October 29, 2015, Riverfront Academy of Excellence, Florida
I've taken a liking to this school. I have more friends now, but I like to think that
Brianna and Jack are there for me more than anyone else at the school. No real news of "The
Reapers" (as they have been so affectionately named by the internet) have come out in a couple of months which is odd. People surrounded by questions and danger and then they just drop off the face of the earth. It concerns me to know these guys aren't active. But as big as it was online at the time it is now a dead story.
"What was the math homework?" said Brianna quickly "Really Brianna it's due today" I responded "I see your point, but I can do it during lunch ... So, ha!" "Wow Brianna I can't believe you," I said mockingly. As we leave lunch to our respective classes (Jack and I go to language arts and Brianna to math) I get an uneasy feeling. Like something is going to happen I don't know what, but I just have this feeling in my gut.
In my opinion language arts is one of my better classes despite, one English is my second language, and two I stutter when speaking it out loud and in general when I'm nervous, so just imagine a presentation in front of 20 something people. The class had been going on for some time now and it was Jack's turn to present his project. He was just getting started with his presentation when the school's intercom came on. What we heard was so very disturbing and frightening, it chilled us all to the bone and a sense of shock filled the room. "The school is being attacked ... Oh god is that fire! ... " That statement was followed by incoherent voices and a sharp scream from the teacher on the intercom. "Evacuate the students!" rang out from the intercom one last time before it cut out. It was quiet for a moment. Then the fire alarm went off. Everyone was still in shock, no one moved for a second but that second felt like an eternity as we absorbed everything that had happened and as that second ended a new one began. Instant panic filled the halls as the people ram screaming through the halls. I made my way down the predetermined fire escape path trying to stay as calm as possible. While I was making my way out, I saw the fire moving through the halls. In the corner of my eyes, I realized something was off about the fire. The fire was not like any fire I had seen before the fire spread like the halls were covered in alcohol. The fire moved quickly and like it had a mind of its own. Fluid and vine-like going in random directions, almost as if it was searching for something or someone.
Our school was a K through 8 so in the stampede of people young and younger, I decided to stay back and help the people who couldn't move through the halls with ease. "Jaime let's move it, what are you doing!" I turned around to see Jack yelling at me frantically when he saw me running back to help some kids. "Helping them," I shouted back "they need someone or they'll be left behind here! Now get over here and help me!" Jack stared at the door and looked back at me. There was a spark in Jack's eye that day something motivated him to stay back and help me, his psycho friend, get elementary kids out of a burning building with a raging and intense fire behind him. Jack and I never spoke a word to each other in those few seconds that we helped those children make it out of the fire. We knew just what to do like we were talking telepathically. But that moment was over quickly when Jack and I stared back down the hall. The flames were spreading quickly in our direction. As my eyes focused on the flames my heart sank in the middle of that raging fire there was someone. It was a kid; did we fail to get someone out? He was no older than me 12 years old or so. Something was off again first the fire and now the kid, he stood there it was uncanny he didn't seem to be in pain. This wasn't a poor soul who got caught by the flames and was dying, no this was more of a sinister-looking kid it wasn't like he was on fire; he was the fire.
He didn't blink he just stood there glaring at us. "You" his voice was young but echoing with intimidation. "Come with me you two I will show you greatness," he ordered with an extended hand. His words resonated within my very core. Once again Jack and I stood paralyzed and speechless from awe and fright. The child of flames and fire was undoubtedly a Reaper, the one on the news. We were in danger, he ruined that town after he tore through it and now, here Jack and I stood in front of him. We needed to run I didn't want to see what the Reaper would do to us. Then something miraculous happened a light manifested from around my neck, when I looked down, I saw that it was coming from my opal. I turned to look at Jack he had a light coming from his quartz as well. The Reaper who once stood with an expressionless face in front of us was also confused by the glowing, his expression suddenly changed to one of anger. "Not possible. Fine, then if a fight is what you want a fight you shall receive!" his words still echoing as he threw a raging ball of flames at Jack and I. In the moments before my impending doom, as the ball of plasma inched closer, I turned my back toward the flames and kneeled down in front of Jack in an effort to dodge the projectile and protect Jack. Although I knew him for only a couple of months, I trusted him and threw myself in the line of fire (literally). As I accepted my death a primordial, instinctual feeling came over me. Then everything was cold and the burning light faded it was a moment of bliss and confusion. I had survived, but why? I turned around to face where the Reaper had stood. Jack and I were encompassed by a dome of ice. The wall of the ice dome had sharp and jagged edges. The ice was semi-clear and made the world outside it distorted. To my side was Jack, he looked up at me with a dazed look in his eyes surprise that we were still alive. But that wasn't the only thing I noticed about Jack, like the Reaper he was glowing but not a fiery glow he was pure light it was almost angelic. The light was blinding make it hard to look at him, but his light faded and he was normal once more. As his light faded, he just stared at me and I wasn't aware why until I looked down at my feet. Jack's light made it hard for me to realize before but now I could see, I was enveloped in light blue silk with black lines running through it. The fabric was cool to the touch and had almost mimicked the clothes I was wearing; a zipped up collared jacket, sneakers, and jeans. The suit also had made new accessories; a cloth that covered my nose and mouth like a bandanna leaving my eyes, ears, and hair visible and a pair of black gloves. I couldn't stay confused at my clothing for long as I heard the ice sizzle and crack a clear sign it was going to last much longer. The ice cracked open leaving a hole three feet around in diameter in the ice presumably where the fireball had hit. The reaper was no longer there he had disappeared. Jack and I took this moment to live another day and climbed through the hole and swiftly left the scene. Jack and I ran out a large corridor that was seemingly untouched by the flames. We ran towards the door leading outside to the parking lot where we were supposed to be during the fire. As we were running the hall the light blue fabric started to fade away in fragments almost shattering leaving behind the clothes I had on earlier.
Jack and I pushed hard through the double doors at the end of the hallway coming out into the light. The teachers were frantic trying their best to calm the children, get them off the campus, call their parents to come to pick them up, and talk to the authorities. The parking lot was nearly evacuated and students were moving quickly but with all the panic Jack and I were able to regroup with our class without anyone noticing except for Brianna. "Where were you guys?!" Brianna yelled so frantically questioning us that's when Jack and I realized everything that just happened. We saved people's lives, we went face to face with a pyromaniac made of flames and fire, I became something I don't even know, and not a single word was spoken since I convinced Jack to help me save those kids. All this happened in a matter of minutes.
