Awake

The group spent the rest of the night watching movies until dawn. They watched a few horror flicks. Action and comedy were best because they got the excitement and laughter running. The loud explosions, upbeat music and bright, flashing colors also helped to a degree.

  However, it was getting quite painful to stay awake. Even with the booming sound and exciting scenes, they still needed to drink lots of coffee and energy drinks to stay energized—though not without repercussions. Their bodies, feeling really weird now, swelled with sudden aches, itches, jitters and pains. On top of that, their energy levels went extremely high to extremely low and back again, like a never-ending roller coaster.

  Regardless, they survived. The sun revealed its huge face in the clear sky. Hotdogs and popcorn filled their breakfast menu. They decided to eat outside on the curb, disgusted at the thought of staying any longer in the cinema. When they finished their meal, everyone hopped back into the car.

  The backseat got even more crowded, the seating arrangement lopsided. This time around, Genesis sat in the middle with Katie and Tom on either side. Katie slumped in her seat, looking out the window. She had plenty of room because Genesis kept his distance. Tom was swamped on his side. Luna rested on his lap, Terminus and Helios on his shoulders. In spite of the crowded conditions on his side, Tom couldn’t blame the animals. Katie had a really nasty attitude the entire time they were stuck in the multiplex.

  “Okay.” Kevin glanced back, slightly amused by the tense situation. “You guys all ready to go?”

  “Actually,” said Helios, “I’ve been thinking about it last night and there’s a place I want to show you before we head for the laboratory.”

  “What kind of place?”

  Helios smiled. “My own secret hideout.”

  Helios showed Kevin the way to an abandoned warehouse. The windows were boarded up with rotten wood, the walls were full of graffiti, and the front door was rusted shut.

  Tom commented, “Nice place you got here…it must be like a palace for you.”

  Helios scurried to the side of the building. “Come. The back door should be open.”

  The inside of the building looked worse than the outside. The ceiling was poked full of holes and the floor was covered with garbage.

  “What’s with all the junk?” asked Katie, disgusted.

  “Does the neighborhood dump trash in here?” asked Kevin.

  Helios had a look of dismay. “What are you talking about? This is treasure!”

  “Treasure?” Kevin reached down, picked up a dirty sock and waved it about. “This?”

  Helios frowned. “I won’t say everything here is great. But I didn’t bring you here to rag on my stuff. I have gifts for you.” Helios disappeared under a broken computer case and emerged from a shelf of books. “Come over here.” Helios motioned with his small white paw.

  The teens waded through the junk, following after him.

  Helios cleared his throat. “The real reason I brought you here is to equip you for the danger ahead. After the encounter with the snake, I realized you guys are pretty defenseless. I want to give you the best weapons I have—weapons fit for legendary heroes like you.”

  “Legendary heroes?” repeated Andrew. “In what universe are we legendary heroes?”

  Helios grinned. “Legends are born everyday! I’ve got a good feeling about you guys. I know you guys have got what it takes.”

  “What would that be?” wondered Kevin.

  “Determination…perseverance. The fact that you guys are standing here, after not sleeping for two days, shows you are ready for the next step.” He pushed aside a coverless book, revealing two red yo-yos that were hidden underneath. “These are for Kevin.”

  “Yo-yos?” Kevin grabbed the yoyos and started playing around with them, one in each hand. “Huh…”

  Helios said, “And now for the girl—”

  “Wait,” Kevin interrupted, “I thought you wanted to give me a weapon.”

  Helios gave him a dirty look. “Don’t be greedy. You’ve already got yours in your hand.”

  Kevin looked down at the yo-yos. “You don’t mean—”

  “Yes,” said Helios. “Use them well.”

  “It’s a toy!”

  Helios ignored him and raced down the side of a slanted table. He went under the table and returned, dragging out an aluminum baseball bat. After much effort, Helios wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and said to Katie, “And a club for the lady.”

  Katie shrugged. Then she picked up the bat by the handle and started swinging it around.

  “Suits me I guess. It’s got good weight to it.”

  After seeing Katie’s reaction, Helios excitedly climbed up a hill of garbage, which stretched almost up to the ceiling itself, and pushed down a square plastic container. “This one’s for you Andrew.”

  Andrew eyed the large black container. It would undoubtedly be something underwhelming. But as he removed the plastic lid, his mouth opened. There was a modern crossbow inside. “A crossbow? Wow! Really?”

  Helios beamed. “Yup. I’ve got a few tranquilizer bolts to go with it.”

  Tom gulped in anticipation. First there were yo-yos, then a baseball bat, and finally a crossbow. Judging from the order of things, he’d probably get the best weapon.

  “All right,” said Helios, raising his fists animatedly. “We’re done here! Let’s go!”

  “You didn’t give me anything!” Tom demanded, “Where’s my weapon?”

  Helios blinked. “Oh…you. I almost forgot about you.” Rubbing his chin, Helios cast his gaze slowly across the room as he searched for something suitable. Nodding slowly, his eyes stopped at a metal trashcan. “Don’t worry. I have just the thing.” He pointed at it. “That’s yours.”

  Tom walked over to the trashcan and popped open the lid. It was empty.

  “There’s nothing in here.”

  “The lid is yours,” Helios said. “It will make a perfect shield.”

  Tom sputtered, “A lid? You’re giving me a lid? This is worse than the yo-yo! There’s got to be something else in here!”

  Helios shook his head and replied, “Nope, sorry. That’s all I’ve got. Take it or leave it.”

  Tom heatedly argued with Helios over the choice of his weapon for a few minutes before Kevin interfered and assured him that they probably weren’t even going to use the stuff anyway. Andrew also added that they were in a hurry and should not be wasting their time. Tom accepted the lid, but stuffed it in the trunk of the car, thinking he’d never bother with it. It wasn’t even anything special. He could probably find those metal lids all over the city.

  They continued on their journey and Helios informed Kevin of the address of the secret laboratory. They were getting close. But as they drove down the street, Andrew noticed something by a stop sign.

  Andrew tapped on the window. “There’s something there.”

  “Another person?” Kevin’s eyes started to shine.

  “No…I’m not sure.”

  Kevin pursed his lips. “Might as well check it out.”

  He stopped the car and everyone got out. Genesis rushed to the stop sign, finding a Chihuahua lying on its side. He looked across the street. Several dogs and cats were sprawled along the asphalt and concrete. Concerned, Genesis nudged the small dog with his nose.

  The Chihuahua glanced at Genesis. “Agent…Genesis…”

  “What happened here?” Genesis demanded.

  “Ambush…snakes…a whole bunch snuck behind…”

  “More snakes?” Genesis examined the dog’s pitiful state. “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m not sure…I can’t feel anything anymore…” the dog rasped.

  “You’ll be okay,” Genesis assured him. “I’ll call for help.”

  The Chihuahua looked Genesis in the eye and wheezed, “I think…they know about your plan. Be careful…they might be looking to stop you.”

  Watching the scene, Kevin chewed his lip. “How could they do such a terrible thing?” br />
  Genesis looked up at Kevin. “I didn’t think they’d be this desperate. They’re mobilizing. An attack like this shows they are prepared to fight.” Genesis paused. “The situation has changed. At first I thought we’d just go and find a cure with your help. But now it seems that if you continue to help us, your lives will be in danger.”

  Kevin mused. “As if our lives weren’t already in danger.” He walked back to the car and waved his hand. “Come on, everyone. This just means we have to hurry.”

  Their destination wasn’t much farther along the road. Kevin parked the car in an abandoned lot. The only thing in the parking lot was a rusted tractor-trailer. There wasn’t even a building in sight.

  Kevin looked out the window. “Is this really the place?”

  Andrew double-checked the GPS. “This is 1219 Hollowbard Road.” He glanced at the woods and then the truck. “Well, it is a secret lab. And it’s supposed to be underground too.”

  They left the car and began scouring the area for clues. Katie stayed in the backseat and left the door open. She stifled a yawn and watched as the others searched around.

  Finding the tractor-trailer suspicious, Kevin inspected it right away. The vehicle had been gutted out. There was nothing left under the engine hood and it had been stripped of all its tires. He unlatched and opened the back door of the trailer. The inside was empty.

  Kevin sighed and turned away, preparing to close the door, but before he did, Genesis hopped onto the trailer and began sniffing around.

  Kevin watched the dog explore with his nose. “You think there’s something here?”

  Genesis wandered back and forth. He stopped at the very front of the trailer and glanced at Kevin. “A human scent is right here.”

  Kevin climbed into empty trailer. Then Kevin crouched down, brushing away the dirt on the floor. He noticed a slight crack on the ground and a crowbar on the side. He jammed the crowbar into the crack and yanked it. Snap. He managed to pry open a hidden panel. Underneath the panel was a dark hole almost four feet in diameter. With his eyes Kevin tried to gauge the depth of the hole, but it was too deep to see the bottom. But there were sturdy rungs on the side.

  Pleased with himself, Kevin dusted off his hands and looked at Genesis. “Once again, it looks like you’ll be out of action.”

  Genesis nodded. “Luna and I will keep guard. You can take everyone else with you.”

  “Everyone else, huh? Will it be all right with just the two of you? I’m worried about those snakes.”

  Genesis said dryly, “I can handle a few snakes. I’m more worried about what might be down there. The snakes might not be working alone, and the laboratory is a good place for an ambush.”

  Genesis’s words added more fear than Kevin had expected. “We’ll be careful,” Kevin said uncertainly. “I just hope that will be enough.”

  - Into the Dark -