Lab Rats: The New Addition

Let's Start Over

  "We have to figure out a way to break the sleeping spell," I say, rubbing circles around Chase's palm with my thumb. He starts to sing again:

Ring around the rosey
Pocket full of posies

  I interrupt him, "Yes, I know. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down. I understand now." He is quiet now. "Perfect," I think. "This is the perfect time for me to think of a way to break the spell." I turn away from him. Ideas and thoughts start running through my head, but my thought process is stopped when Chase starts tapping my arm rapidly. "Ashes, ashes," he sings. I scoff, becoming slightly agitated, "Yes, I know. We all fall down." "ASHES, ASHES," he screams, making me jump. I turn around and my stomach churns. Not too far away is a flame burning, and it is getting bigger. "Uh oh," I think. "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down."

  I tighten my grip on Chase's hand, jump up, and the first person that I run to is Bree. "How are we supposed to get everyone out of here in enough time," I ask, letting go of Chase's hand. I look at Chase and see him making the shape of a heart with his hands. I have no idea what that means, so all I can think of to say is, "I love you, too." He smiles and blushes. Wow. That's the first time I've seen him smile since he has been tortured. Then he quickly shakes his head. He gestures toward everyone in the academy and makes a heart shape with his hands again. "Think, Lyrica, think," I think to myself. "What is he trying to say? What does a heart have to do with anything?"

  He keeps doing the heart thing, but this time he adds something to it. After he makes the heart shape, he closes his eyes and then opens them. I suddenly realize what he is trying to tell me. "True love," I say. "True love!" He nods his head excitedly. "An act of true love will awaken everyone," I exclaim. He nods again. Then he resumes singing Ring Around The Rosey. "I sure hope that I don't have to kiss anyone awake," I say. Then I think of the simplest thing to do. I don't know everyone in the academy, but I do know some of them. I stand up and say, rather loudly, "Bree, Leo, Adam, Douglas, Donald, Tasha...I love you all!" I look anxiously around the academy. Nothing is happening. Nobody is moving. My spirits start to fall until I see Bree gasp and sit up.

  "Bree," I exclaim, happily. I run over to her and engulf her in a tight hug. Daddy Douglas wakes up. Then Uncle Donny. Then Auntie Tasha. Then Adam, and then Leo. Soon, everyone in the academy starts to wake up. I am relieved, but also confused. I didn't say that I loved everyone. Then I suddenly realize that my act of true love for my family must have spread across the whole academy. "What happened, and why is Chase singing Ring Around The Rosey like a deranged lunatic," Bree asks. "I'll explain later," I say, quickly. "You gotta help me get everyone out of here before the whole Island along with the academy is blown to smitherines!" Bree's eyes widen. "What," she screams. "Just help me," I yell. "Okay," she yells back. It takes a while and we still have a few more people left when the Island goes into self destruct mode because of what my father did to it:

Self destruct in 10. 9. 8.

  "Come on, hurry up," Bree screams as she tries to pick Bob up. "I'm trying," I scream back as I pick up Kaylee.

7. 6. 5.

  "Once we have everyone, we start to run out of the island, but I stop when I hear Chase screaming behind me, "ASHES! ASHES!" I get a sickening feeling as I say to Bree, "We forgot Chase." I don't give her enough time to answer because I immediately sprint back inside the Island. I see Chase in the middle of the fire, panicking and screaming, "ASHES, ASHES!" I grab his hand and start sprinting back out of the Island as fast I can. The countdown continues:

4. 3.

  I sprint out of the island and dive into the water with Chase along with everyone else and we all swim as far away from the island as possible as the countdown finishes.

2. 1.

  Boom! It explodes! Everyone screams. There is nothing left of the island but little bits and pieces of what it's supposed to be. Chase starts to panic. He sings again:

The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain and
Washed the spider out.
In came the darkness
And terrorized the town.
And the itsy bitsy spider
Had got his way again.

  I understand now. The itsy bitsy spider is my father, the island is the town, and we're the people in the town being terrorized by my father. Even after being tortured, my Little Genius is still my Little Genius. I take Chase's face in my hands and say, "I love you."