Zoning out in Language Arts

Admin Posts : 731 Sparkle : 6 Join date : 2010-09-18

I was staring out the window at nothing at all. My Language Arts teacher droned on and on about grammar this, grammar that and I felt my eyelids drooping. Then I saw a flicker of dark clothing outside the window. I immediately panicked. Them! I sat up straight and glanced at the clock. Ten minutes until lunch. There wasn't time...

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Thu Sep 23, 2010 6:47 pm

I run to the door of the Language Arts classroom and slam into the door, late for class. Even though I knew I made a scene, My feet drag me to my seat in the very back of the room, and I take out my book. Really, Kaleb? Come on, man. Your first week in school, and you're already seeing things! You were wasting your time. There's no way- I stop thinking long enough to notice something outside of the window passing by. My head shakes as I open up to page 263 where the teacher was rambling on and on about gerunds. I try to follow along, but the image keeps playing in my head: the man chasing after me on my way to school. The way his nose seemed to take up fifty percent of his face, the words he kept repeating over and over. "Don't deny it. You know what you are." Are there any asylums nearby he could have escaped from? My gaze continues to drift to the window as I drift from memory and back into reality.

Admin Posts : 731 Sparkle : 6 Join date : 2010-09-18

I am twitching with impatience when this boy comes running in the classroom. I don't really think about it, just let it pass out of my brain. I had bigger matters to think about. I get up suddenly, hurrying towards the door. I hear the teacher call my name but keep going until I am running through the halls, letting my instincts take over.

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:04 pm

After about two minutes, I see a girl get up and run to the door of the classroom. A sudden panic runs through my mind What if she's one of those crazy asylum people who are insistent on carrying around massive weapons in public- the ones who wanted to kill me?/ Just boring old Kaleb. The boy who spent his days traveling from city to city to find a dry place to sleep, resentfully taking clothes from a Salvation Army and stealing food from a vendor on the street. As the bells ring, I am the first one out of the door as I try to find the girl with the red-brown hair. I push through everyone as I search the hallways for her. I didn't know why I was looking for danger- it just seemed to pull me in like a moth to a lamp. It would eventually kill me.

Admin Posts : 731 Sparkle : 6 Join date : 2010-09-18

I burst out the front doors of the school and looked around. I could sense it-I could feel Them. And on top of all of this, I was feeling hot. Beads of sweat were trickling down my forehead. Please don't start the Transformation now of all times, I thought angrily. I dashed around the side of the building where I had seen the shape go by the window, looking around wildly. I heard a bell ring somewhere in the school.

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:25 pm

I unwillingly, not wanting to look like a geek, take out my map of Griffin High and study it closely. Which way would she be most likely to go? The cafeteria? No, she didn't look that hungry. Library? I couldn't imagine anybody being excited enough to study that they'd skip the end of class. I continue running until I push open a pair of doors. I see the flip of red-brown hair running the other direction, and I run up to it, sneakily trailing behind the girl who I didn't know.

Admin Posts : 731 Sparkle : 6 Join date : 2010-09-18

I shimmied along the wall, probably looking like a total idiot. Then I saw it. A dark clothed person, looking more man-like in shape, crouched ahead, looking in the window of the classroom I'd just left.

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:48 pm

Interested in what the girl was now looking at, my feet creep closer to her until I am only ten feet away from the back of her. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a shape in front of her. It is completely black without the slightest bit of color, looking through the window to our LA classroom. I gasp silently as I realize that this was the same figure that was chasing me earlier. I back up and reach into my hoodie pocket to pull out my pocketknife which I hold firmly in my hand. The little comfort that I had was now as calming as having a piece of toast to protect me.

Admin Posts : 731 Sparkle : 6 Join date : 2010-09-18

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!" I jump on the man's back, ripping off his hood. I see a flash of his eyes, which shock me as being red. He flings me to the ground. I hit my head on the pavement and see stars (ha,ha), but struggle to a sitting position. His boot presses into my gut and he smiles.
"You have a lot to learn," he rasps. "Star child."

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Fri Sep 24, 2010 5:28 pm

Suddenly realizing that we were on the same side, I run into the bushes next too me, trying to get close enough to the man to attack quickly. As the red-haired girl is pushed to ground with the man's boot on her stomach, he calls her a weird name- "star child" whatever that meant. Out of the bushes, I unleash my inner fury and jump on the man's back, trying to get him off of the- so I thought for the time being-innocent girl.

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This kid comes flying out of nowhere and slams into the man. Through my blurry vision I see it is the boy from the LA class. The man is knocked aside for a moment, and it gives me time to jump to my feet. For the moment the boy has caught him by surprise, so I whale my fist into the back of his neck. He crumples. "Run while you can," I scream at the boy.

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:26 pm

I get up and brush off my shirt. As the girl yells for me to run, I shakily reply, "No way. If he gets up, you're toast. I don't know why he's here or what the heck he meant by that whole 'star child' thing, but I'm not letting you stay alone." I back off a little bit, giving her some space to breath.

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I frown, slightly annoyed. "Seriously, this isn't your business to be meddled with. He's after me, not you." I say solemnly. Although I new he had probably saved my butt, I wasn't about to tell him that. "The star child thing?" I laughed, acting blase. "He's crazy, he was ranting. It's nothing," I say it a little too fast.

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Mon Sep 27, 2010 3:57 pm

I turn around, now embarrassed, and begin to walk away from the girl with the attitude. I guess that she has a right to be a little agitated, I guess. I'd be mad if I was just attacked by some weird guy, too. "Sorry. I just thought maybe you could help me. He said the same thing to me earlier about the whole 'star child' thing. I've got no clue what he meant earlier. Sorry for bugging you" I say quietly as I walk away , not entirely believing her statement from earlier. Come on, Kal. Don't worry about that. He'll probably be arrested today anyway.

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The man was on the ground, unconscious. I carefully took a tiny piece of metal and slipped it under his fingernail. "Look." I told the boy, blushing a little bit. "I'm sorry..I just get mean whenever this kind of thing happens." I realize my mistake and try pitifully to cover it up. "I mean this doesn't happen...I mean..WHOA! That sure was scary weird stalker guy..ha..ha." I sigh, staring at the ground. "Whatever." Finally I just stick out my hand. "Roxy." I mutter. Then I see his eyes, how they are a little bit shiny like all of us star kids....

"Wait." I whispered. "This hasn't happened to you before, right? Someone trying to kill you?"

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:05 pm

I nervously take Roxy's hand and shake it wearily. "I'm Kaleb. New-" I pause for a moment and continue, "transfer student." My eyes drift to hers, and I see nervousness masked behind her smile. Wow. You need to man up and stop being so feeling-y, Kaleb I think, as a slight redness flushes my cheeks. As she asks about the killing attempts, I look around, making sure that nobody else was listening. "Yeah. That guy" I point to the unconscious guy laying on the ground and continue. "He was after me this morning yelling 'come back here, you star child!' Are there any prisons or asylums nearby that he could have escaped from or something?" I ask hopefully. I hear a bell ring as lunch period ends, but I can't let myself move back to the door. "What's going on, Roxy?" I whisper, realizing that she must be hiding something.

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I make an impulsive decision. "We need to go before he wakes up and contacts Them," I mutter more to myself that to Kaleb. I grab his arm and drag him towards the bike rack. I see two bikes that are locked together and quickly pull a swiss army knife out of my pocket, slicing through the cord. "Come with me," I say, locking eyes with him. "I know you think you can't trust me, but you are just going to have to. Listen. Have you ever wondered why you never had any parents?" I pushed the second bike towards him and put one leg over mine. "Maybe you thought they abandoned you. Have you thought it was a little weird when dark clothed people stalked you or attacked you? How sometimes..." I stopped and caught my breath. "Twice a year, on your birthday and your half birthday, something happened? You got angry at the world and then all the sudden you weren't anything...you were just heat and turmoil and......all of that, everything. It's because you aren't from this world, Kaleb." I started pedaling. "I'd come if I were you."

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:31 pm

I pause for a moment as she questions me. "Wait... how did you know-" I stop short and immediately mount the bike. "Where are we..." I start pedaling to keep up with her as my head swirls with a million thoughts.

Admin Posts : 731 Sparkle : 6 Join date : 2010-09-18

I pedal faster, zigzagging between cars and across people's front yards. "It's a pretty short ride," I call back to him, glancing back to make sure that he is still with me. "Oh brother," I sigh angrily. "They're not gonna let me get you home, are they?" A dark car was gaining on us. "Follow me, do not let them catch up or see where we go!" and with that I plunge into a hedge.

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Thu Sep 30, 2010 6:46 pm

Still completely clueless, I follow Roxy and do exactly as she says. As I land in the bush, I decide that now probably isn't the best time for questions. Whoever these people were, they wanted us both dead, and I generally made it a point not to get killed. What does she mean by 'home'? I try to keep up with her as we get through the hedge.

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I must look like a comedy act, I thought at the back of my head as I emerge from the hedge, leaf covered. I spare a glance behind me and see Kaleb still following. And then I also see the hedge getting crushed under the weight of the black car. "Kaleb!" I scream as the car speeds up. I swerve out of the way and kick my boot through the tinted window, shattering it. Then everything else happens in slow motion as the guy in the passenger points a gun at me. I wasn't really concerned about myself, just getting Kaleb to safety. Why don't I ever think before I act....I feel the prick as something hits my neck. A dart gun, I think as my vision darkens, and then I am falling off the bicycle....

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:55 pm

As Roxy falls to the floor, I pause in a moment of panic. The blade from my pocket gets violently swung out at the man by some inner strength, and I see the man with the dart gun grip his shoulder in pain. I try to drag Roxy out out the wake of shattered glass dripping with the man's blood. Unable to drag her whatever distance we would have to go, I pick her up and carry her over my shoulder. I don't even feel her weight pressing down on me as I think back to reality. Where am I supposed to take her? Where was she going to take me? I ask myself as I abandon the bike and begin running the opposite direction of the now-impaired man. The only thing I could think of was a strange image of a place I had never seen. It had the look of a prison, but it seemed inviting. Not knowing where to start looking, I take a few turns and lay her down on a shady bus stop bench. I take off my hoodie and place it behind her head and try to think of what to do next.

Admin Posts : 731 Sparkle : 6 Join date : 2010-09-18

I stir slightly and my hand falls open. Written on it lightly in pen is:
Cori's new phone (don't forget!) #: 677-4540

Subject: Re: Zoning out in Language Arts Sat Oct 02, 2010 7:58 pm

I see her eyes open the slightest bit with seven numbers on it. I quickly memorize it, which was always easy for me, and try to see where the dart had hit her. I search around until I see it poking out of her neck. This might hurt a little, but it'll all be okay, Roxy, I say soothingly, but my voice shakes as I try to gently take it out.

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I scream and my eyes fly open. I had a piercing headache, the wound throbbed, and I felt like someone had just thrown a bucket of water from Antarctica on me. "What the [expletive]?!" I shriek, my hand rubbing my neck where the dart had been.