Fallen (editing)

Chapter 16

Dim and I rush to school. Everything Father said whirls around in my brain, clouding my thoughts and clashing them into words.
Energy. Life force. Need it. Everywhere. Dim. Transforms. ENERGY.
Dimitrio still doesn't know.
I should've told him.
I take a deep breath.
I can deal with it.
I hurry into my first class and Mr. Johnson smiles cheerfully.
"Hello Sylt! Glad you made it on time!"
I nod and go sit in my seat.
Sam scoots away subtlety, glancing at me throughout the lesson.
After his explanation, Mr. Johnson walks around and helps the students.
I twist my hair around one of my fingers as I work out the problem.
Damn it.
As I work, Dimitrio pokes me in the back through my bag.
"Sylt!" He hisses. "Look at him!"
I swivel my head around and look at Mr. Johnson.
He's helping out a girl with a math problem.
His hand is on her shoulder.
"What am I looking at at?" I whisper.
"Wait for it."
I look back at Mr. Johnson intently.
Suddenly, he flickers. I blink.
He flickers again, this time I can make out.......wings? Huge, bat-like wings?
He flickers back to normal and glances at me.
I quickly look down at my paper and peek up at Mr. Johnson.
The girl he was helping looks around, dazed. Then she looks down at the paper. Then around. Paper. Finally, her gaze lands on Mr. Johnson. Her expression melts into a dreamy smile and she turns back to her paper.
I whisper to Dimitrio. "Did you see that?"
"Uh, yeah."
"You know what this means, right?"
"Yep!"
We need power and we're gonna get it.
I go back to working on the questions.
I try to concentrate. Every time I try to focus, Father's words float through my head.
I put my pencil down, sighing.
Ok, Father. I'll get Halley. That's all. I'll get Halley, absorb her energy, get some more. Absorb Halley. Absorb Halley.
The thought thunders through my skull as we're dismissed. I forget about Mr. Johnson. I forget about Dim, who's poking me in the back to remind me about him.
Absorb Halley.

I leave Dimitrio in my bag in the locker room.
I run laps around the gym and Coach whistles loudly.
"Over here, pancakes! Now!"
We run over to him and he swings his whistle.
"Today, you're going to be playing capture the flag. You all know the rules, try to get the other team's flag while protecting your own."
He sighs. "Try not to hurt each other. That creates a lot of paperwork."
We all nod and follow him out the door, onto a large field with obstacles and a red and blue flag on opposite ends of the field.
Coach throws colored shirts. My classmates pull them over their heads.
I follow, pulling the red shirt on.
"We're on the same team!"
I turn and see Halley smiling, her friend standing by her. What was her name? Annie? Ariel?
I focus back into Halley and a thought thunders through my head again.
Absorb Halley.
"Oh, yeah."
She smiles again. "Ash's on the blue team. We gotta beat her!"
Her friend laughs, her blue hair bobbing in its bun.
"Sure, like that's gonna happen."
Halley looks at me. "Are you fast?"
I shrug. Absorb Halley.
"Ok then. You have to catch her."
I glance at Ashley (I think that's her name) and she scowls at me.
Coach whistles loudly and shouts, "Ok, pancakes! Get into your positions!"
Ashley walks away and Halley leads me to the other side.
We face the blue flag and Coach grins wildly.
"So all we have to do is get the flag?" I mutter to Halley.
"Yeah, and you can't get tagged."
I nod and Coach blows his whistle.
"GO!"
We all race towards each other, the blues racing towards the red flag.
Some of my teammates touch them and they walk off the field.
I run faster towards the blue flag, twisting and turning to avoid the other team's hands.
As I whizz past them, I feel their thoughts. Their depressed, dejected, defeated thoughts.
They refuel me, filling me up with power.
They grow tired faster and stop trying I catch me.
I race around them and grab the blue flag.
My teammates cheer and jump.
I smile slightly.
They scream," COME BACK!!! RUN BACK!!"
Run back? Run back.
I pound my feet against the ground, wind whistling through my hair, drying up the sweat on the back of my neck.
Suddenly, I notice a flash of movement beside me.
Ashley.
She's speeding up, her hair loose over her face.
She's closer to me, her eyebrows set into a determined expression.
I glance behind me and run faster.
Everyone screams. "RUN SYLT!!!! RUN!!!!!"
Ashley's hand whizzes past my shoulder, but I quickly dodge.
I run faster and I feel Ashley slowing down behind me.
I leap over my team's boundary line.
They erupt into ear-piercing cheers, clapping me on the back and giving me high-fives.
Every time I'm touched, waves of energy flow through my body, storing itself away.
Finally, Halley gives me a hug, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Absorb Halley.
Her energy flows into me, making me stand straighter.
Her body sags and she pulls away, her eyes glassy.
"Wow, watching you run made me tired!"
I force a laugh. "Yeah, it must have."
She smiles and walks away, rubbing her head.
Ashley walks up to me and shakes my hand.
"Good game."
Her crystal blue eyes look at me, hard.
She leans in and softly whispers," I know what you're doing, and it's not gonna work."