The Brain Invaders

Chapter 19

The next day at school was more of the same – stomachaches, paranoia about someone seeing my birthmark. By the time my field hockey game started after school, I was ready to smash something, and a hockey ball would do.

I’d been putting makeup on my birthmark but for the game my wrist sweat band would cover it so I didn’t have to worry. 

Cassie decided to watch the game instead of going to the library. We had heard from Zach and he had bad news. Ryan’s dad came home from an outing with his lawyer buddies and was one. Zach said Ryan was taking it pretty hard.

It was extra weird, Zach said, because Ryan’s dad had a stutter problem and he was no longer stuttering. Apparently, Ryan’s mom thought it was a miracle. Said all of the money they spent on therapy and here the problem went away. Just like that, with no explanation.

Of course, Ryan knew better. His dad’s speech became fluid because of the sea slug.

I scored a hat trick and played so aggressively that even my coach commented on it. I just wanted to run and hit that ball as hard as I could. I imagined the ball being the sea slug and it felt good smashing it.

After the game, Cassie and I took the activity bus home. It dropped us off near our homes, but not at our normal bus stop so we had farther to walk.

On our way home, we got a text message from Zach.

“Guy on cycle again. Feel weird. Be careful.”

What do you think he wants?” Cassie asked.

“That’s the million dollar question,” I said. “But he’s had every opportunity to grab Zach or us and hasn’t. So, maybe he’s not bad.”

“But he could be,” Cassie said.

“Yeah. He could be. But he seems content to watch – for now.”

The next couple of days brought more of the same. By the time Thursday night rolled around, I was exhausted from not getting enough sleep.

I didn’t sleep much that night. I had the same nightmare for the fourth night in a row. I was lying on the ground. My hands and feet were bound, and my eyes were wide open. I tried to close them but I couldn’t.

Sea slugs slithered all over my body. One slid up my chest, stared me in the eyes and mocked me with this horrible gurgling laugh. One by one they crawled inside my body. They went in my ears. They went up my nostrils. Anywhere there was a hole they squeezed their ugly bodies through.

I was determined to keep my mouth shut. But someone was prying it open. They were my mom’s hands. She was laughing as the slug slid inside. The slug felt slimy and cold. I was choking. Tears streamed down my cheeks. My body shook violently.

I could see sea slugs crawling under my skin. One in each arm. One in each leg. One coiled in my stomach. My body was bulging with lumps of sea slugs stretching my skin in every direction. I couldn’t breath. I ... woke up.

Would the nightmare go away after tonight? I hoped so. My pajamas and sheets were soaked with sweat. I couldn’t wait to jump in the shower. 

“What’s the hurry?” Mom asked as I skipped breakfast again.

“Gotta go,” I said, passing her in the kitchen and heading 

toward the door. “Mrs. Martin will be waiting in the library.”

“The Martian?”

“Yeah. Martin the Martian. Although she’s not so creepy anymore, Mom. She’s actually pretty normal.”

“Don’t forget about bingo tonight,” Mom yelled as I flung my backpack over my shoulder and raced out the door.

I had to get away from my house, away from my mom. Cassie and I had it all worked out. We told her parents and my mom that we’d meet them at the fire hall at 7. We decided we would grab a pizza after school and spend some time alone, just the two of us.

I met Cassie at the bus stop.

“Heard from Zach?” she asked.

“Yeah. Everything’s set. He, Kate and Ryan got their supplies. Oh, and he also got another phone call.”

 “Same guy as before?”

I nodded. “Yeah, the one who sounded like his uncle.”

 “What did he say?” Cassie asked.

“Something about Operation Crawl and the CIA.”

“I wonder what it means.”

“Well, if anyone can figure it out, Zach can,” I said. “He thinks Operation Crawl is some kind of code name.”

When the bus pulled around the corner, Mr. McCleary wasn’t driving. Someone else was at the wheel. Something was wrong.