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OK, sorry it took so long…//Nyota
I woke up late in the morning. Very late. My mother shook me violently and I glanced at my clock. Up late again. I guess that's what comes of several sleepless nights in a row. A malicious smile crosses my mother's face as she remembers that this is the day she has been waiting for. The day when I finally leave the house.This whole family regards me as nothing more than a freak. I was just born with something. The doctors said it was a deadly sickness, but I survived. Maybe it wasn't a sickness at all. I sigh, back to reality I go. I throw some white clothes on and head through the door without breakfast. My father slams the door behind me. I can hear him saying something to me. Turning back to the black limo in front of me, I climb in with my things. The driver grumbles at me. Aparently he's been waiting all day for me to come out. This must be a really special school. When we arrive, I am quickly shown to my room and ushered back out again to start training. It's all little strict, but at least I'm not being beaten. Yes, this is definitely better than the house I left behind. Suddenly the ceiling starts to make a noise. I quickly identify that it is coming from the air duct, but the man behind me still hasn't heard anything. I could use this to my advantage sometime. A black shadow comes crashing down before us, quickly knocking out the security guard leading me. The girl had weapons, lots of them. She eyed me, seeing if I would be a threat. I quickly hovered up to the high celing and smile. She can't reach me here. Unfazed, the girl spreads a small pair of wings and floats up to eye level with me. A shocked and scared expression crosses my face and I back against the metal wall. I'm cornered. I brace myself for a blow, but it never comes.
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Lipa-
I stare at the floating girl. She's around my age and was not in the files. Therefore she is not a target. I fly down the hall, knocking out all the people in all the rooms. Suddenly I hear noises and I hide in the shadow of a wall. A tall woman I identify as Johana Russo and Agent Costikov are walking down the hall. She's leading him like a prisoner. Enraged I come out of hiding holding a loaded gun pointed at her face. She seems only slightly shocked. "Now who is this Anderson?" Agent Costikov looks at me in confusion. I spread my wings and shock enters his expression. "I don't know." "What's your name dear?" Russo asks. "That does not concern you. Give me Agent Anderson Costikov and I will leave." I spoke in my Russian accent. She seemed unfazed. "Ah yes, the Russian's decided to come get you I see. Well honey, we can't give him up. He has to train his daughter." Though I did not look it, I was confused. "Agent Costikov does not have a daughter." "Yes he does, Laura honey. Laura Costikov. Or well, now she's Laura Anderson." I was shocked, this time it showed. "Weapon LC? Does that mean Costikov took her?" I asked. Russo nodded. "Now sweetly, let's put the gun away and we can all go back to our normal lives." But I was not going to fail my first mission. I shot the gun, aiming at Russo's leg. Direct hit. Again I shot it several times but the bullets just bounced off of her. Like she was "Indestructable," I muttered. "Yes dear, now since you didn't listen before I'm afraid I must take disciplinary action." Four giant men came at me. I knocked killed all four without a second thought. Then I turned back to Russo and Costikov. Russo's face was red in anger. "We do not kill at this school," she snapped. Then she let go of Costikov and came at me. I spread my wings and flew to the ceiling. Using expertly executed military moves I rammed Russo, elbowed her weak spot behind her neck, kicked her down, and tied her hands and feet together. I turned back to Costikov. "Are you going to take me back to Russia?" I nodded. I started down the hallway, dragging him along. Then I came to be in front of a room of people I had not killed or knocked out. They were listening to the frantic floating girl when the one I identified as Laura Anderson saw me. Anger lit her face. They all faced me. "Let him go," Laura snapped. "I am not permited to," I said simply. I pulled out my gun and no one moved. I started to back away but it suddenly got really cold and I suddenly wanted to jump for joy. I repressed the feelings with dificulty and shot the gun sevral times. One landed in a girl I identified as Quinn Baker, another in Sora Hirnhesser, and the last in Laura Anderson. "I am leaving." The three girls I'd shot were screaming in pain when Cassie Stoll stood facing me, a determined look on her face. I shot the gun three times but each time the bullet stopped before reaching her and fell to the floor. I rushed forward and started to throw a punch when I stood frozen in air. I felt someone slam a fist into my weak spot and then everything was black.
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I woke up in a cell. Every wall was steel and there were no windows. I was dressed in a white shirt and gray sweat pants. All of my weapons were gone. I tapped the walls to try and find week spots but I found none. Suddenly a voice filled the room and I saw the cameras and speaker 8 feet above my head. "Don't even try, girl. There's no way out of that cell. You've gravely injured three students. One being the one you call LC. Expect to be here a long time." I didn't give up. I flew to the top of the room and smashed the security cameras. "For goodness sake do you have to do that? Those cameras cost money you know!" I smashed the speakers and sat on the floor. Now that I knew no one could see or talk to me I was able to relax a little more. Now, what had Boris said? LP, if you get trapped in there for over an hour we will come in after you. Got it? It had definitely been over an hour. I guessed Russo had taken them out. Now what?
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Um Zoey, why did you write my name in the name box?
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Wow sorry!! It's just, my real name is Sam, and I was going to put that as my name originally, so I was just writing it different ways in the name box and I forgot to change it to Zoey. Sorry!!
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I also forgot to add Lipa's wings are very large and look like angel wings. You know, white and feathery.
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That's an awesome idea Zoey!
Laura-
One thought kept running through my head as I lay in the hospital bed next to Sora and Quinn; she shot me, the Russian girl with the weapons shot me. It took an hour for the painful surgery and now the after pain was killing me. My leg was wrapped up and had a couple stitches too. Suddenly Miss Russo walked in. "We're going to interrogate her. Do you want to watch? It'll be from a sercure location." I exchanged a glance with Sora and Quinn who nodded. "Ok, let's go." All three of us walked on crutches to a room with a lot of cameras that all showed the girl. Miss Russo walked into her cell. I watched carefully as she didn't move. Cassie stood next to me. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Miss Russo asked me to stop the girl if she tries to attack again." I nodded. "Good idea." I turned my attention back to the screen. "What's your name?" Miss Russo asked. She stayed still, not moving. "Where do you come from?" Nothing. "How old are you?" This time she spread her wings and flew at Miss Russo screeching. Cassie stopped her but I could see how difficult that was. "Now honey, you need to stop that." Cassie let go and the girl stood, the anger radiating off her obvious to anyone. "What do you want from me?" she asked. Miss Russo didn't respond for a few minutes. "What I want is to know if you will join us at this academy." Everyone was shock still. I wasn't breathing. The temperature in the room had just subtracted itself 40 degrees. Sora looked about ready to faint. "I–" She was about to say something when a loud Russian voice came from outside. Everyone ran out, Miss Russo allowed the girl to come too. Outside was an army of Russian soilders and a man in a lab coat. "Boris?" the girl asked. "LP, thank goodness you're ok." "LP?" I asked. She turned to me with a blank expression on her face. I got no emotional reading off her. Nothing. It was weird. "Yes." And suddenly it all clicked. She was part of the weapon project that made me super human. "Um, never mind." Miss Russo turned to Boris. "I have asked her to stay here." I still couldn't believe it. "What? That's preposterous! She'd never stay! Right LP?" Everyone looked at the girl. I almost felt bad for her. Almost.
Zoey you can decided whether or not you want to stay.
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//Nyota
Mrs. Russo turned to me, eyes steely. She motioned for me to come as she walked down the hall, heels making a clacking noise. I helped up Quinn and Sora, while Cassie picked up Laura. I wonder if that girl really meant to do this much harm, or if she was just following orders from someone. True reasons are never clear. I might check on her later. It's easy to see where the man took her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ a few hours later
Okay, I couldn't resist the urge to go see her. After all, I can relate to her at some extent. We can both fly, even if her power isn't natural. Mrs. Russo is going to kill me for disobeying her. I found where she was, quite obvious because there were burnt wires coming through to the speaker outlet. Eyeing the cell, I shook my head. They obviously don't see her as much of a threat, even if she did almost kill people. Prying a hole in the cell's weak spot, I start to speak to her. She reckognizes me immediately. "The floating girl!" she races up to the small peephole. I start to feel pity for her. "Why did you come?" I asked. "Isn't it obvious?" she snaps, "I came to rescue Agent Costikov." she sighed. "But he doesn't want to be rescued. And now I'm the one needing to be rescued." I narrowed my eyes. "There is another reason. Something that you want to right." She just shakes her head. I sit down on the air. "Let's start from the beginning. We've established that both you and Laura are from Russia." She nods. "That's how you got the power of flight?" she winces, but nods again and turns to look me in the eye. "What about you?" I hesitate for a moment. " My flight is natural, I think. But I've figured out the basic elements of how it works." I pull out a shabby leather journal before taking it quickly away. I don't trust her that much, not quite yet.
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Couple things about Lipa- She doesn't talk very often, and when she does she uses perfect grammar. It's part of the whole Russian weapon thing. She also doesn't really understand humanity. And you can always see her wings even when she's not flying or they're not spread.
Lipa-
I looked back and forth between Miss Russo and Boris. I was so confused. "It is my choice?" I asked." I'd never been able to make my own decisions before. Boris nodded. "Of course it's your decision honey. Who else's would it be?" Miss Russo asked. I stared at the Russian military, then at the girls I'd shot. "I, I think I will stay here. At the Academy." Boris looked completely shocked. "What? So she can put you back in your little cell? Think of all the good things we've done for you!" Anger boiled up inside of me. "Like kill my brother and make me a living weapon?" He stumbled over his words. "No, like make you better than the best!" Hatred fueled me. I could feel it like a monster boiling up inside me, trying desperately to get out. "You have not helped me." I turned back to Miss Russo. "She's just going to put you back in your cell!" Boris shouted. "Will you?" I asked. Mis. Russo shook her head. "No, of course not. As long as you promise me two things: Never help the Russians again, and don't hurt anyone else unless asked." I nodded. "I promise." "Good, now let's go." Boris was shaking in anger. "It doesn't matter! I own others!" The anger made me want to strangle him. "Own?" He seemed to realize his mistake. "No! Not own! I, I meant work with! I work with others!" But I was no longer listening. I'd already begun to walk away. I was led past the gaping open-mouthed girls I'd shot, and Agent Costikov. They all looked shocked and angry. Miss Russo led me to what I assumed was her office. "Now honey, do you have any possessions other than that leather uniform and the weapons?" I shook my head. "Ok then, we only have one room avaliable for you. The current occupants are Laura Anderson, Quinn Baker, Sora Hirnleser, Sonny Jefferson, Cassie Stoll, Kayden Scheller, and soon to be Nyota. Is this ok?" I nooded. "Good. Now just fill out a few forms. Here we go." She handed me a stack of papers. They were all sorts of forms. Most of which I could not fill out. I filled out as many as I could. I stopped at the one with my name. "Hon, it's just a name. You need to tell us your name in order to stay here." "I was always told never to reveal my true name," I muttered. "You can tell us, we won't hurt you." So I filled in the form.
Name: Lipa Petrov
Other Names: S-43, LP, S-LP
Code Name: Ark Angel
Powers: wings, enhanced senses
I handed back the forms. "They're not all filled in," Miss Russo said, eyebrows raised. "I did not know it all," I answered simply. She nodded and led me out of the room and down the hall. I had memorized the layout of the academy on my way in and now knew my way around. She stopped in front of the room that would soon be mine, she opened it, and Sora gasped. "She's staying in this room?" The girls seemed to be in dismay. All except the one that was not in KGB's files. That must have been Nyota. I decided she was probably the nicest. "Yes, and I expect you to treat her well." Miss Russo then left. I stood in the doorway completely confused about what to do now. I'd never had roommates before. "What's your name?" Kayden asked. "I am Lipa Petrov." "Is that your real name or just your Russian code name?" Cassie asked. I stood slightly confused. "It is my name. Why would it not be?" She sighed. "Great, she doesn't even get sarcasum" she muttered. Of course I knew what sarcasum was, but I never had any use for it so its use escaped me.
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Sonny~
"Sonny, could you help anyone on crutches into the room?" Kayden asked me.
"No, I can't," I practically screamed. "I'm in total panic mode right now. I mean, can't you tell? I'm still in my pajamas at three o'clock in the afternoon."
"Those are pajamas?" Sora remarked. She was trying, with diffuculty, to manuver up the ladder to her bunk.
"Yes," I said, shocked she couldn't figure it out. "They're from Dior's spring collection."
"What are you panicking about, a broken nail?" Laura asked.
"No. This school is dangerous. I mean, you're a Russian superweapon, no offense, hon. And some other Russian superweapon just burst in through an air duct and started shooting people," I replied. "I wanna go back to the runway."
"Sorry, Miss Jefferson, but you are obligated to stay the whole year," Miss Russo's voice said, crackling, as if through an intercom. I looked around. "When'd we get an intercom?"
Everyone shrugged.
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"Quinn, wake up," I whispered, "I'm breaking out of here. I need you to watch for Miss Russo."
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Couple things about Lipa- She doesn't talk very often, and when she does she uses perfect grammar. It's part of the whole Russian weapon thing. She also doesn't really understand humanity. And you can always see her wings even when she's not flying or they're not spread.
Lipa-
I looked back and forth between Miss Russo and Boris. I was so confused. "It is my choice?" I asked." I'd never been able to make my own decisions before. Boris nodded. "Of course it's your decision honey. Who else's would it be?" Miss Russo asked. I stared at the Russian military, then at the girls I'd shot. "I, I think I will stay here. At the Academy." Boris looked completely shocked. "What? So she can put you back in your little cell? Think of all the good things we've done for you!" Anger boiled up inside of me. "Like kill my brother and make me a living weapon?" He stumbled over his words. "No, like make you better than the best!" Hatred fueled me. I could feel it like a monster boiling up inside me, trying desperately to get out. "You have not helped me." I turned back to Miss Russo. "She's just going to put you back in your cell!" Boris shouted. "Will you?" I asked. Miss Russo shook her head. "No, of course not. As long as you promise me two things: Never help the Russians again, and don't hurt anyone else unless asked." I nodded. "I promise." "Good, now let's go." Boris was shaking in anger. "It doesn't matter! I own others!" The anger made me want to strangle him. "Own?" He seemed to realize his mistake. "No! Not own! I, I meant work with! I work with others!" But I was no longer listening. I'd already begun to walk away. I was led past the gaping open-mouthed girls I'd shot and Agent Costikov. They all looked shocked and angry. Miss Russo led me to what I assumed was her office. "Now honey, do you have any possessions other than that leather uniform and the weapons?" I shook my head. "Ok then, we only have one room avaliable for you. The current occupants are Laura Anderson, Quinn Baker, Sora Hirnleser, Sonny Jefferson, Cassie Stoll, Kayden Scheller, and soon to be Nyota. Is this ok?" I nodded. "Good. Now just fill out a few forms. Here we go." She handed me a stack of papers. There were all sorts of forms. Most of which I could not fill out. I filled out as many as I could. I stopped at the one with my name. "Hon, it's just a name. You need to tell us your name in order to stay here." "I was always told never to reveal my true name," I muttered. "You can tell us, we won't hurt you." So I filled in the form.
Name: Lipa Petrov
Other Names: S-43, LP, S-LP
Code Name: Ark Angel
Powers: wings, enhanced senses
I handed back the forms. "They're not all filled in," Miss Russo said, eyebrows raised. "I did not know it all," I answered simply. She nodded and led me out of the room and down the hall. I had memorized the layout of the academy on my way in and now knew my way around. She stopped in front of the room that would soon be mine, she opened it, and Sora gasped. "She's staying in this room?" The girls seemed to be in dismay. All except the one that was not in KGB's files. That must have been Nyota. I decided she was probably the nicest. "Yes, and I expect you to treat her well." Miss Russo then left. I stood in the doorway completely confused about what to do now. I'd never had roommates before. "What's your name?" Kayden asked. "I am Lipa Petrov." "Is that your real name or just your Russian code name?" Cassie asked. I stood slightly confused. "It is my name. Why would it not be?" She sighed. "Great, she doesn't even get sarcasum" she muttered. Of course I knew what sarcasum was, but I never had any use for it so its use escaped me.-
OK, since Zoey and Melody's posts kinda clash I'll just combine them.
Quinn-
We just stared at Lipa (if that was her real name). I was very unhappy about the decision to let her stay here considering she shot me! I could tell Sora and Laura weren't too happy about it either. I remembered what happened outside though and I almost felt bad for her. Lipa wasted no time in doing anything. Sense she could tell we weren't going to talk to her anymore she went into the bathroom, and came out later, wet and with the same clothes on. "Do you want to borrow something?" Nyota asked. "You are the floating girl?" Lipa asked. Nyota nodded. "Sure am, so as I was saying do you need anything?" She lent Lipa some pj's and promised to take her shopping tomorrow. Lipa took the last available bed, and went right to sleep. I crawled into bed and reminisced today's odd events. Suddenly Sonny shook me awake. "Quinn, wake up, I'm breaking out of here and need you to watch for Miss Russo." I sat up groggily. "What?" "I'm breaking out, come on wake up!" I got up out of bed. "You're going to try to break out of a school for kids with super powers?" "Lipa broke in didn't she?" "She's a Russian super weapon. It doesn't count." "Whatever, I'm leaving. So will you help me?" I nodded. "Sure, whatever. But what about all your stuff?" I asked. "I've got more, just get those three bags, and I'll take this one." She grabbed a tiny purse and stuck me with the three heavy bags. "What's in these things?" I asked, panting from their weight. "My shoes, duh. Now hurry up!" I followed her down the hallway, and through a bunch of twists and turns. "This place is a maze. Face it Sonny, you're never getting out." I whispered. "No way am I turning back now! I just had to turn down a movie offer with George Lucas! I am not going to be stuck here while all these amazing opportunities pass me by!" she snapped. Man, for an egocentric supermodel she was determined. We continued walking around trying to find the exit. Suddenly she stopped. "What is it?" "Someone's going to come by." We quickly hid in a room marked, STORAGE and waited until the footsteps came and went. "Let's go." She opened the door and led the way. After thirty minutes I felt like my arms were going to fall off. "Sonny, there's no way on this Earth you're ever going to find the–" "The exit!" she exclaimed. "Seriously?" I looked and saw two heavy wooden doors that looked like the front entrance. "Let's go!" We were half way when she stopped and groaned. "What now?" I asked putting down the heavy cases. But I soon realized why she'd stopped. Four armed guards circled us, then Miss Russo walked up. "Like I said Miss Jefferson, you are obligated to stay a whole year. As for you Miss Baker, since you aided Miss Jefferson you will share in the punnishment. Con!" she called. I groaned because I knew exactly what was going to happen next. He ran up in footy pajamas and a purple Santa hat. His eyes were red and puffy like he'd been crying. Sonny and I stiffled laughter. "Yes, Miss Russo?" he asked. Then he spotted us and turned red, then angry. "What are these two punks doin' out so late at night?" he asked angrily. I rubbed the bullet wound anxiously. "Miss Jefferson tried to break out and Miss Baker helped her." He grinned. "Got two boxes waitin' on your order Miss Russo." We both went pale. I remembered what had happened to Laura when she was in that box and I immediately wished Sonny hadn't talked me into this. "Good, now take them." He led us to the gym and told us each to go into our own separate box. Before entering the box I silently wispered to Sonny, "What kind of school doesn't let its students leave?" She answered my question with a question. "What kind of school makes its students face their worst fears as punnishment?" I gulped and walked into my box. I sat down on the chair and waited. Nothing happened. Suddenly the box started to rock, as if I was on, "A boat." I knew exactly what was happening. Water started to flow into the box up to my ankles. I pounded on the door and shouted for Con to let me out. I even started to shout for Miss Russo when the water got to my knees. The rocking got rougher, and rougher. I turned green. I watched in horror as the water made it to my waist. I screamed louder, this time yelling for anyone to help me. "HELP!! GET ME OUT!! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME! I'M GOING TO DROWN!!" I shouted helplessly. The water was up to my elbows. I started to cry, I couldn't even swim, and the top of this box was well above my head. I screamed and shouted until the water was up to my chin. Soon the rocking was tossing me around, and my head went under. I struggled to get to the top, but my injured leg wasn't working. I cried and shouted but no one came to my rescue. The rocking threw me around the box until the water was so high, there was only a foot of space between it and the ceiling. I shouted desperately. No one came. I took a huge gulp of breath and then water filled the box. I tried not to waste any air by crying or screaming, but I was scared to death by this rocking coffin I was in. I'm sure I was in there for a good two minutes when I started to see spots. I knew it was possible for human beings to hold their breath for 3 minutes or more but I got the horrid feeling I was going to die in here. Suddenly the rocking stopped, and all the water receded until it was just a plain white box with a chair in the center. I was lying on the floor, coughing up water, and gasping for breath when Con opened the door. "Learn you lession sweetheart?" I nodded vigorously and got up on unsteady legs heading out the door. I saw Sonny. She was dry but just about as paper white as I was. She saw me sopping wet but didn't say anything. We were escorted back to our room. Laura, Sora, Kayden, and Cassie got up as soon as the door shut behind us. They all looked horrified. "What happened?" Kayden asked. "Box" was all I said. I went into the bathroom and looked at the shower distastefully. I dried off and changed my clothes. I then crawled into bed without saying anything to anyone and lay there in the dark still panic stricken. I could still feel the horrible rocking when I finally fell asleep.
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//Kayden//
"What happened?" I asked fearfully as Sonny and Quin, who was soaked to the bone, entered our room. "Box," Quin said shakily, then went into the bathroom. Sonny was shivering so I brought her a blanket and sat her down on the bed. "What was that all about? We woke up and you were gone," Laura asked, crossing her arms across her chest and looking at Sonny with eyebrows raised. "I-I wanted to leave. The school, I mean. Movie offer, you know, so I convinced Quin into helping me…me break out, and Russo caught us and put us in that horrid box." She was shivering more, despite the blanket, and was staring at her lap. "This can't go on, all of us being afraid of Miss Russo. What type of school is this, where the students live in fear of the headmistress? This has to stop," Sora said. "But who could honestly stand up against Miss Russo, she'd blast us to smiterins, and that's when she's alone, and not with her body guards, and who knows what their powers are," I say, to no one in particular. All of a sudden everyone looks at me. "What? What all I can do is…turn people's powers off." And then I get it. I'm the only person who can stand up to Miss Russo without being blown off the map.
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So Lipa is good or bad? And Miss Russo is dangerous because…?
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Wow! I haven't been on for a while, since I was sick, but this is getting really good!
Elizabeth M., I'm not exactly sure whether Lipa is good or bad, but the reason Mrs. Russo is dangerous is because she has powers and all her bodyguards have powers too.
Cassie-
'Finally!' I thought. The sky seemed just the tiniest bit brighter. I had been awake for what seemed like hours, waiting for the sun to rise. Don't get me wrong, I am not a morning person. I'm usually the kind of person who has to be dragged out of bed in the morning and this get-up-at-five-o'clock thing was really hard on me. But this morning, I was just lying there forever thinking about what I'd just discovered and waiting to tell someone. I couldn't go back to sleep. I reached over and checked my phone. 4:57 An hour more till Sonny's overly-loud alarm went of. An hour of thinking about what I'd found.
I'd always thought that the box was a really extreme punishment. I mean, who has to face their worst fears every time they do something just a little bit wrong, like trying to ditch school? (Well, that's not exactly little, but you get my point.) The first time, when Laura had gone into the box I was amazed at the kind of terrible things they did. What if it killed them? I'd assured myself at the time that it couldn't kill them, that Mrs. Russo wouldn't let that happen. But then I'd seen Mrs. Russo threatening Laura's dad. She was threatening to kill him. That's when I decided she was crazy and she wanted to scare us to death (literally) in the box. Then, last night, when Quinn and Sora had come from the box, I'd realized something was wrong. If Mrs. Russo wanted to kill someone in that box, that would have been the perfect time to kill Quinn by drowning her. She hadn't been drowned. But when she came out of that box, everyone knew exactly what her worst fear was. And obviously, since Con controlled the boxes, he found out what everyone's worst fear was. So, if he was telling Mrs. Russo, she knew what everyone's worst fear was. And she could use them against us. She could scare us into doing what she wanted. And we all knew that she wanted something.
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@Sally- I think you mean when Quinn and Sonny came back from the box. Sora didn't try to escape. I've got to go to school, but I'll post soon. 😀
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Oops! You're right that's what I meant! I was thinking Sonny, I just typed the wrong thing.
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So, since my charrie is the "best student" or something like that (according to past posts) 🙂 should she be evil? Like she keeps an eye on everyone for Miss Russo or something? or something. 🙂 If not we can ignore this post. (and sorry this is short)
Airlia-
I wander the halls aimlessly, trying to tune out the hundreds of dreams bombarding me from the rooms I'm walking past. During the day it's ok, since not too many of the students are nocturnal. But at night it's awful. Everyone's dreams slip into my head and I can't distinguish my thoughts from anyone else's. As I walk toward Miss Russo's office, one of her bodyguards drops from where he was hanging upside-down on the ceiling and stands in the middle of the hall, blocking my way.
"Name?" he says seriously, trying to look tough. He's a newbie, I know, because all the guards are required to know not to get in my way or blast me to bits if I try to disturb Miss Russo. He must be the replacement for the bodyguard who disappeared last week. I deliberately turn my eyes red, with reptilian pupils, just to creep the guy out. It works. His face blanches and he moves aside immediately. I stalk past him and stop outside Miss Russo's office. I knock loudly, and the door opens seemingly of its own accord.
"Ah, Airlia. I'm glad you came. I never really got to thank you for telling me about those to would-be escapees."