February 29

Chapter 16

Nothing happened.

When I ceased to hear the death of my friends, I opened my eyes, expecting to see carnage in front of me. But it was nothing like that.

Dean and Stacey stared at them with wide eyes, mostly from shock and some from awe. My mouth fell open, my eyes widening as well. Just when I thought nothing else could surprise me today. Just what I was sure that this was it, that it was the end.

One of them was striding on the ground, teeth bared, nostrils flared, nothing but pure hatred in its eyes. Its body was petrified, as if someone had pressed "pause" on its life, as if someone had made it into some realistic statue. The other...was frozen in midair. Its body was arched as it aimed its jaws towards Dean and Stacey, its prey, one clawed paw just an inch away from Dean's exposed face. Dlobs of spit floated in the air, as if they were jewels hanging from fine string. Its mouth as open, ready, but never reaching its target. Cautiously, almost instinctually, Dean reached his hand underneath the dog's massive torso, waving it under as he were search for the wire that must have been holding it up. Nothing.

"How...?" Stacey began, her voice trembling.

"I don't--" I started at the same time.

YOU BRAINLESS USELESS MORTAL.

The voice was like internal thunder, booming, so loud that I swore anyone else could have heard it, even though it was from me. A sharp yet brief pain hit my forehead, and I grabbed at it, groaning.

Dean shook his head and ran towards me. He began to untie the ropes that bound me to the tree. Stacey, after eyeing me suspiciously, came over too, her careful hands fiddling with the knots.

" I don't want to stay here," Dean whispered, his voice hoarse. He swallowed. "That's, that's too much. Too weird. I definitely don't want to sleep with that thing h-hovering over me."

"You're right about that," Stacey said. I glanced at her, and was surprised to see the river of emotions completely wiped from her face. I guessed she was just going to choose that she wouldn't acknowledge what had just happened. I stood and continued to stare at the dogs in wonder.

"What if they come back to life?" I asked dumbly, getting the urge to go over there and feel if they were even existent or not. I had the feeling that my hand would just travel through them, as if they were made of air or something. Stacey walked to Dean and proceeded to help him hull supplies into the bags. I joined them.

"So where do we go now?" she asked, picking up a half-empty can of spaghetti, sniffing it, then dropping it again. "If we're not going to be here, we should crash somewhere. Get a place."

"Where?" Dean asked derisively. "Definitely not my house. I don't know if those dogs are still there. And you'd have to bind Ethan and drag him back to that area if you really wanted to go there. Your house is a pile of ashes." She scowled at him, and he grinned weakly. "We should go to--"

"The hospital," I finished abruptly, glancing at the other two and looking for a fight. I sensed Dean's displeasure and lowered an eyebrow, ready to retaliate if I needed to. A rush of power pulsed to my brain.

Whatever argument he had seemed to evaporate into thin air and he sighed. "Whatever," he muttered, glancing down cautiously. "I don't have the willpower to argue with you. I guess we'll just have to head there."

I smiled in satisfaction.

"But only after we get some rest."