A Beast with a Smile

It’s been a great day: did some gymnastics, got a doctor’s checkup, and now cardio. I think it’s so good I’ll do it all again tomorrow. Tyler still has one good arm, right?

I know sprinting through the middle of the woods doesn’t seem like the best idea, but I’ve spent most of my life in these woods. I’ve always felt more comfortable in seclusion. It’s because I escape the constant stares of the townsfolk, I thought to myself.

Scarlett calls me Scavenger because I’m always in here. She thinks that I’m in here looking for someone or something.

Scarlett screamed, “Scavenger!” just in time for me to smack my head against a tree I’d failed to notice.

The hit took me off of my feet and Scarlett couldn’t help but laugh.

“Even under the greatest of pressure you still manage to be the clumsiest person I know,” she said, but her mouth didn’t move.

It seemed like the words just floated into my mind. It was happening a lot when the paramedics were giving me a checkup. I could hear the thoughts of all the people around me. At first it was all jumbled together; it was too hard to understand, but anyone can pick out freak and monster. Out of all the chaos I heard Scarlett’s voice. Just knowing she was more worried about me than Tyler made me feel important.

She helped me up to my feet with a half-smile.

“Why did you run off like that?” she asked.

“I don’t know. It’s hard to explain, but... I think I read my dad’s mind.”

“Ok, how hard did you hit your head?”

“I’m being serious. When he let Atom walk by he looked at me and I swear I heard his voice say, ‘I know you can hear me. Run Freddy.’”

“Ok sit down and rest. You’re having delusions.”

“You’re right, maybe I’m just having delusions. You know, from extreme stress.”

She put my arm around her shoulders and helped me to a fallen log. We sat down, and the massive green trees seemed endless. I had no idea how long we had been running, but I knew this place looked familiar. Most of the trees around us were either knocked down, tilted over, or about to fall over. The meteors must have destroyed this place.

A small pond took up most of the area and the trees all seemed to be falling away from it. I was feeling drawn to the pond. It felt as if someone had put an invisible rope around me and was pulling me in. I got up and started walking towards the lake; with every step I could feel my blood getting warmer. The headache from greeting the tree with my forehead faded. Whatever this place was, it was changed by the meteors. I walked to the edge of the pond and put one-foot in. Suddenly, a surge of power hit me. Every nerve in my body felt perfect; every one of them felt healed. My legs forgot the exhaustion from the long sprint I had dragged Scarlett through. Oh crap, Scarlett. I spun around to see her right behind me with her arm extended.

“I’ve been yelling your name for about ten minutes. What are you doing out there?”

“I’ve been in here for ten minutes?”

“Yes, Scavenger. You got up from the log and walked into the dirty pond and stood here looking down for ten minutes. I think you hit your head really hard and might be hallucinating.”

“No, I’m not even in pain. I feel better than I’ve ever felt. I feel awesome. I could run a marathon and never stop.”

“Please, you use your treadmill to hang up clothes,” she said, rolling her eyes and smiling.

“Hey, it’s not my fault they make the thing so difficult to turn on,” I said holding back laughter.

“You’re such a dork,” she said and we both laughed and smiled.

The laughter was cut short to the sound of dogs barking.

“Atom must’ve called in his private security,” Scarlett said, trying to not sound scared.

She thinks I’m scared. I smirked a little at the thought, knowing that I was fully prepared to start a fight. I wanted Atom to show his billion-dollar smile, so I could knock his teeth out. He needs to pay for what he’s done and I’m the cashier. I just need Scarlett to be safe first.

“Scarlett, you need to run away. I need to deal with this….by myself.”

“Scavenger, you know he will kill you.”

“He can try, but in the end, he won’t win,” I said with a cocky smile.

“Please just come with me. We can just lay low until he cools off.”

“We both know he won’t cool off; he won’t stop. I have to do this. Now go. I don’t want you to see what’s about to happen.”

“They’ll kill you. You can’t take on that many guys all at the same time.”

“Never doubt me,” I advised with a wink.

She started to tear up. She looked at me and sobbed, “But...but I won’t leave you here alone.”

“Good thing he’s with friends.”

Atom’s head of security, Solas, shouted from the log I had run into, “Dang kid you run fast: really did a number on this log.”

He tapped the dented log with the barrel of his gun. Five more men came running in after him dressed in black and also wielding similar rifles. Every one of them stretched their shirts to their full capacity. I felt Scarlett quiver in fear as they surrounded us and aimed at me, “Look boy, come with us peacefully or we will drag you back.”

“I bet your army of roid freaks here are used to carrying sketchy things through the forest by now. I just hope they brought a rug,” I challenged back.

A couple of the men looked at each other with guilty looks, but quickly refocused their sights on me.

“Ah we have a big mouth, men. What do we do to big mouths men?”

“We put a boot in it,” they said together.

Solas put his red beret on and stepped into the pond with Scarlett and me. I pulled her behind me and gave her a bright smile. All I got in return was barely their grin. Her eyes showed how she truly felt.

I heard a rifle fire and the water next to me jumped with excitement.

“Never turn your back to the enemy boy,” Solas said.

His barrel was smoking from the warning shot he had placed a little too close to home.

“Now boy, you’re going to either put these cuffs on yourself or I’m going to come over there and handcuff your arms to your legs and make you waddle home.”

“Scavenger, what are we going to do?” Scarlett whispered into my ear.

“Run Scarlett.”

As she turned and started to run, one of the thugs shot her in the shoulder. She screamed so loud the birds from all over the forest took flight. She hit the water like a boulder. I turned to the unlucky soul who fired the shot. I roared at the top of my lungs, almost loud enough to make the second shot seem mute. He fired a second then a third, all floating in the air in front of me frozen in time.

“What are you?!” he screamed, firing more bullets.

“I’m your worst nightmare.”

My blood boiled, but it felt more powerful. I didn’t even try to have control. The water began to move around me, forming a mini whirlpool. The bullets were coming from every direction. Every meat bag is terrified of me, I thought triumphantly.

The bullets formed a shell around me and I continued to walk towards the one who shot Scarlett. He had run out of ammo and was attempting to reload. I reached out my hand and he flew towards me screaming bloody murder. As he floated in the air I imagined his legs breaking in half. His body responded to my silent command. The crack of his knees and his screams echoed through the trees. The sounds continued until he passed out from pain. I threw his unconscious body at two of the men at my left, knocking them over.

“Who’s next?”

Solas ran at me shooting two pistols, adding to my cocoon. I got angrier and all of a sudden was behind him. He dove out of the way of my first attack. He spun around with a frightened look on his face, “He told me you were some special freak, but I didn’t think he meant you could move crap with your mind.”

“It’s a surprise to me too.”

Solas threw his giant knife at me. It went through the bullet shield and hit me in the gut. I grunted in pain and every bullet I had collected sprayed the area like a shotgun blast. One of Solas’ men took the brunt of the force and tripped, bleeding to death into the pond.

I ripped the knife out of my gut and blood poured out. I fell to my knees.

Solas started walking towards me, “You’re some freak kid. Too bad you’re going to die… You would have been a fun toy.”

He took out another knife and walked closer. I tried to push him back with my mind, but I was in too much pain. He tried to stab me, and I jumped back, slipping on the muddy banks of the pond.

The second the water hit me I felt no pain. I looked at the knife wound, and it began to heal. The blood flowed back towards the tear and the skin stitched itself together. Solas showed no fear as he aimed his next stab towards my heart. This time when I threw my hand out his flew back. Solas sailed through the air farther than I had anticipated and hit his back on the tree I had previously ran into.

The three remaining roid freaks charged at me. I grabbed the first one’s arm as he swung at me and threw him into the water. The second one was right behind me. When he swung my vision blurred and I was behind him. I punched him in the middle of the spine and pulled his head backwards to where I could throw another blow. He grunted and fell on top of his friend. The third looked at me and only saw an average height and underweight teenager, yet he was terrified. I smiled and waved. It was apparent he didn’t like my taunt because he charged at me.

I popped up behind him, “Over here.”

He swung and missed. I kept this up, evaporating from one spot to spawn in another. He was tiring from running back and forth so many times.

“Looks like someone made a very bad career choice,” I laughed as I kicked him in the crotch.

There was enough power behind it that he also flew into a tree.

“Hey look, you’re like a bird,” I shouted up to him.

“You’re quite cocky kid.”

The grin on my face disappeared when I saw Solas stand up and yank Scarlett’s unconscious body by her hair.

“I’ll kill you if you hurt a hair on her body.”

“Calm down boy, no one needs to die.”

He threw the cuffs onto the ground in front of me, “Just put those on and your friend gets to walk out of here alive.”

“Okay... okay. Just don’t hurt her,” I said as I reached for the cuffs.

“No funny business or your friend here dies.”

I picked up the cuffs, but there was no way I was going down without a fight. I thought hard, trying to figure out some hidden ability.

My body felt strange as I began to see double. I could see myself standing in front of Solas, but also behind him. The me behind him waved at the me in front of him and pointed at the pool of blood next to a knife. It was my blood from when Solas stabbed me. The clone must’ve spawned out of it. He nodded his head yes to show that I figured it out.

Can you hear me? I thought, and he rolled his eyes and shook his head no. Man, clone me is just as sarcastic as original me.

“I’m waiting,” Solas shouted, cocking his pistol.

He didn’t even have it ready to shoot. Okay other me, we need to save her. He shook his head in agreement. Pick up that knife. I began to walk closer to the man in front of me with my hands cuffed. With every step I take you take so he can’t hear you coming, I said in my head.

Every step I took the clone did in perfect sync. I started to make more noise as I got closer just to make sure the other me wasn’t heard. I saw through his eyes that he was close enough to strike. Okay, on three you stab him, and I’ll teleport Scarlett out of here. He nodded, but he was clearly angrier. He reflects the same mood as me. That’s interesting. He looked at me with a “let’s get on with it” expression. One… I stepped up one more step… two…

“Why are you smiling boy?”

“No reason. Just thought I’d give you a hand.”

...three. The knife went right through Solas’ hand and cut it clean off. He screamed and fell to the ground. I grabbed Scarlett and held her in my arms.

“Scavenger?” she mumbled.

“Shhh”. You’re safe now. Just stay awake. I’m going to take you to a doctor.”

“What are you?” Solas said while holding out his bleeding stump.

“You heard her. I’m a Scavenger”.

I teleported us away and Solas passed out.