The Black Box

15

"Yeah, classes went just fine," I tell Jax as we walk home from school. Jason posted a pic of me on all the social media he has. Face Planting Geek was the title of every pic.

"Jason can be a real jerk," Jax says.

"No doubt about that."

"Did you hear that he's cheating on Marin? She got really angry at him and punched him in the nose. Says that he's got a really bad bruise now. He says he wasn't cheating, but his phone went off and he was texting Marissa the next second," Jax tells me the gossip all the time 'cause I don't bother with it.

"Great. More joke material for me," I say, poking his elbow with mine.

"See ya Peter!" says Jax as he runs down his street.

I keep walking towards my house. I walk in, and Toby's getting scolded, again.

"Tobias Ceiler! Don't you ever do that ever again! Do you hear me mister? Don't ever do that again!" says my mom, chastising Toby.

I go up to my room and do my homework. Toby's such a troublemaker.

I pull out the black box and I want to go, but so don't want to at the same time. I guess I'll go and see what happens.

I flip the switch.

I look around and I'm in Christie's house. Good so I don't show up at the granite hill each time. I look around and I don't find Christie. I climb down to the ground and walk out the dimly lit hallway, back outside into the ravine.

It's night outside, how I know? The moon's out. I don't know how they do day and night cycles here when there's no sun. I look around the ravine and walk around. I see at the end of the ravine a long bushy tail. Oh crap, there's an animal I don't know and it's really close.

I slowly back up, but obviously it's like a movie and I step on a twig. The tail disappeared but I see a face. A cat face. It's like a mutant snow leopard. It's twice as larger as a regular one. It also has 6-inch fangs coming out of where its canines should be. It has talons like a bird instead of claws. It's eyes are dark green, like Sophie's. It's poised for action, meaning to kill me. I stay as still as I can, not making a sound or move. Suddenly it lunges at me and pins me down to the ground. It's about to claw the life out of me when Christie comes from behind and kills it. Now I have a giant dead cat body on me.

"Thanks Christie," I tell her, getting on my feet. Now I have dark patches of blood over my clothes.

"No problem," she says as she puts her black sword back into one of the scabbards. "Let's go back inside. Don't ever do that without equipment," she tells me.

We go back inside, Christie putting the items into the holes. She runs to the other side of the room and up to her balcony.

She comes back down in about 10 minutes with clothes in her arm. They're black. Probably 'cause of camouflage.

"How are these?" she asks me. She lays out a gray t-shirt, black pants, black boots, and a black leather jacket. She goes back up to her balcony and grabs something, black of course.

"Where can I change?" I ask her.

"Over there," she says as she points to the right wall while she climbs down. I walk over to the right wall and see that there's a gray button on the wall and I push it. It opens to a changing room with a mirror. I change into my black clothes and out of my blood stained ones.

I walk out and press the button. The door closes and it's like it was never there.

"Here, you'll need these," Christie says as she hands me two swords with shoulder straps and a belt with five daggers, like what she has on. I put them on and loosen the straps to fit my height. "I'll teach you how to sword fight."

"Ok," I reply, not really having a choice.

She taught me the basics and she'll teach me the more advanced ones the next time I come back or tomorrow morning.

"Sorry Christie, I think I should go home before my parents worry about me," I tell her.

"Ok Peter. See you later," She says looking up from an old book. She almost has a pleading look for me to stay, but that's not the Christie that I know. I know the Christie that's tough and fearless, not the Christie that's sympathetic and soft. That Christie's making an appearance right now.

I wave good-bye and flip the switch. I realize that I still have my swords and black clothes on so I quickly take them off and stuff them under my junk in my closet. I change into my regular clothes and check the clock. A half an hour went by. That's not too bad.