A Looming Tower

6

Note: Added a sketch I did on the schoolbus for the layout of the Towers of Azurelon! They're above the clouds, btw, and the floaty shapes are extra clouds. Project Dream- this book's one, the short one- is in the back, Project Appraisal in the front, Project Canopy to the left, and then the Fourth Tower- Timeline- is to the right. Anyway, thought I should include that since stuff is mentioned this chapter. I have a better drawing of this, on a map of Azurelon somewhere, maybe I'll post it if I find it.

Thanks!

...Why is this the world... I live in? What was before...? Before this Project?

BOOM. In the darkness around me, a pedestal rises. And I walk to it without knowing why, without a thought in my mind. I stare at it on my knees.

A pedestal. A column of black with symbols inscripted all over it, and a pool of water in the middle. The water ripples, reflection of black distorting into something else.

It's a map of Space. A world. No, two worlds. So far away, yet so similar. One is Earth, and one is Azurelon. Azurelon is on its normal orbit, so so far from earth, and Earth stays on its normal course as well. But then a beam of darkness shoots from Azurelon to Earth, and as my eyes feel odd, it pulls Azurelon with it. Azurelon flickers in and out of existence, in and out, in and out, and on one flicker out it collides with Earth, and when it flickers back to life, an explosion erupts. When the water settles, the two are merged, holding onto each other, and a ring of debris floats as a ring around the merging point.

Echo of Earth, a voice whispers, and then my eyes flash open.

"Anna?" Lily asks, shaking me, "You awake? Stay with me!"

I groan, pushing myself to sit. My head aches, and I rub it. "What happened?"

She glances back. "That kid tried to knock you out. I deflected the chair, mostly, but it still hit you pretty hard... Will you be okay?"

I stagger to my feet, clenching my teeth against the pain. "Yeah. I'm fine, thanks." And then I look around.

I'm in an abandoned classroom- other than Haden, slumped on the floor by who knows what means- and desks are scattered across the room. Chairs are on top of most of the desks, other than the one Haden had swung at me, and the walls are a boring tan. There's a whiteboard at the front, and a door to my right.

"There's another kid, though..." Lily starts, uncertain, "And I think he knows you..."

I swivel to face her. "Who?"

She sucks in a breath, pointing to a form in the corner behind me. "Him..."

I limp over- for some reason, my leg hurts- and widen my eyes at the fifth person.

Gerald. From the haunting, a voice whispers, but this time without the pain, still the same. Same dark hair, same darkish clothes. A bump has swelled on his forehead, and though I can't forget how he betrayed my family, How can I remember this now?, I still feel anger meant for his attacker.

I turn to Lily, seething. "Did you kill him?"

She shakes her head, glancing at the door. "He was like this when we got here. I knocked out the other kid, though... I think."

I feel Gerald's pulse- he's still alive. But is he real?

Yes, the Haunter suddenly booms, he is. But this knowledge is fresh in your mind. Do not trust it.

Lily frowns, looking out the window. "Um, Anna..."

"What?" I ask, joining her and trying to peer in.

"DUCK!" she exclaims, leaping to the floor, and I fall over as the glass shatters, a tentacle of black surging in. Suddenly the room's temperature declines, the air flowing towards the gap. I feel myself pulled towards it, too, but I resist.

"THAT'S OUTER SPACE!" Lily screams, crawling towards Gerald on hands and knees, "WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE ROOM AND SEAL IT!"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?"

She cries out, heaving Gerald onto her back. "TRUST ME!"

And I do, because she trusted me in the water, and I failed her. I couldn't get her out in time. I hurry over to Haden, hesitate, then grab him, pulling him by the hand to the end of the room. The attraction is getting stronger and stronger as the glass ruptures more and more, small objects flinging through the air and out, and when I finally reach the door, Lily's already out with Gerald. I grab the door handle, pulling with all my might, and I get through, but Haden dangles behind. I'm not strong enough to pull him with me.

"LET HIM GO!" "Lily cries, yelling so the flow of air doesn't steal her words, "HE'S NOT WORTH IT!"

I frown. "WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET!" And I tug all the harder, failing, but suddenly she's by my side and we pull him through. I pull the door shut, pressing in the lock from the inside and tugging it until it clicks, and then we're safe, collapsing to the floor.

But then I remember something, and I gasp, staring at Haden. "Before he knocked me out," I say, "He said my name. How did he know my name?"

Before Lily can respond, Gerald's eyes flicker open, he gasps behind us, and without a word begins to run.

And the dream shifts.

--Woo, 6 chapters of a brand new book and 3 days! I'm really liking this! (Probably helps that the chapters are short, lol)

Anyways, please vote/comment if you liked!! I really appreciate it!
--DraconisSolutus