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~~~~~ (*****^-^*****) ~~~~~
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"It was around midnight and I was sleeping down by the library," the homeless man began. "They've got this bench near a fountain- it's my favorite place to take a snooze in the city. Anyhoo, I was dreaming about playing the World Series when I was rudely awoken by the sound of police sirens. I was worried the library security guard had called the fuzz on me, so I hid behind some bushes. The next thing I know, some broad comes floating out of the library like a ghost! She raised her hands into the sky and BAM! Lightning struck both of the lion statues! Naturally, once I saw that, I bolted like a rat int eh cathouse. To be honest, it's not even the first time I've seen magic in this city- but who's gonna believe a bum like me?"
I had to give the guy an A plus in storytelling skills. He told the story with a good enthusiasm. Why I was rating a homeless man's storytelling skills? I had no idea.
"The girl who floated out of the library- what did she look like?" Conner asked.
"She was really pale," the man said. "She had bright blue eyes and long reddish-blondish hair, and wore a white dress. Come to think of it, she looked at lot like you, kid."
"Alex," Conner gasped. "We were right- she's here! She's at the library!"
Without and warning, Conner dashed up Fifth Avenue as fast as I've ever seen him run. Which is pretty fast, considering I've seen him run for his life from an army of soldiers in 9th grade. I followed with Red, Jack, and Goldilocks holding Hero. I wasn't near as fast as Conner, or the rest of the group, as it turned out.
Jack quickly passed me with Goldilocks in tow. Then, to my utter surprise, Red passed me. What? I thought I was faster than her! Oh, I noticed that she had taken her heels off. That made more sense.
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~~~~~ (*****^-^*****) ~~~~~
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Well, Conner was stupid. That's final. I don't know why I even liked him! Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but there he was, in the back seat of a police car all because he was too rash in his decisions to think. Alright, what he really did was try to raise awareness that Alex was the girl from last night, but the police failed to listen.
Then, the ground started to rumble beneath my feet, causing my thoughts about Conner to cease. A long row of Hummers came down the road and were let into the barricade. Someone, I assumed a general, stepped out of the front one and had a little conversation with the officer that was already there. The general got back in his Hummer after a little squabble with the officer.
As they were driving up the road, Jack had the right of mind to get Conner from the backseat of the police car. Once Conner got over to us, we dashed away from Fifth Avenue and dashed into the nearest alley. With a slice of his axe, Jack freed Conner from his handcuffs. Conner huffed and angrily kicked the side of a dumpster.
"This is getting more difficult by the second!" he moaned.
"At least we know where your sister is," Goldilocks reminded him. "That alone puts us in a better place than we were."
"We still have to get to her, though," Conner said. "These army guys won't care if Alex is being controlled by a witch or not- they'll kill her the moment they think she's a threat. We've got to get to her before they do, and I don't have the slightest idea of how to do that. And I'm sorry, Jack, but no amount of imagination or positive thinking is going to help us past the NYPD, the United States Marines, and two possessed lion statues!"
We didn't try to persuade him otherwise. I sat on top of a dumpster as the others paced as we thought of impossible plans. The clearing of someone's throat, someone who wasn't in our group, interrupted our train of thought. Or, lack of thought, that is.
I looked and saw the homeless man from earlier.
"Forgive the intrusion," the man said. "I saw your little scuffle with the fuzz back there. I know they didn't want to listen to you, but I'd like to help if you'll let me."
"Sorry, dude, I'm out of cash," Conner said.
"This time I'm offering my services free of charge," he said. "I know I may not look like much, but I know how to get to your sister."
"No offense, but I sincerely doubt that," Conner said sadly. "We need to get inside the public library, and every entrance is being guarded by the US Marines and two man-eating statues!"
A sly smile spread across the man's face. "You're wrong," he said coyly. "They aren't guarding every entrance."
If the guy had stopped right there, his sentence would've been chapter-end worthy, but of course, since life isn't a movie, he didn't.
"Follow me," he said.
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~~~~~ (*****^-^*****) ~~~~~
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The Mind Behind The Beanie || ✔
Fanfiction"Oh, Conner- I forgot I had something I was going to ask you," Bree said. His answer surprised her. "Ask me anything," he responded. This sudden confidence surprised her but she continued as planned. "Do you have a crush on me or something?" Bree...
