Merlin's Curse

CHAPTER 27: Rarest Kind of Cool

Journal Entry #7

Sooooo...I didn't die.

We're you worried about me, Alex?

It's been a few weeks since my last entry—I know, sorry. But my body and mind say otherwise because I did almost die—twice! You know the saying about how your life flashes before your eyes...well, it's true. I basically lived two lifetimes in a single day.

I don't know where to start.

How about with I know who @WizardSlayer666 is...

Professor Atlas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He almost killed me—TWICE. Me...the greatest nerd the world doesn't know. He switched my harness before the dance-off. That's why I fell out so easily when I tipped upside down—in shock over his message about my dad. And I sort of met him later that night at cliff's edge during a storm. 

Ok, I know...roll your eyes, tell me I'm stupid. You can't say or do anything my mom or the police or the entire school has already said or done.

Merlin Z Glupyy!

Fydor was right about me all along, but now I smile when I'm teased—because I like who I am. And that's pretty cool. Why should I be embarrassed about being me? I think that's what Isa has been helping me understand since we met. She loves my big ears, my skeleton frame, and everything dorky and stupid about me.

Me too.

Even the glupyy part of me willing to do anything to find my dad. Professor Atlas said my dad ruined his life, but there's no record of my father working with him. Why would he lie about that when he wanted to kill me? He whispered my dad's location in my ear just before I fell—before everyone arrived to save me.

Belarus—that's what he said.

Did you know Belarus is known as the Lungs of Europe? That's because 40% of the country is covered in primeval forests. My dad has terrible allergies; why would he be in Belarus? The country's name—bela + rus—means White Russia. Maybe that's why the white stork is their national bird—the holy bird of Belarus.

Excalibur told me.

Storks are associated with sex education—GROSS! But the lesson is simple: don't ask where things come from; the answer may upset you. I think the same is true for how Professor Atlas knows about my dad.

But now I can tell you almost anything you want to know about Belarus—except for why my dad is there; or maybe there. Professor Atlas isn't speaking to anyone—not even me—which is weird. Because he also said at the cliff, "Maybe our little game isn't done."

Super creepy!!!

Even more so because it turns out I was right. He is a weirdo living in his mom's baseement! Not anymore—now he's in jail and will be for a long time. My mom says I should forget him and everything he said. She thinks he's mentally insane.

So why was he my favorite teacher?

And why do I kind of miss him at The Breakers—his bad jokes, his help after classes, his teasing about Gwendolyn? I told Luke, and he says I'm crazy. But do you know what that means? I'm soooooo happy.

Luke is talking to me now!!!

Can you believe it? He's my hero. And not just because he's talking to me—he saved me from falling off the cliff. My brain got all jumbled from processing too many neural links, and somehow I projected the messages from @WizardSlayer666 to the jumbotron in the Great Hall—right after Luke ran out of the room where he was arguing with his dad.