Zoophobia: Alternative

Across the Universe --Part 3

A couple of hours later, the last bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Everyone in Ryan's final hour, having already packed their belongings, got up and started filing out of the classroom. Ryan had just stepped out into the hallway when he heard a short jingle come over the intercom, followed by the sound of a voice which Ryan recognized as Zechariah's.

"Would Ryan Walker please come down to the office?"

"Hello," Ryan announced as he walked into the office, where Zechariah sat waiting for him. "You called."

"Yes, thank you for coming," Zechariah said. "I called a meeting with the other staff members earlier, and we've decided that you need a place to live for the time being."

"Place to live?" Ryan repeated.

Zechariah nodded.

"It wouldn't be fair for us to make you live on the streets like you did back in Hamilton, after all," he said.

Ryan's eyes narrowed.

"Well, I'm not gonna stay in a homeless shelter," he insisted, crossing his arms. "It's really crowded there, and the beds aren't that comfortable."

Zechariah shook his head.

"That's not where we're going to have you stay," the cheetah replied.

"Well, where, then?"

"You'll be staying with me."

A pale woman in a black dress with long red hair stepped forward. Ryan's eyes bulged as he suddenly recognized her from earlier that day.

"You?!" he exclaimed as he stepped back, pointing at her. "Didn't you knock me out with some wacky mind voodoo earlier?!"

"Yes, I did. And I'm sorry for that," Salvia answered, bowing her head. "I didn't quite have a choice, though. I had to subdue you with a sleep-inducing powder spell to stop you from panicking."

Ryan looked away, flushing slightly.

"Okay... well... that's kinda fair..."

"Ryan, I'd like you to meet Salvia, the school librarian," Zechariah stated. "Aside from being a skilled sorceress, she, like you, is psionically gifted, which is why we've decided it would be best for you to live with her."

"Oh, yeah," Ryan shot back. "Even though she basically mind-controlled me."

"Ryan, Salvia is one of my most trusted colleagues," Zechariah said reassuringly. "I would not be placing you under her care otherwise."

Ryan raised a finger and opened his mouth, trying to counter. He couldn't come up with any good arguments, though, so no words came out. He'd already expended the only point he'd had, and Zechariah had already shut him down. Defeated, he slumped his shoulders and exhaled.

"Alright. Whatever," he grumbled. "It's better than a homeless shelter..."

"Good," Zechariah said with a nod. "I promise you that you're in good hands, Ryan. Providing for new arrivals is part of my job."

"Yes," Salvia confirmed. "A lift will arrive to take us to my house shortly. Come with me."

Salvia led Ryan out the front door of the school, then down a concrete path through the front gate. From there, they continued on to a bench just outside the school grounds, where they sat and waited.

It didn't take long for Salvia's lift, a chrome black car with hints of lime green across the body and wheels, to pull up next to the bench. As Salvia and Ryan stood up, the doors on their side flipped open on their own, revealing an interior with no driver's seat, just four chairs in each corner of the vehicle, all facing a circular, table-like platform in the center.