The Dance for the Dead

Chapter 8: Confirmed

I tried doing a ballet leap, but that didn't stop her from running after me. If that didn't work how was this flip going to work? I sucked down my doubts and worry. I had to save the dancers. I gripped the syringe tightly and bent down, with one hand I used my momentum to launch myself forward in a one-handed front-flip. 

She stopped running. I stopped running. I breathed deeply and my heart pounded in my head... Luckily, she flipped off into the other direction. I guessed that was where the dance team was going. I had had enough, and my wrist began to throb. I walked towards the street and into a building with the lights on. I craved to be out of the darkness. I called my parents and waited for them to pick me up.

When I got home I showered, cried, did my homework, and ate too much. All I wanted was sleep at this point. This was only the second day of the school year. Make that the third. I glanced at the clock telling me it was 1:04 in the morning. The last thing I thought of that night was the eyes. How one of them looked at me would definitely be in my mind forever.

The alarm clock rang. At first I cut it off and decided to take a sick day, I was way too tired to be dancing and studying. Then I remembered. Dancing, the death, the blood, and Akane. I jumped out of bed, and reached for the syringe. Still full. I put on fresh clothes and wrapped the syringe in a towel and put it in my book bag. I freshened up and remembered where I hid the dish. I needed to get there early to test the blood sample.

I came downstairs to find the morning paper sitting on the coffee table. I looked at it, and on the front page it read. "President of Yoshida Industries, the last survivor."

I biked to school. My adrenaline pumped through me as though someone were chasing me. I slowed down to think. Exactly when did Akane's nano-bots activate? Her personality was the same even after she drank it. If she killed someone the same night as she drank it then was it safe to say that she wasn't active until that night. I had to get to school early and get to the bottom of this nano-bot situation.

I locked my bike and headed inside practically running to the science lab. There were only a few of the students in the classroom, all of which seemed destined to be scientists one day. I pulled up a microscope and used the syringe to fill the bottom of a petri dish with Amy's blood. I looked for what I already knew would be there. Nano-bots confirmed. But how could I shut them down? I added water to the blood, the first thing that came to mind. I looked under the microscope but they were still glowing red. Of course that wouldn't work, it was in water in the first place.

"What are you doing?" Asked Sota the smartest first year student in the school. Also, he had nice hair.

"Nothing much." I replied nervously.

"I've never seen you in here working so hard in school before. Maybe high school was good for you?" He asked looking interested. "So what brings you here?"

He looked at the blood and I watched as his eyes widened. I could lie and risk detention or even expulsion before I could solve the mystery. I decided to tell the truth, I didn't really have time to waste.

"There are nano-bots in this blood sample." I said plainly. "I'm trying to figure out how to disable them."

"How did you get your hands on those?"

"Do you want to help or not?" I asked exploiting his curious nature.

"Fine. Everyone knows to turn them off, you need to deliver an electrical charge to it."

"Everyone doesn't know that, but how would I do that?"

"Well you could get a taser, but I don't think you need to buy one just for this little sample. You also can't have that type of tool in the classroom." He said.

"Of course not... but does the teacher have one?" I asked trying to sound innocent.

"I've seen it in her desk before while I was helping after school, but I don't have a key."

"Are you sure it would work?" I asked "I mean, if I can't test it I would like to know if you're sure it would work."

"You don't become the smartest first year student being wrong." He said with a sly grin, running his fingers through his hair.

Ugh, why were all the cute ones so self centered. I took the dish and syringe and hid it along with the water sample from the day before. The bell rang and I walked quickly to class. How would I get that taser from her desk before the next killing, and I still didn't know why the coach was killing key figures in Yoshida Industries.

The third day of school was long and drawn out. Maybe because I knew my time was running out until the president of Yoshida Industries would be killed as well. I was trying my best to stay out of trouble. I was beginning to feel as though there was no way I could figure it out in time. The only thing of any importance I could figure out was why coach went to put nano-bots in the water a second time. It was because she knew I didn't drink it on the first day of practice. My own dancing skills told on me. It was only time for lunch, but it felt like it had been a few days worth of school.

I ate my lunch in the cafeteria. The stress was getting to me, and I was becoming more jittery. I needed that taser, and I needed it before nightfall which seemed to be when the nano-bots were activated. 

"Crash" The janitor's bottle of cleaning fluid fell from his cart.

"Forgive me." The ragged faced janitor said to those who could hear him. Who cared to hear him.

Right away I smelled something familiar. Lemon. That was no cleaning product, it had to be the same nano-bot filled fluid. I walked closer.

"Let me help." I said grabbing a napkin.

"NOOO" He shouted at me causing everyone in the lunch room to look our way.

"I mean, I wouldn't want to ruin your pretty uniform." He said with a nervous smile.

He began cleaning it up quickly and thoroughly. I smiled and sat back down. I noticed the smell was already gone. Why was he so nervous? Could he have been the one programing the dance team. But why the dance team and why would he do it? I guess it would have been easy for him to get the key, but I still didn't know why. But I would find out. For the dance team's sake I would find out. I knew that for sure.