Valor: The Crystal Of Valimor

VIII

-Valorie-

  "Kat," Valorie froze, seeing the news headline on her computer. "You need to come see this,"

  "What is it?" Kat skipped over, Allie's secret candy stash in her hands.

  "Look," Valorie turned the screen so that Kat could see it.

  Kat dropped the candy in shock. "What? No!" She placed her hands on the table to remain upright. "I knew it would happen eventually, but..."

  "Is everything okay?" Cody rushed into the room. "I heard Kat's screech from the living room."

  Valorie motioned for him to read the text. "The news."

  Cody strode over to the computer and paled considerably at the headline. "'People with unnatural abilities are appearing everywhere'," he scanned the article. "'Bank robber kills dozens with hands that produce flames'." He looked at it grimly, "Oh no."

  Kat groaned, "The Valimor... if I hadn't brought it here—"

  "But then Valorie would still be in a coma." Cody grimaced. "Also, you brought the Valimor here? Why?"

  "I don't know—" Kat spun around to face the boy, "but how else could it have gotten here?"

  "Maybe the same way you did," Cody narrowed his eyes, his tone that of distaste.

  "And?" Kat challenged, advancing on him even though she was a head shorter. "What are you saying?"

  "This rock," he pointed at Valorie's necklace, "and everything to do with it doesn't belong on this planet!" What he was implying went unspoken.

  "So you're gonna put the blame on me then," Kat snarled. "This is my fault?"

  "Guys..." Valorie tugged on Kat's sleeve to get their attention and in a visible effort to prevent a foreseen homicide. "There's more."

  The words Bijou Research Company immediately grabbed her attention.

  Kat frowned and scanned the screen. "'Alien matter'," She blinked, "Well, they're not wrong about that."

  "Valorie, Cody, Katerina!" Sadie called from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready and..." after a pause she added hesitantly. "You might wanna put on the news channel..."

  "Oh, dear Valor..." Kat facepalmed, running her slender fingers through her hair in stress. "What now?"

  The three went downstairs, Valorie standing in front of the television. Their TV was motion-activated, so she waved at it and the screen flickered on instantly. Valorie made a swiping gesture with her finger, going through the channels until the familiar logo of the National news station appeared.

  "Government officials are warning people to check their water supply to see if it comes from the Greyfield Reservoir," the news anchor droned, "According to the Health Department and the Nation's Environmental Corporate, the water contains extremely high contamination levels. After further research and testing from the Bijou Research Institute, scientists have deduced that the source is a newly discovered element that wasn't previously on any known periodic table.

  "Investigators first came across this element in rock form near the coasts of Indonesia, Chile, and Japan. However, predictions have been made that these findings were new. There are speculations that the first specimens of this foreign element were found on United States soil.

  "However, the peculiarities don't end there. After thorough and calculated experimentation, the side effects of the contaminated water, upon consumption, were dubbed lethal and deadly by 98% of leading medical branches. Around 70 victims have already been hospitalized, records showing that the ones in question have no recollection of memory and have reached mentality states of... insanity."