The Ark of Power

by David Barco

  "I guess I should be honest with you now," Tommy replies not looking at Harrison.

  "I mean that would be nice. I consider you a good friend, Tommy. I think I deserve to know.”

  Tommy lifts up gazing at Harrison directly in his eyes. "I was assigned to follow you and keep an eye on you since school started. The Elder knew that you would probably try to find some answers when you arrived at the Academy. So, he had a game plan for years. The reason I was trained the way I was by my dad was because the Elder commanded him to get me ready to watch over you. It was his mission to get me ready for my mission. Keeping you safe is my mission.”

  Harrison’s heart sinks to his stomach. "Why would the Elder assign you this mission? Why not someone else? Why go to the extent to have another teenager take this mission?"

  "He told me and my dad when I was eleven years old that you would trust another student more than an adult at the Academy," Tommy replies.

  "So that is the reason he reserved me the seat next to you the first day at the Academy? He must have set that up so we could meet each other," Harrison says.

  "Yeah. He wanted to make sure we met. He figured that would be the best way to make sure I was introduced to you," Tommy pulls his legs back in close to his body.

  Abruptly, a loud noise rattles from the bushes near the house. Harrison and Tommy look toward their right.

  "You hear that?" Tommy asks.

  Harrison rises slowly, inspecting the area better. Nodding his head in agreement, Harrison and Tommy walk off the porch quietly. They creep slowly. The bush sways in the wind gently. Tommy sneaks around, looking behind it. Glancing back at Harrison, he motions nothing was there.

  Suddenly, a yellow energy ball slams near Harrison's feet. Jumping away from it, Harrison rolls towards Tommy. Gazing up towards the roof, a masked individual in all black jumps off the roof flinging another yellow energy ball at them.

  Heading directly at Harrison, Tommy quickly steps in the way slapping the energy ball on the lake. Harrison watches it skip across the lake a couple of times before it disappears.

  The masked individual lands on the ground and rolls onto his feet and sprints towards the city.

  "Make sure he doesn't get away," Tommy runs after him.

  Harrison sprints behind Tommy following the masked person. Harrison doesn't worry about the aching pain at the bottom of his feet. The masked person runs towards a giant pier that sits on top of the crystal-clear water.

  Forming an energy ball, Tommy throws it at the masked person. Tommy misses him. Harrison falls back, not being able to keep up.

  "We can't lose him," Harrison shouts running faster to catch up.

  The masked person stops, turning around sharply. Putting his hands together, he forms a yellow energy ball. Harrison and Tommy stop quickly, glaring at him forming his attack.

  "It's an energy beam. Get out of the way. Quick," Tommy screams.

  Pushing his hands out, a giant yellow energy beam shoots across the long pier, racing towards Tommy and Harrison. Tommy jumps off the pier into the water. Harrison jumps off the pier on the other side.

  Crashing into the water, Harrison observes the yellow beam covering the whole pier as he is under the water. Swimming to the surface, all of a sudden Harrison sees a pitchfork covered in purple energy flying through the energy beam. Screams erupt from the masked man following the energy beam disappearing.

  Harrison pulls himself up. The water drips off of him, trickling back into the lake. He observes Stew walking slowly to the masked person who is crying in pain as the pitchfork is sticking through his right lower calf. Tommy pulls himself up and helps Harrison up. Standing next to each other, Stew looks back towards them.

  "Come on. Let's take him back to the house and figure out what we are going to do with him," Stew says determinedly.

  Chapter 29

  Ghost

  Stew slings the door open, holding the masked person by the back of his black shirt. Harrison and Tommy follow the trail of blood that is dripping from his leg that was stabbed with Stew's pitchfork. JT, Jaylen, and Joseph raise up rapidly from a deep slumber. Stew throws the man onto the floor, next to JT.

  "Harrison. Go get a chair and get some black tape from the drawer next to the fridge," Stew says.

  JT gets up and scurries toward the couch. Jaylen and Joseph stand up with a look of confusion on their face.

  "Gotcha," Harrison moves toward the kitchen.

  "Okay. What the heck did I miss? Why are we throwing a masked guy into the living room?" JT asks.

  Harrison flings the drawer open. Running his hand through packets of ketchup and mustard, he finally grabs the dense black tape. Shutting the drawer, he grabs the tarnished wooden chair and runs back into the living room.

  The masked person clutches his leg tightly where the three wounds are. Stew lifts him up while Harrison places the chair in the middle of the floor. Placing him on the chair, Stew takes the tape, wrapping his arms behind it.

  "Alright. It's cool. Don't answer my question. We will just wake up and watch you guys keep some guy hostage," JT announces sarcastically.

  "He attacked us," Tommy says. "We chased him down and Stew captured him and brought him back so we can figure out what to do with him."

  "Let's see who he is underneath this mask," Stew snatches the mask off of his face.

  Long dirty blonde hair that looks as if it hasn't been washed in months, drops down to the pale freckled boy's shoulders.

  "I have seen this kid before. He lives around here. Haven't seen him much in the last three years since he attends the Golic Academy," Stew says shocked and disappointed. "You boys probably saw him at the academy since you all go there."

  Harrison's heart drops as the guy in the chair grins and stares in his eyes.

  Crap. We can't let Stew find out that we lied to him and that we are Destines or we are in trouble.

  "Yeah...kind of looks familiar but hard to tell since there are so many students there," Harrison replies.

  The injured boy giggles as he tries to get comfortable on the chair. "You got to be kidding me. You have no idea who they are, do you?"

  Harrison swallows hard, worrying about what they are going to do.

  Stew stands right in front of the injured boy. "Son. I know who they are, I want to know who you are and why you are dressed like this and trying to attack them.”

  Turning his head sideways to avoid eye contact with Stew, the injured boy glares at the wall.

  "It's none of your business now why I am trying to attack them and why I am dressed like this. That time will come soon enough and when it does, you are going to be begging that I don’t remember your face," he replies looking straight ahead. "The real question you should be asking is why are they lying to you about who they really are."

  Stew bends down and leans in close to his face, taking his glasses off. "What's your name son?"

  Smiling back at him, the injured boy gapes in his eyes without blinking. "If I tell you, it's going to hurt either me or you.”

  "I doubt that. Try me," Stew smiles back.

  "Okay. My name is Ghost."

  All of a sudden, he slams his head into Stew's face. Blood gushes out of Stew's nose as he falls on his back.

  Stew rolls on the ground in pain, holding his face as the blood pours on to the floor. Ghost squints his face as blood drips down his forehead. "Guess it was you.”

  Harrison and Tommy help Stew up. Holding his nose, blood rushes down his face running onto his blue overalls.

  "Jaylen, take Stew in the bathroom and help him get cleaned up," Harrison says.

  Jaylen grabs Stew's arm gently and helps guide him towards the bathroom.

  Harrison and the others stare at each other for a moment.

  "What the heck are we going to do? If this guy tells Stew we are Destines, we are dead. Especially since he just had his nose busted. He isn't going to be happy," JT whispers.

  Gathering together, Ghost looks towards them trying to
eavesdrop.

  "We can't let that happen," Harrison whispers. "We got to do something to make sure he doesn't talk."

  Scoffing under his breath, Ghost kicks his good foot on the floor.

  "You think I am not going to tell him? You are going to have to kill me to make sure I don't say anything. Believe me," Ghost interrupts loudly.

  "We can't kill him. We aren't killers," Joseph whispers.

  "Joseph is right. We can't kill him. That's not us," Harrison whispers.

  "Then what do we do to make sure he doesn't talk?" JT whispers.

  Moments go by in silence as they gaze at the bloody floor.

  "It is my mission to protect you no matter what, Harrison. The Elder and my dad told me that there would be times where I would have to do things that I didn't want to do. This is one of them, I guess," Tommy whispers, walking towards Ghost.

  Grabbing Tommy's shoulder, Harrison stops him as he stands in front of Ghost.

  "That doesn't mean you have to kill to protect me. I won't let you," Harrison says.

  Tommy grabs and throws Harrison's hand off of his shoulder. "I'm not going to kill him. I am just going to make sure he isn't able to tell him.”

  Harrison takes a step back next to JT and Joseph. Tommy takes the tape off of him as Ghost glares confused at Harrison.

  "What are you planning to do?" Ghost asks.

  "All I can say is it is going to hurt either you or me," Tommy lifts Ghost as he tries to balance on one foot. "And it's not going to be me."

  Suddenly, Tommy raises him up and tackles him through the window. Glass shatters and flies everywhere. Landing on top of him, Tommy punches him continuously in the face as he sits on top of him. Right hook after right hook makes Ghost's face swell the size of an apple. He coughs up blood trying to breathe.

  Standing up, Tommy lifts him up and leans him against a dense tree. Ghost slides slowly down the tree. Tommy slams an energy ball the size of melon into his stomach. Bouncing off the tree, Ghost falls face first into the ground, moaning in whimpers. Harrison, JT, and Joseph make it outside the same time as Jaylen and Stew who is holding a white bloody rag on his face.

  "What the heck happened?" Stew says.

  Tommy kicks him in the back of the head and turns to face them.

  "He attacked us. While we were tending to you, he ripped the tape and attacked us. He set us up. So, I had to defend myself," Tommy wipes the blood on his knuckles on his pants.

  "Gosh. Look at my window," Stew walks over to it.

  Tommy stares down at Ghost whose fingers are twitching. "I told you it was going to be you.”

  ◆◆◆

  JT and Jaylen carry Ghost back into the living room. Joseph dashes over with a beige towel placing it on the floor. Lowering him easily on his stomach, the blood continues to rush from his face. His puffed-up nose pushes his head up higher on the towel. Harrison closes the door softly behind Tommy.

  Entering the living room, they all gaze around in silence. Suddenly, Stew opens the door holding the towel pressed against his face.

  "We can't let him just sit in my living room and slowly die," Stew says.

  All of them stand still staring at the floor.

  "I tell you what. In the morning I will go and get some medicine for him from the pharmacy in town," Stew says.

  Ghost's fingers start twitching rapidly for a couple of seconds with slight moans following. Harrison looks away from the sight of him.

  "I will go for you," Harrison announces. "People know who you are in town and will be wondering why you are so banged up. We don't want that type of attention."

  "I will go with you," JT says.

  "Sounds like a plan to me," Stew replies. "The pharmacy is a small little building as soon as you get into the city. It is called Purhara Pharmacy."

  "Alright. I think we can remember that. Thanks," Harrison responds.

  Stew heads down the hallway towards his room. "See y’all in the morning. And please don't let the kid die in my living room."

  Tommy grabs a torn purple blanket and lays underneath it, closing his eyes tightly. Jaylen and Joseph scoot their white dingy blankets away from Ghost, who has changed the towel from beige to red because of all the blood gushing from his face.

  Their eyes make contact with Harrison's and JT's with an awkward glance.

  ◆◆◆

  Harrison and JT close the door slowly trying to prevent the squeak from being loud. Rising behind the mountains, the burnt orange sun peeks behind them. The chill in the air feels as if it is battling with the warmth of the sun. Harrison embraces the rays emitting from it. JT seems as if he is doing the same

  Approaching a huge pier connecting to the small city full of mid-sized buildings right next to each other, Harrison and JT stop to marvel at the white seagulls lining up on the pier. Hundreds of them sit still twitching as the sun's rays land on their bodies.

  "Not to be weird or anything. But this is kind of beautiful," JT says smiling and watching the birds flap their wings and scratch themselves.

  Harrison closes his eyes to enjoy the warm rays shining on his face. "I agree. And after last night and the last couple of days, I think we needed to see this sight.”

  Walking past the pier into the city, the seagulls’ flap away in the air towards the mountains. People walk alongside them as they approach the pharmacy. Entering, a tiny bell rings twice, signaling to the bald guy behind the counter with a long white jacket on.

  "Welcome to Purhara Pharmacy,” the man behind the counter says while reading a magazine.

  As Harrison starts to respond, a loud screeching noise grabs their attention.

  Harrison and JT try to look through the doors behind them to see what the noise is. Piercing through the bottom of the doors with glass, they can only see the bottom of two long creamy school buses. Loud chatter erupts from kids getting off the buses, breaking the peaceful silence in the streets.

  The man behind the counter peeks behind the thin wavy shades. He shakes his slick bald head. Snapping back to reading his magazine he sucks his lips in disgust. "I can't stand when the other nations bring their kids here for field trips.”

  Harrison approaches the counter trying to tune out the noise in the streets. "Excuse me. Where are your pain medications and band-aids at?"

  "Aisle five, right over there," the man says pointing while still reading the magazine.

  "Thank you," Harrison replies walking to the aisle.

  JT picks up two boxes of band-aids as Harrison grabs the biggest bottle of pain medicine there. Taking the items up to the counter, the ceiling lights bounce a strong thick glare off of his bald head.

  Harrison pays and takes the bag. Exiting the store, Harrison gazes at the stuff in the thin plastic bag in the crowded street full of kids. Suddenly, someone bumps into Harrison making him drop the bag. Harrison bends down to pick it up and is met with a soft skinned hand grabbing the other side. Lifting the bag up together, Harrison glances in front of him, as if he has seen a ghost.

  "Harrison?" Victoria says.

  Chapter 30

  Unexpected Turns

  Her eyes sparkle in the morning sun. The twinkle in her eyes sends chills down Harrison's spine just like that night at the skating rink. She looks confused as she glances back at her two friends.

  "Harrison. What are you and JT doing here? I wouldn't have imagined in a million years that we would see you," Victoria says running her hand through her long shiny hair.

  Rubbing the side of his face, JT looks at Harrison as if waiting for him to say something. Harrison waits a moment, as he is surprised to see her also.

  "We...ummm, are here for the Academy. They sent us on an a....ummm educational mission," Harrison replies.

  People crowd them as the rest of the people get off the bus. Pushing up against him, Harrison and JT scoot closer to hear Victoria.

  "Wow. That is pretty cool," Victoria says.

  All of a sudden, a screaming voice erupts from the crowd.


  "HARRISON...HARRISON."

  Gazing around the crowd of people, he doesn't spot the person screaming his name. Suddenly, someone tackles him grabbing him tightly. Gavin smiles from ear to ear as he continues to tighten his grip.

  "Gavin, it's good to see you," Harrison says while watching Victoria out of the corner of his eye. "How have you been lately?"

  Gavin lets go of his tight hold.

  "I have been pretty good," Gavin replies. "Just training so I can get ready to attend the academy like you."

  Harrison places his hand on his shoulder, smiling slightly.

  "What are you guys doing here?" Harrison asks.

  Gavin punches Harrison softly in his stomach. "Shows how much you pay attention to the letters I write to you. I wrote you a couple of months ago and told you that I was excited about our field trip here."

  Grabbing his stomach, Harrison laughs under his breath. "I remember now after you say it.”

  Victoria's friends walk off. Victoria stands there staring at Harrison.

  “We both have got to get going. If they don't see us in there, we will get in trouble," Victoria announces.

  She smiles at him. Harrison loses his breath as he gazes at her beautiful smile.

  "Yeah. Sure," Harrison says. "It was great seeing you two. Maybe we will get to see each other again before we all leave and head back."

  Victoria puts her hand on Gavin's back, guiding him slowly with her.

  "Next time we see each other, you really are going to be hurting," Gavin says lifting his fist up in the air.

  Entering into the building, Harrison and Victoria lock eyes with a tender smile.

  "Cute," JT says sarcastically. "Are you ready to go now? While you are smiling at one another, we do have a guy lying in a bloody mess waiting for us. But go ahead, we can stay a little longer so you can go in there and smile some more."

  Harrison punches him in the stomach as JT blocks it and slides back.

  "Shut up," Harrison responds walking away.

  ◆◆◆