Post by StoryGirl83 on Jun 14, 2009 20:44:23 GMT -5
Chapter Five – Time to Explain
Chris was in his office clearing out his desk. As he emptied out the last drawer the door opened. He looked up as David Vandemark entered. He smiled in greeting. “Hi, David.”
“Hi.” David stopped in front of the desk. “Are you sure about this?”
“You’ve asked me before,” Chris comments. “Do you think I should stay? Do you think I am the right person for the job?”
David hesitated.
Chris’ lips twitched. “It’s okay. We both know you don’t.”
“I,” David started and shook his head. “I used to think you were the right person for the job. And then something changed. You changed. Now,” he shrugged, “I just want to make sure this is what you want.”
Doubts he’s had. Questions had come to mind. When it came right down to it, though, he was sure he’d made the right decision. He just didn’t want to work at Centennial any more.
“It’s what I want,” Chris assured him.
David nodded. “Okay.”
“Look, I’m pretty much done here,” Chris informed him as he stood, “so why don’t you take a seat and enjoy your new office.” He moved out of the way to allow David in and made a little bow.”
David laughed. “All right then.” His face sobered up before he even moved a foot. “You know I wasn’t trying to get your job, don’t you?”
Chris nodded. “If I thought that I would have recommended somebody else, Jody maybe.”
David starred at him in disbelief. “Jody?” Then, his smile returned and he cracked up laughing. “Can you imagine her doing this job? She’d drive us all nuts.”
“But you’d be very organized crazy people,” Chris assured him, trying to keep a straight face.
“As if that would make it better.”
Chris grinned. “I’ll see you around.”
“It’s been good getting to know you,” David returned as he finally walked around to the other side of the desk.
Chris nodded and headed out the door. He was half way down the hall when a scream stopped him short.
The lights around Chris began to flicker as Chris ran back toward his former office.
He shoved open the door with a wave of his arm to find David swiping frantically at his back. Hearing the door David looked up. “Help. Something stabbed me and I feel like something’s climbing on me. Can you see anything?”
When he turned around still swiping at his back, Chris saw nothing.
Since something was clearly there, Chris decided now would be a good time to practice his newest power. He focused his mind and slowly he faded out of the visible range and tiny creatures all around them faded into his view. He waved his hand back and forth, one by one forcing the tiny creatures off of David’s back and hard against the wall. When one took the idea of attacking him he focused his swipe at it.
When the dazed creatures had all been relegated to a pile next to the wall he tried to figure out what to do with them.
Feeling that he was no longer under attack David turned around only to find no one there. “Chris?”
And that was all it took for Chris to lose his concentration.
David stared at him wide eyed. “Did you just . . ? What happened?”
Chris gulped.
“How did you do that?” David asked backed away.
“I’ll explain later,” Chris informed him, not at all sure what he could explain. “For now we need to leave. They’re only dazed.”
“They?” David gaped. “They who?”
“Just get out,” Chris ordered. “David, these things are dangerous and we need to do something about that leg.”
David looked down at his thigh where a tiny dagger protruded out the side. He shivered and headed out the door.
As soon as David was out the door, Chris forced himself to focus on turning invisible, again. Spotting the creatures still trying to gather themselves he heaved in a sigh. “Itty bitty, teeny tiny; send each creature’s little hiney, somewhere far away from here, somewhere they are no longer near.”
The creatures vanished in white orb lights and Chris exhaled. He relaxed and turned visible, again. He left the room knowing it wasn’t over, but realizing it could wait and David could not.
David was sitting against the wall; the adrenaline having left him, he was feeling his leg. He looked up as Chris approached. “I think I’d better go to the hospital.”
Chris looked down at his hands and sighed. “Yeah, probably. Better not take out that knife either.”
“And explain it how?” David demanded.
Chris sighed. “I don’t know.”
“This,” David pointed to his leg and the tiny dagger sticking out of it, “cannot pass for normal. What you did in there cannot pass for normal.” His voice accelerated as he added, “Chris, you were invisible.”
Chris sighed, again. “I know.”
This seemed to agitate David more. “You know? There is a letter opener sticking out of the side of my leg and you know were invisible. Chris, what is going on?” He suddenly stilled. “Is this why? Is this why you leave work early and get distracted? Is it because of invisible creatures that attack you and other?”
“They aren’t usually invisible,” Chris offered weakly. David stared at him oddly. He was silent for several seconds. “Are they gone?”
“No,” Chris admitted. “I sent them away, but they’ll be back. I have to find them and stop them. And I have to find out who they were after, you . . . or me.”
“Do you think they were after you?”
Chris looked down at the tiny dagger. “I don’t know. Two months ago a little girl was attacked. Later that same month a friend walked in on someone under attack. At other times the attacks have been aimed at us.”
“Us?”
“People who can fight back in kind,” Chris tried to explain. “But mostly myself and my brother.”
“Wyatt can do that too? Turn invisible?”
Chris laughed. “No. Wyatt cannot turn invisible.”
David laughed back, causing his leg to move and him to remember his pain. “I have to do something about my leg. Get out of here. You saw nothing. I don’t understand this. I don’t know if I can accept all this. I do know that you saved me in there and you can’t afford questions, so go. I’ll make sure the clock says you left before this happened.”
Chris shook his head. “Don’t lie for me. I’ll clock out. If there are questions, there are questions.”
“I can’t tell them the truth.”
“Keep people around you, if you insist on telling me to leave. If this was meant for you, you’re in danger . . . In fact I really should drive you to the hospital.”
David shook his head. “I’ll stay in crowds, but you find them. I can’t stop them. You can. Let me know when it’s safe. And when you do, I’ll decide if I want to know what really happened in there.”