Hunter

Chapter Nine - I Press the Button

The next day, I managed to drag myself out of bed and into the shower. Deirdre passed by my house and lugged me all the way to the bus stop. Once the bus came to a halt at the entrance of the school gate, we hopped out and moped into the crowded halls of Crescent High. We trudged to our lockers, got our books and headed towards our first class. Andrea stopped me at the door, her cold hand resting tightly on my shoulder. I brushed it off and turned to face her.

"Hayley, why don't you come with me for just a second?" She asked as if I were her best friend.

"She's not going anywhere with you," Dee retorted.

"Dee, it's okay; I got this," I said, trying to calm down my feisty, little friend.

She looked at me worriedly as I was led off into the halls by Andrea. I looked back and saw her walk into the class as her voice whispered in my head: Be careful, Hayley. I stared with wide eyes, my mind failing to understand. I didn't even notice that I had allowed myself to be led all the way to the fieldhouse.

"Okay, what do you want?" I questioned.

"I want a truce; you, me, no more fighting." I narrowed my eyes at her, not buying what she was selling.

"You're up to something." I started to walk away.

"Hayley," she grabbed my arm, her steely fingers cold and hard around my wrist. "I'm serious."

"I'll think about--"

"I got you something." It was a small metal box that could fit in the palm of my hand with a red button on top. I held out my hand, and the weight of the box caused my palm to lower significantly.

"What's with the obese metal box?"

"Press the button and find out." She smiled at me and walked out, leaving me alone.

I wasn't too anxious to find out what the button did. A lot of people had died from pressing red buttons. It wouldn't be the greatest thing if I ended up on that list. Just imagining all the people I love at my funeral crying...

because I died...

from pressing a red button...

I pressed it anyway.

Nothing happened.

Disappointed, I threw the box in the garbage and made my way towards the classroom. Sprinting down the hall, I barely made it.

"Ah, Miss Hunter, just in time."

"Aren't I always?" I smiled at my teacher and strolled to my seat.

"What did she want? Tell me!" Deirdre whispered vigorously.

"Peace. She gave me a heavy, metal box with a red dot on top of it." Deirdre's face went pale.

"Did you press it?" I nodded, not seeing what the problem was. My open mouth was closed shut when a piercing sound travelled through the halls of Crescent High.

"Yep, that's the one!" As soon as she said that, an explosion occurred, an immense wave of heat pushing us back into our seats. The sound of metal on metal prompted students and teachers to flee from the building. Deirdre and I sprinted out of the room and came face to face with a metal dragon the size of a truck marching through the hallways. As it moved, the lockers were ripped off the wall and moulded onto its back, increasing it in size. I made a mad grab for my necklace when it was pulled from my neck.

"Hayley, your necklace!"

"I'll get it back, don't worry. For now, we just need to take care of him!"