber. “I’m very proud of it,” Francis added.

  “But you kidnapped two kids,” said Amy, finding her voice for the first time.

  Francis faced Amy. “Kids? Are you aware of what Darren and Diane can do?”

  Francis stood and faced the far wall in the room. He opened his eyes and aimed them at the wall. There was an intense glow from the outer room and a sound like a generator exerting more energy. Darren winced in pain, and Francis’s eyes opened wide, as red lines of heat shot from them and blasted a small hole in the wall. Francis closed his eyes. He turned to face Sam. This time Diane winced in pain. Francis raised his arm, suspending Sam in midair. Francis pointed his long, bony finger and spun it in the air. Sam’s body followed suit, spinning in the air like a Frisbee.

  “Hey! Hey! Put me down!” yelled Sam.

  Francis lowered his arm slowly and placed Sam on the ground. Francis beamed with pride, his grotesque smile visible beneath his hood.

  Sam took a tentative step toward Francis. “Uncle Frank?”

  Francis looked down at Sam. “Yes, Samuel. It is me. Your strength is a great gift. Like your father’s.”

  “Can you let them go?” Sam asked Francis.

  Francis’s smile disappeared. “No, no, no! This is important!” His raspy voice grew more horrible as he yelled.

  “But you can’t just keep them forever,” said Mike.

  Francis turned to face the space from where Mike’s voice had come. A smile spread over his face. “Ah, another member of the fold,” Francis said. “But I cannot let them go. It’s for their own good.”

  “You’re a liar,” Darren spat bravely.

  Sam, Mike, and Amy looked at Darren, surprised at the harsh tone of the comment.

  “Shut up, please,” said Francis.

  “He’s jealous. He thinks that his power isn’t good enough. He wanted to be strong like your dad was, and now he wants our powers!” Darren spat.

  “I said shut up!” Francis gestured toward Darren, and his amber gel trap glowed brightly and began to spin rapidly. Darren howled in pain.

  “Stop!” screamed Sam as he slammed into Francis, sending him crashing into the dirt wall.

  Francis landed hard. His hood fell back completely, unveiling his scarred head.

  All of the children gasped at the horrific site.

  Francis had no eyelids. One eye looked normal, but the other was completely bloodshot. His nose was nothing more than a nub, and his entire face was enveloped in scar tissue. His lips were gone, and his teeth were a nasty brown.

  Francis glared at Sam, his eyes filled with anger. He extended his right hand, and liquid amber began to drip from his fingertips. Sam took a step back. “Do something!” yelled Amy to Mike.

  Mike stood still, unsure of what to do. The liquid amber seeped toward Sam and wrapped around his ankles. Francis grimaced, and the amber twirled rapidly around Sam’s legs, spinning faster and faster.

  Mike moved quickly toward the door, but Francis heard Mike’s footsteps and blasted a line of red heat at the doorway. The chandelier in the outer room glowed, and Darren yelled in pain.

  Amy stared at the door where a hole had been blasted through the wall. “Mike?” she pleaded. No answer. Amy turned back to Francis, her eyes red with anger. The chandelier glowed once again as Diane screamed, and Amy hung suspended in the air.

  32

  “THIS IS INSANITY!” David exclaimed. “We should call the police.”

  “Honey, just pick up the shirt,” said Laura.

  David sighed and reached into the open chest in the attic. A jolt of electricity shot through his arm, and he recoiled sharply. “What is this? What’s going on?” David asked, stunned.

  Laura watched as David absorbed the Falton family history, his eyes growing wider with each new piece of information that Kathy divulged. Suddenly, the doorbell rang from downstairs.

  “The kids!” Laura cried, hopeful.

  They all raced for the stairs.

  Laura flung open the front door and looked down at Ben, who stood on the front step clutching the voice modifier.

  “Hello,” said Laura, disappointed that it wasn’t her kids.

  “Is Mike here?” asked Ben.

  “Do you know Mike?” Laura asked, some hope returning.

  “Yeah, he left this at my house,” said Ben.

  “Mike was at your house? Who are you?” asked Laura.

  Kathy came and stood next to Laura. “Oh, hi there, Ben,” said Kathy. Kathy turned to Laura. “Ben is Sam’s second cousin.”

  “Yeah, uh, is Mike home?” Ben asked again.

  “I’m sorry, Ben, he’s not here. Do you know …” Kathy’s voice trailed off as Ben nodded, absorbed in thought, and started to walk away.

  Kathy frowned. “Goodbye, Ben.”

  Ben raised his hand as he walked, head down, past the front gate.

  Kathy shut the door and went back inside. But Laura remained on the front porch, watching Ben pensively. “Ben!” she called suddenly. “Come back!”

  Laura, Kathy, and David stood beside Ben as he faced the open chest in the attic. “You just want me to pick this shirt up?” asked Ben, puzzled. He looked at the chest suspiciously.

  “Yes, dear, please pick up the shirt,” said Kathy, trying to mask the urgency she felt.

  Ben shrugged and reached into the chest. He pulled out the red shirt and turned towards the adults. “What’s the big deal?”

  “P-put it on,” urged Laura.

  “Huh?” Ben scrunched his nose.

  “Please, Ben, put the shirt on,” Kathy pleaded.

  “It’s important,” added David.

  Ben rolled his eyes but humored the adults and pulled the shirt over his head.

  “Unbelieveable!” exclaimed David as the red shirt blended into Ben’s clothing and disappeared.

  “Where’d it go?” Laura asked, her voice a whisper.

  “That’s how they work,” said Kathy, equally stunned. “It’s you, Ben,” she said to him.

  Ben looked at the adults nervously. These people are nuts, he thought. I’ve got to get out of here. Then he looked down at the red shirt. It looked like it had been absorbed by his T-shirt. Only a residue of shimmer remained.

  “What the crap?” Ben exclaimed.

  Laura ignored the exclamation. “Ben, do you know where Mike and Amy are?” she asked. The panic in her voice was evident.

  “You don’t know where they are?” asked Ben.

  “No,” said Kathy. “Do you?”

  “Well,” Ben said as he reached into his back pocket. “I might.” He unfolded the map of the Falton family land and placed it in Laura’s outstretched hand.

  33

  “HELP! LET ME OUT!” Sam yelled from inside an amber ball. He was fully encased in the sap, his cries now soundless.

  Amy was pinned to the wall near the doorway ten feet off the ground. Liquid amber secured her legs and arms to the wall. Francis stared at Amy with lidless eyes. “The boy could be invisible. What is your power, young lady?” he asked Amy.

  “You’re insane,” Amy declared, her voice filled with resentment.

  Francis frowned. “Insane? Now, could an insane person build a machine like this?”

  “Uh, yeah, only an insane person would build something like this,” Amy replied.

  Francis ignored her retort. “I feared that, when Greg died, the power of the shirts ended with him. But now I have a second
chance. Do you see the possibilities?”

  “Yes, you are a nut job!” Amy yelled.

  “You lack vision, my dear,” Francis curtly replied and began to leave.

  Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, Amy saw the bottle of liquid nitrogen floating in the air toward Francis. She tried to think of something to say.

  “You, you, you’re crazy!” she yelled. “You’re just jealous of other people’s powers, and—and your face is disgusting!”

  Francis faced Amy again, his eyes burning with fury. With a squeeze of his fist, the amber around Amy’s legs and arms tightened like a tourniquet. She screamed.

  Suddenly, she began to laugh—a deep guttural laugh from her belly. She realized something about Francis, about power, about herself. “You make me sick!” she yelled at Francis. “You want power because you don’t have it—the real kind that no one can take from you.”

  Francis’s eyes were ablaze. He rushed at her with his hands like claws and his bony fingers oozing liquid amber menacingly. Then, in a flash, the can of liquid nitrogen flew in front of him and blasted frozen vapor into his face. He screamed and covered his eyes. Then the can hit him hard on the head, and he was out cold. The amber vice around Amy’s limbs slackened slightly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She watched as the liquid nitrogen floated over to Sam and blasted the amber ball around him. In an instant, Sam had broken free and smashed the frozen amber into tiny pieces.

  The liquid nitrogen next floated toward Darren. “Look away,” Mike’s voice commanded.

  “You’re invisible!” Darren exclaimed as he looked away and the nitrogen blasted his amber trap. Sam broke the frozen amber apart with his bare hands and extricated Darren from inside. The vein-like wires used to zap his powers wriggled aimlessly, shooting sparks. The children next turned their attention to Diane and freed her, as well.

  Suddenly, an explosion ruptured the giant chandelier in the main chamber. Sparks flew as the chamber reeled from the blast.

  “Hurry!” Sam yelled frantically at Mike over the noise. “It’s gonna blow!”

  Ben led Laura, Kathy, and David through the backyard and past the tall tree. Laura looked up, seeing the fort for the first time. She looked at the drawings, which she was still clutching in her hand.