The Beginning (book one)

Chapter Twenty-seven

Sophia had wandered into the candy isle, figuring she had time to pick out a pack of Twizzlers before the teens were ready to get their things.

Twizzlers were Sophia's absolute favorite thing about living in the Across and the Other Side. In her homeland, the Oasis, people lived in prosperity, but nothing considered modern for the others' world was a part of her childhood in the Oasis.

There was a loud thud from some part of the store, and screams followed. Sophia rose up into the air, not noticing the looks she got from the other people in the store.  Sophia spotted a large, grey, tough-skinned creature in one of the isles, pushing down the shelve to its right. The next shelve was hit, and it began to tip down. Sophia rushed forward, but Astrid beat her to it. Astrid's bright wings were out, and she was pushing the shelve up.

"A little help?" Astrid asked in a strained voice.

As Sophia ushered the customers and workers to the front of the little store, she saw Ann. Standing on the top of one of the shelves. "Oi! Kyle, go help Astrid push up the falling shelves, she can't do that herself!"

"On it!"

"Jack, go build some kind of protective wall around the people at the front! Reassure them that everything is okay, and don't complete encase them in ice!"

"On my way, my queen!"

"Sophia, go corner the monster, and Emily- Where the h**l is Emily?" Ann looked around, a larger scowl than usual had found its way on her face. "Emily?!"

"I'm here!" Emily called out, turning the corner. "Sorry!"

Ann grumbled something under her breath before continuing. "Emily, you're to stay with Sophia when she corners the monster. Once it's cornered, summon some plants or whatever and try to get a firm hold on the monster. Sophia, be careful with the fire, we don't want to burn down the dam store."

Something flashed across Emily's face before she gave a close-eyed smile. "Okay!"

"Hey, Ann," Sophia said as Ann jumped down in front of Sophia, "I don't want you to try or fight or anything right now, alright?"

Ann scoffed. "No, I'm going to help!"

"Stop it! Get away from all of us!" Came a shrill voice from the front of the store. Ann groaned, and began to run towards the voice.

"I'll go help Jack, and talk to the spaz- I mean people," Ann called over her shoulder as she ran, "but I won't skip out on the fighting again!"

Sophia shook her head, and looked over at Emily. "Let's get moving!"

Sophia flew towards the monster, who was destroying everything in the store. Astrid and Kyle were desperately trying to clean up after the monster, and try to deter it from its path. Emily bounded along, and Sophia mentally debated whether Emily the power for exceptionally high jumping skills. Goodness, the way she put it sounded so lame.

The monster was nearing the back of the store. Flames suddenly engulfed Sofia's arms, and she made sure not to let the nearby shelves catch fire. The monster let out a loud growl, bordering on a roar. Sophia neared it, fire shooting out from her hands a bit, scaring the monster. The monster ran/lumbered away. Perfect. Sophia continued the same pattern, eventually cornering the monster. Although it was a bit of a struggle to keep the monster in the same place.

"I'll help," Astrid said, appearing next to Sophia suddenly. "I left Kyle to keep cleaning." A bright, bright light glowed from Astrid's stretched out hands. The monster turned away, facing the corner it was in, trying to shield its eyes.

"Emily, now!" Sophia said desperately, trying to contain the monster and shield her own eyes.

"Alright, let's do this!" Emily chirped, and vines came snaking towards the monster, and wrapped around its ankles. The vines made their way upwards, holding down the monster. Sharp-looking icicles shot towards the monster. Sophia turned around to see Jack flying towards the group, giving Ann a piggy-back ride. Ann looked exhausted.

"I don't know if you all noticed," Ann said in a muffled, sleepy voice, "but there's a bright red spot on the monster's head. Just like the monster we just fought. I think we should cut open the spot, like last time, and I'll do my thing."

The others gave a nod, and held the monster down. Jack flew very close to the top of  the monster's head, and made a sharp icicle in his hand. Sophia could she the point of it glint in the bight light. Jack pushed into the red spot with the icicle, and pulled it out. Bright green goop was dripping off the edge of the icicle.

That must be the monster's blood.

Ann grimaced, and stuck her hand in the large crack that was beginning to form on top of the monster's head. There was a moment where nothing happened. Ann looked extremely frustrated and tired. And there was a small crackling noise, and the monster disintegrated away. Sophia stepped down onto the ground, shaking away the fire that was covering her hands and arms. The other three returned to the ground, too. Kyle ran over to them after a moment. he pulled Astrid close to him.

"Hey Ann," he said with a cheeky grin, "I found her!"