This Is War

ten

The next few days were all preparation and maps. A second investigation group that I wasn't in was sent out to find out where the skitters' base was. They came back with fairly accurate results and Weaver started planning everything with Tom and Hal. It was decided that a group of ten people would go to get as many kids as they could, in two days. The group of people going on the mission were: me (duh. My brothers.), Tom, Hal, Maggie, Ben, Weaver (which surprised me. He seems kind of old to be doing this kind of stuff), some guy named Pope (I've seen him around camp with a grubby liquor bottle), an Anthony guy, and two other people I didn't recognize.

I could really use the Priori Incantatem spell right now. It's a spell from Harry Potter that can reverse time. Kind of an extension of the Priori Incantato spell. I would use it right now (although you need two people), and go back to when the aliens attacked. Instead of running, we could've hid somewhere. Maybe I'd be with my whole family still, although the aliens would have Shona, Kendrick, and God knows who else, with them and harnessed.

"What are you thinking about?" Matt, Ben's little brother, asked. I was sitting on a large rock on the edge of the forest, legs dangling in the wind.

"Magic. WhoOoO!" I made ghost sounds and wiggled my fingers at him. Matt smiled and sat down next to me. He had to re-position his Colt 733 on his back so he didn't sit on it. This dispirited me a little bit, I didn't think it was fair that some kids got to grow up with lots of friends, tons of free time, sports, and school while other kids, like Matt, who are the same age, need to learn how to target skitters so that they won't get hurt, or worse, killed.

Matt seemed fine with it though, I think he liked being a part of it all. Something was watching over this kid, I knew it. His own, personal guardian angel. Like, a flying, invisible version of his father. I ruffled his curly hair.

"So watcha been up to, bud?" I went back to looking at trees.

"I was on patrol yesterday. But my dad wanted me to rest today, Margaret's on skitter patrol."

"Oh, yeah?" I didn't quite trust Margaret. She seemed pretty close to Hal, and I trusted him, but Margaret? Ehhh, let's just say I'm not exactly her biggest fan. And she's really not mine.

We talked for at least twenty minutes, I learned little things about him. His favorite color (gold), favorite movie (Chicken Little. Which is ironic, since it's about the sky falling, and, well, look where we're at), favorite musical artist (Foster the People), and other totally random things. By the time we went back to camp, the sun was setting.

"Everyone ready?" Weaver held his gun at the trigger, pointing the barrel at the dirt, "We're setting out!" He turned and marched into the forest, towards the discovered skitter base, the nine of us following. I've never been more nervous. Not even when I was waiting in line for my first roller coaster ride that had the loopy loop. Not even when, in eighth grade, when my drama teacher dressed me up like a boat and had me read my Titanic paper in front of about two hundred kids. Looking back, I grinned at the memory. I had agreed to read at the speech contest, during the judging, as entertainment. I really didn't want to but my teacher said my paper was really good and I didn't know how to say no. It was horrible. When I got up there, I couldn't look at any of my classmates 'cause I knew I would instantly start laughing uncontrollably and it would be over. But I had a freaking cardboard boat hanging around my neck! I was sweating and I could feel my face burning like crazy.

Walking through the forest now, heading to the most dangerous thing I have ever faced, a song popped into my head: This Is War by 30 Seconds to Mars. I moved my head to the beat, humming the tune, the lyrics flowing through my brain. Kind of funny, actually, considering the situation.

'A warning'

'To the people'

'The good and'

'The evil'

'This'

'Is'

'War'

I didn't know most of the words after that, but I did remember one other part:

'To the leader' I looked to Captain Weaver.

'The pariah' Pope seemed like an outcast.

'The victor' I glanced at Ben.

'The messiah' My mind went blank. I thought of everyone I met, I couldn't think of anyone that seemed like a messiah. Except Jesus.

'This'

'Is'

'War'

The song inspired me. I picked up my pace as not to block Tom behind me, and ended up flat-tiring Ben in front of me. "Sorry. My bad, I was fazing out."

Ben hopped on his right foot, pulling his left sneaker back on without stopping, "No problem. What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing, just a song."

He peered over his hoodie suspiciously, "A song? You remember those things?"

"Well, yeah. I can't just forget. And you remembered 100 Years and Superman. Music is part of my life. I don't sing though, or play anything. Music was my way of escaping this world. Along with books. But now, I have to do everything to stay grounded. Distraction is dangerous."

"Oh, yeah? I think it's okay to escape once in awhile. If you don't, you'll probably go mad."

True. But still. . .

Weaver stopped walking, and so we all followed suit. He rose a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. I peered over his head, ahead of us was a large concrete structure. A faded sign above the main entrance announced that the building used to be a Nike company building, sports equipment.