Into The Light

Chapter Six

"Hm...I know! I'll call you Gloom!" Lylia said brightly to the alien as she let it out of the container. Gloom flapped its wings excitedly. "Now come on, let's go meet Harley. It's lunchtime!"

At the cafeteria, Lylia plopped down on the seat next to Harley, who flushed when he saw her. Gloom settled down on the table next to them. Lylia and Harley got their trays of piping-hot food when they realised something.

"What does that...thing eat?" Harley asked.

"Gloom. He's called Gloom, Harley," Lylia replied. "And I have no idea! New creature, remember?"

Harley shook his head. "Now, that won't do. It has to eat something!"

Lylia shrugged. "We'll find out eventually." Just then, Barats skulked past. At the sight of Lylia and Harley eating together, he grinned evilly.

"Hey, idiots!" he called. Harley and Lylia turned to face him, frowning.

"What do you want?" Harley challenged. However, that no longer appeared to be Barats' main priority. He had apparently noticed Gloom, who had fluttered up at the sound of Barats' call.

Barats backed away. "What is that thing?" he asked, nonplussed.

"Oh, that's Gloom! Say hi, Gloom," Lylia chuckled. The obedient alien flew up and nuzzled Barats, much to the amusement of Harley and Lylia.

"Ew, gross! Get it away from me! Rahal, attack!" Barats screamed, clearly terrified. Rahal charged forward, spitting oil at Gloom. Gloom shrieked and seemed to grow bigger, enveloping Barats and Rahal. This obviously attracted the attention of the other students, who gapped as they noticed the giant Gloom, and more importantly, the shocked faces of Harley and Lylia behind it.

"Gloom, stop! Release them," Lylia commanded, maintaining a confident facade. Thankfully, Gloom obeyed and let the bully and his companion go, turning back to its original size. Barats staggered out, ashen-faced.

"Next time...next time I'll get you," he muttered angrily.

Lylia swung her head around surreptitiously before reaching out to grab Gloom, hiding it from everyone else's stares. "Next time, don't do that, okay? If you're in trouble, I will protect you," she whispered. Then, she and Harley quickly left the cafeteria, the other students still watching them curiously.

"Whew, what was that about?" Harley asked. They had escaped back to the laboratory to hide from the other students.

"I don't know, Harley! But that isn't the main problem here. Barats is bound to tell Professor Eudora or Gord, and that's...what will they do to Gloom?" Lylia hugged the furry alien tight as she spoke. "I can't let that happen."

Harley sighed. "There's really nothing you can do about it. Unless-" But he was cut off by someone pounding on the door.

"Harley and Lylia, if you're in there, come out now!" The two friends exchanged looks of fearful horror as the lab door opened, revealing a furious Professor Gord with Barats at his heels.