The Gift of Chaos

15 - Things you never knew you could do

"Scott, get out of there, now!" I cried.

Scott helped Mary out while I pulled Lucy over the window. The giant was slowly but surely getting to his feet. And his face wasn't all that expressive, but it was still clear he wasn't happy to see us or to be woken up. I clambered through the window to get the little boy out.

"Come on, we have to get out. It'll be okay, I promise."

He held out his arms and I lifted him out to Scott (he was much lighter than Lucas, but then, he looked several years younger). I quickly climbed back out. Scott turned to run, but I caught his arm.

"Scott! Lucas..." I said. "He can't run."

Scott looked at me, then at the giant who was grumbling as it heaved itself off the ground. Finally, he glanced at my brother.

"Girls, hold this stick," he told the twins, taking my makeshift weapon. "Riley, grab that bin lid, would you? Lucas, come here."

The girls didn't dare argue and did as he asked while I rushed to retrieve the lid. When I was back, Lucas was perched on the stick between the twins. He was hardly a large boy, but he probably still felt heavy for two twelve year-olds. Scott handed me the crutches and took the lid.

"You lead the way," he said. "I'll cover us."

I didn't like the idea. In fact, I hated it more than I was able to describe, but it was the only way, and we both knew it.

"Hurry!" Luke cried. "He's looking at us!"

Scott and I looked up at the Iceman and sure enough, it was already raising its arm. If we didn't move, it would spear us with its ice shards, or else knock us out with snow balls.

"Run!" I yelled.

And run, we did. The girls were only just keeping up with us. The good news was the creatures were slow. The bad news was that the agitation had woken the others up too.

"Run where?" I asked.

"Away from here!" Scott replied without looking at me. "Come on!"

We hurtled forwards, Scott shielding us with the bin, which was by now rather dented. It wouldn't protect us much longer. I pulled the little boy with me while the twins carried Lucas.

"The school!" Scott called. "We can hide in there!"

"Turn left here!" Lucy put in helpfully, because I had no idea where it was any more.

We veered, me only narrowly keeping from slipping in the snow. We could hear the loud footsteps behind us.

"Hurry!" Lucy cried fearfully.

Thankfully, the school was nearby. But the door was locked.

"Rats!" I swore.

I tugged and pulled, but to no avail.

"Uh... Riley, I hate to rush you..."

"I know, Scott but it's locked!" I exclaimed. "Come on, open!" I cried desperately.

And then, the most extraordinary thing happened. I distinctly heard a clicking sound, and the door opened. I jumped back with a gasp as it creaked open.

"How did you do that?" Scott asked.

"No idea," I said, my voice a little too high. "Come on!"

We pelted inside and I shoved the door closed.

"... Lock!" I said before I could stop myself.

I wasn't sure why. It was not going to – it has worked! The lock had turned! I tried opening it again, and it wouldn't budge.

"... Are you sure you don't know how you did that?" Scott asked.

"Yes, I'm sure! I have absolutely no clue!" I exclaimed, my voice shooting up three octaves.

A loud roar and a crashing sound made us all jump a foot in the air. Mary and Lucy screamed.

"That locked door won't hold them for long..." Scott said darkly, staring at it.

I agreed. It also wouldn't take us long to be surrounded if they did manage to get in. I felt crazy for thinking it, for doing it, but if there was the slightest chance it could work...

I knelt on the cold stone floor.

"Riley, what are you doing?" Scott asked.

I ignored him and pressed my palms to the floor. Closing my eyes, my heart thundering in my chest. A trickle of sweat ran down my neck, and another slipped down my cheek before crashing to the floor. Visualising a big bubble around the school, I took a deep breath.

"Shield!" I called.

I felt a wave of energy course through my body into the stone floor under my fingers. I could almost see the shield rising from the ground and surrounding the school. I pushed it upwards, which proved harder as I went higher. I thought about the people I needed to protect. My brother, the twins, Scott, the boy... I threw all my energy and concentration into the shield. With a cry of effort, I managed to get the shield to form a complete dome above the school.

I leaned back, gasping for breath, the floor still bearing the damp impact of my sweaty hands. I pushed my clammy hair out of my eyes and looked round at Scott, who was staring at me, blinking repeatedly, his mouth half open.

"... Okay, you have to explain, now," he said.

"I can't," I replied. "I promise I would if I could, but... I just... don't know what's going on!"

There was a loud thud from above and Mary screamed again. The boy, nestled in Scott's arms, buried his face in Scott's shoulder. We all waited, tensing our bodies to be ready to run the second the door or wall gave in. But after a couple more thuds, I realized it wasn't quite the same sound as the first time.

"I think the shield's working," I said. "For now."

I couldn't believe I was saying that, but the blue glow outside the window left little room for doubt. I wiped my forehead, then stared at my hands, which I'd dropped on my lap. They still looked the same... and yet... I couldn't look at them the way I always had... I couldn't look at myself the way I was used to, either. My faint reflection in the gleaming tiles beneath me didn't look like me any more.

"... Riley? Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I think so..."

The roars still sent shivers down our spines as we sat down on the floor of the gymnasium, which had a more comfortable floor.

"You were starting to say something before we ran away," Scott reminded me. "What were you going to say?"

I hesitated. They would hate me for sure...

"You asked where those things came from..." I began. "And... I think I might know... I think they're my creation..." I said. "The monsters..."

"How would you have created them?" Scott asked incredulously.

"The book," I reminded him. "I told you the other day, remember? It looked exactly like the creature in my story. And now... I think they all came from it, somehow."

There was a silence.

"Riley... that's no-" Scott began cautiously.

"We thought having creatures like the ones outside appearing in our world was impossible," I pointed out before he could finish. "We can't think like that."

Scott hesitated a moment, his mouth opening and shutting. Finally, he said:

"... Okay... you have a point... so, assuming that the book is really the cause of all this... what do you suggest we do?"

I looked at him.

"We need to put them back. But for that, I have to get the book."