Out of Reach

I Blame Their Conditioner

Snakes. 

It's always snakes. 

They couldn't have guinea pigs for hair, or kittens. They had to be venomous snakes. I was beginning to hate my life.

Jasper grabbed my shoulders, pushing me behind him as the reptiles hissed and spat on top of the creatures heads. Mrs E, or Euryale, as Caitlin called her, was grinning something evil, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Something about this school always manages to catch some demigods every so often. But never before have I found 3 in one sitting!" It took me a while to realize that this creepy person thing had just called me a demigod, which, because I was good with the whole bi, tri, ci, thing, I knew that Demi meant half. She had just called me half god. What. The. Hell??!! Stheno laughed behind me, and I jumped out of my skin. How the hell had she gotten behind me?? "We are very lucky Euryale. Too bad our beloved sister was too busy with her latest sculpting to join us. She has been rather distant ever since she rose for the second time. A little antisocial might I say." Euryale nodded solemnly, but she must not have been too sad about it because suddenly she screeched, "more for us!!" And jumped straight at Caitlin. I might have screamed. I honestly don't know who made the noise, but it was definitely one of us. Some how managing to evade Stheno, jasper pulled me away from the chaos, me kicking and screaming, my brain hazy with panic.

"Calm down!" He yelled. I wanted to fight. I wanted to help Caitlin, but Jasper dragged me away. Eventually i just collapsed into his arms, tense and shaking, opening my eyes to see what had become of my friend.

What had become of her, was a seething girl with tangled hair and a torn shirt, with her hands stretched before her, like she was about to blast the teacher... things to smithereens.

Caitlin's eyes seemed to flash everywhere at once, looking at Jasper and I, then back at the creatures. Looking to the crowd of kids by the bus windows, to her hands, and back to the creatures.

That's when the sidewalk split in half. The demon ladies shrieked, as weeds spread up from the ground, wrapping around their ankles. Caitlin bared her teeth, sweat dripping down her forehead. Her arms were stretched out to the plants, and the harder she squinted, the more they seemed to grow. One of the demon ladies—I think it was Stheno—lunged, ripping free of the young flora. She managed to get a scaly arm around Caitlin, her wings beating frantically, the snakes atop her head writhing impatiently.

Because I knew what type of girl Caitlin was, I wasn't surprised when she bit Stheno. Her sharp canines sank into the skin (if you can even call it that) of the monster, and a liquid welled up from the wound that looked too black to be blood.

Jasper was whispering in my ear, which gave me a strange feeling along my spine and in my stomach. It took me a while to realize that he wasn't speaking in English.

"Orkízomai stous theoús" he muttered. "Den échei koiní logikí. den boreí na skotósei kai tous dýo!" Then he turned to me. "Stay out of my way."

I reeled back a little, not sure what to make of his words. Then he ran at what was formerly Mrs. E.

I looked up at the bus, and saw kids, including littler ones looking out the windows in terror. My legs shaking, I ran around to the doors, and pounded on them until an older kid found the control button the open them.

"Everybody go between the seats, don't look out the windows. Umm, just... play on your phones or something." I was surprised to hear the shake in my voice, but quickly covered it up. One of the elementary kids asked, "Is Stheno going to be ok?" She has two missing teeth, so she pronounced the name like 'teeno' I looked at the child in confusion. "What?" The girl sitting next to her, looking like an older sister, piped up. "My mom is a doctor and taught me some CPR, so you need me to help?" Other kids started asking if the teachers were on drugs, or if they were having seizures, and if Caitlin and That Other Kid With Fluffy Hair were ever going to call for the nurse instead of panicking like they were.

"I- umm... yeah, that's what I'm going to do... they're just having asthma attacks to the mowed grass... just... everyone stay down."

I looked at the kid who opened the doors for me.

"Close the bus after me."

When I jumped off, Jasper stumbled back into me, a cut on the side of his face dripping blood down his cheek. When he saw me, he scowled. "I thought I told you to stay away from the fight."

I felt suddenly cross. He wasn't defending Caitlin like this. "I can take care of myself, you know."

Jasper rolled his eyes, but didn't get a chance to say anything, because Euryale hissed and leaped for his face, blackened claws extended. I ducked immediately, coming up on the other side, as snakes spat and Jasper hit the monster with a rock. I ripped a weed free from the sidewalk, its base thick and strong.

And then I used it as a whip.

The good news: the woman-thing got off of my man.

The bad news: She turned on me.

At first she was looking at me. And then she was looking at my plant.

Then she was glaring at my throat.

"He he... uhh... sorry??"

Apparently an apology didn't cut it. Which I found completely unfair because that was the most sincere apology I had uttered in a long time.

Her claws dug into my shoulder, her snakes spitting venom in my eyes. I gripped my plant in both hands and held it against her neck, trying to choke her. I was in the ground now, Caitlin screaming behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper get up from the ground, hopefully to aid me in my battle. No such luck. He took one step forward, and stumbled against the bus, a hand bracing him before he fell. His grey shirt was slowly becoming darker, and I realized that the monster had cut through his chest.

Claws tore down through my shoulder.

Something thudded to the sidewalk below me, and I thought fuzzily about how no other staff member had come to help us.

Jasper collapsed to his knees, his eyes fighting to keep open.

Somewhere behind me, Caitlin cried out in pain, her voice faltering at the end. My head was too disoriented to tell how far away she was, the sight of my blood was making me woozy. A new claw jabbed into my hip. I heard something snap.

The sound of my own scream sent images fluttering through my head. A plate shattering, marbles spilling over tile, the foaming mouth of a dog with rabies.

The pain in my body jumped, then released abruptly.

And then the world went dark.