Centum Malediction

Chapter 2-9

Wednesday, September 22nd. 2010

The next day Lom arrived before the school bus did. Michael had his backpack and everything else all prepared like he was actually going to school, but truthfully it was just a ruse to fool his dad. He hopped into Lom's pickup truck.

"Your father still fighting the fires?" Michael asked.

"Yeah." Lom nodded. "But thanks to us, they should be able to succeed now." Michael couldn't help but smile at that, even though it wasn't the right time to be proud of past deeds. He didn't consider himself a hero either, especially with what he had planned for school.

Lom took off, driving at a steady pace. It was nice driving directly there instead of having to ride the school bus, which took a long winding route and stopped multiple times. The drive was short, and Michael and Lom spent most of it repeating their plan over and over again so the other didn't forget. Michael never told Lom how he intended to get the information. Just that he knew someone who likely had it.

Lom joined the line of cars dropping students off, before driving off to the student parking lot, where he waited for Michael. Michael left his backpack in Lom's pickup, there was no need to have the extra weight slowing him down. Getting out of school before first period would be exceptionally easy in comparison to sneaking around the firefighter encampment.

He was one of the first students to arrive, and waited in the hall next to the front doors where all the students entered looking for someone. He passed the time checking out some of Chelsea's cheerleader friends. They were hot, but not as good looking as Chelsea. Still, it was a nice distraction until the student Michael was waiting for entered, Simon.

"Hey Simon!" Michael called out. Simon jumped at the sudden mention of his name, and then saw Michael.

"Hello?" He asked confused.

"Walk with me. I have to ask you something," Michael said. Simon seemed ecstatic to be talking to Michael. Despite how Michael always treated him, Simon had a strange obsession with him. The two walked down the hall away from the cafeteria where most students hung out before school started. Simon kept asking what Michael wanted to talk about, but Michael kept quiet until they were deep inside the school, in a currently abandoned hall.

"Tell me everything you know about what's been going on with the insects." Michael's voice suddenly rose as he looked directly at Simon with an intimidating glare.

"I think they're being controlled by something, perhaps a vengeful ghost of a Native American that hates the white man for stealing their land?" Simon suggested with a shrug. Michael grabbed Simon's shoulders and pressed him hard against the wall, holding him there until he was visibly frightened.

"I'm not interested in your crazy theories. I just know you do a lot of research, so tell me everything you've uncovered. Don't mess around with me," Michael practically yelled. He was actually beginning to get as angry as he was acting, because Chelsea was in danger, and he didn't have time to sift through Simon's crap.

"Um," Simon began talking quickly, like he usually did when nervous. "Weird swarms of insects have begun appearing. Like bees and things. But it's not just insects, and not just swarms. There have been solitary snakes that aren't indigenous to this area biting people. The weirdest case is a swarm of jellyfish appearing in a pool at an aquatic park. An entirely birthday party of kids were stung and had to be rushed to the hospital. When investigators went to, well, investigate, the jellies were gone."

"What do all these things have in common?" Michael asked, his voice still heavy with anger. He figured it out shortly after asking.

"They're venomous," both Michael and Simon said at the same time.