Unkillable (Monsters Series #1) (Wattys2014)

Chapter 13: Training

Angel, Beth, and I spent the day with the officers yet again, trying to figure out how my mother could have possibly broken in.

“There may be a possibility that there’s someone on the inside.” Avalis suggested, “A spy, to put it into technical terms.”

“Balderdash!” Britter contradicted, “If there were any spies in these walls, we would have known right when we saw him...or her.”

“They all don’t exactly prance around with ‘Holy Man spy. Come get me!’ written across their behind, Britt.” Avalis argued.

“That’s not what I meant, Allis. I meant that our guards should be able to sniff them out, like Golden Retrievers.” Britter quarreled, “They have a distinctive smell, those Holy Men. They all smell like a pile of dirty socks that you would find on the floor of a teenage boy’s bedroom that a doggy peed on.”

Avalis smacked her forehead with her palm, shaking her head.

“Daddy!” I heard Beth scream excitedly.

Angel instantly shot up and ran in the direction of her voice.

“Let’s follow him.” Avalis suggested, “You know, just to see if everything’s alright and all that jazz.”

Britter, Avalis, and I followed Angel hastily; he didn’t even realize we were behind him as he ran along the silvery hallway. The walls and floors were almost mirrors. He ran to the end of the hall and swung open the door out of extreme urgency. Before we could get in the door, he slammed it closed. Luckily for us, the room wasn’t soundproofed.

“What’s wrong, précieux?” I heard Angel ask lovingly and worriedly.

“Nothing’s wrong, Daddy.” Beth breathed, “I have the greatest news!”

“What is it, Beth?” Angel asked anxiously.

“You know when you asked me to check before you, you know, asked him?”

“Yes?”

Beth remained silent for a moment.

“He says yes!” she exclaimed excitedly.

We heard sounds of joy, celebration, and excitement through the closed door. Who was this person that Angel wanted to ask the question to? More importantly, what was the question? Why was it such a joyous event if the person said yes?

Avalis and Britter smiled as if they knew what the question was and who it was for. It really creeped me out.

“Am I the only one that has no idea of what’s going on?” I asked.

“Yes.” they answered in unison.

“Can you please tell me?” I asked.

“No.” they answered.

“Okay.” I sighed in defeat.

We creeped away before anyone saw us snooping. The questions of what was going on in there kept haunting me even when I was preparing for training.

“1...2...3...” I counted aloud.

I heard Angel come in the door.

“99...100.” I resumed in an effort to show off.

Angel rolled his eyes as I lifted myself off the ground. Angel and Avalis were standing by the door, ready to teach me what they know.

“Alright, Jesse.” Avalis stated strictly, “Stand up straight, and look me in the eye.”

I did as I was told frantically and clumsily. I was close to fainting; I was dripping with sweat. She examined me with the strict eyes of an army officer. She paced in circles around me with her arms behind her back.

“You seem to be in...mediocre shape.” Avalis hypothesized, “Let’s try some exercises.”

In the next half hour, I had gotten the most exercise I’d ever gotten in my whole life. Afterward, my body ached all over, even in places that have never even hurt before.

“Want to quit?” Angel asked.

“No.”

I did the rigorous, painful exercises for another half hour. It didn’t hurt as much that time.

“Want to quit?”

“No.”

Again, I did the exercises. They hurt even less.

“Are you sure you don’t want to quit?”

“Yes.”

I kept at it until I only did them for pleasure. After I decided I was done, I looked over my shoulder at Angel and Avalis. They were both staring at me; Avalis' face held a surprised expression, but Angel’s was awestruck.