The Sentinel

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE AWAKENING

"It was about time," Dana said, and everyone went silent. We were all shocked by the surprise. "I've gotta say, Dwight," she went on. "I thought you were better at investigating things."

"And I thought you were my friend," I replied, with a mixture of feeling playing ping pong in my stomach.

"Yes, yes, the sweet Dana Walsh, always trying to help, always worrying about everyone," she went on with an expressionless face. "It was really exhausting."

My father and I exchanged glances for a second and then we both jumped at her, but we did not get far. A strong invisible force stopped us halfway and threw us back to the ground, holding us there like an invisible hand.

"Naughty boys," she said with a mocking expression. "A full powered Sentinel would've been a problem, but you two, with the power divided, are not a challenge for me."

"Dana?" Tyler called her, standing up. "What are you doing? Why are you acting like this?"

"Little Ty, you shouldn't have involved yourself in this," she said while walking towards the two creatures standing a few meters from us.

"You planned all this?" Clark asked, standing up as well. "You brought the tourists here and opened that portal?"

An evil and terrifying smile spread over Dana's face, then she stood next to one of the creatures and started rubbing its head.

"I needed soldiers to weaken the Sentinel," she replied, petting the monster as it was a puppy. "He was the only one who could've stopped me."

"You are from a different dimension," the Sentinel said, "you are not one of them, but you are controlling them."

"These creatures are powerful, but their minds are very weak, easy to manipulate," she replied.

"You've been in this world for long," the Sentinel stated again, with his raspy and deep voice. "You didn't come through the portal."

Dana smiled.

"As the Sentinel, the genes of the original Witch were passed on from generation to generation," she explained, looking at my father with angry eyes. "It waited centuries for an opportunity, until it finally came."

"What are you talking about?" Tyler shouted angrily. "You are my sister. We grew up together."

Suddenly, the expression in Dana's face changed and then her skin turned white like snow. The iris of her eyes changed as well, they looked now like the eyes of a reptile, yellow and bright. Then her hair turned black as coal and her fingers shaped into sharp tentacles.

"Look at me, Ty!" She shouted with a croaky and deep voice. "Do I look like your sister?"

The face of Tyler went pale, and instinctively took two steps back in silence, scared to death.

"Sadly, the gene only passes to one member of the family," she went on, smiling. "You are just an insignificant human, Ty.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, trying to divert her attention to me, and spare Tyler the pain. "You want to destroy the world bringing those creatures again?"

Dana looked at me with angry eyes. For some reason what I said annoyed her.

"Do you think I want destruction? Chaos?" she asked with a serious expression. "No, that's not what a Witch wants. We don't care about death and destruction. We want power, real power."

"And an army of creatures will give you the power you want?" I replied, trying to provoke her and to get more information.

"No and yes," she said, moving her tentacle finger from left to right, and up and down. "These beasts are only tools, but yes, you are right... I want an army, but not to conquer the world... No, no... I need it to fight against a powerful adversary."