After class, Hope and I rounded up what I'm going to call the Dream Team and had us all meet in a gazebo in the back of the school. Rafael was running a little late for some reason, but eventually we spotted him jogging over to us. I propped myself up on the wooden railings of the gazebo and folded my arms.

"Sorry I'm late," Raf huffed. "Some wolves were causing trouble. Did you guys start without me?"

I shook my head. "Nah, we waited. It's no big deal."

Kaleb looked between me and Hope. "So what's this about?"

"Mel came up with a plan to put Malivore down," Hope smiled. "And it's a really good one. It's gonna be hard, but it's a good plan."

"So let's hear it," Ric said.

"Well our first step is to find two spells. The one that created Malivore, and the one that liquidized him." I pointed out.

"That's impossible, those spells were never written down or anything."

"Do you know that for sure?"

"That's the thing," Lizzie scoffed. "No one does. It could be at the bottom of a volcano for all we know, or maybe the written versions really don't exist."

Josie shook her head as she thought aloud. "I get why we need the creation spell." She then looked at me. "But why do we need the spell that made him into a pit?"

Hope stepped forward. "Like the creation spell, we need the spell to reverse it. To make Malivore a golem again. That way we don't need to toss anyone to destroy him."

"Do you realize how dangerous that is?" Ric said, making an obvious point. "Malivore is dangerous even in the state he's in and you want to put him back in his full form?"

"Would you rather me or Mel or three people to jump in to destroy him? Be forgotten for that sacrifice?"

"It could very well be the... new only way to kill him," I sighed. "Unless someone has a better plan of action, this is the best we've got."

"I think it's good," demon boy shrugged.

"Thanks, spawn of Satan." Hope shot me a deadly glare. I shrunk back, mumbling an apology.

Raf scratched the back of his head. "Still raises the question of how we find the spells, though."

I hopped down from atop the railing, throwing my hands up. "Don't know."

Lizzie rolled her brown eyes. "Some plan you have."

"I didn't say this would be a freaking foot-long marathon. It's gonna take time."

"For all we know, we don't have time. What if another monster is roaming those halls right now?"

"Dude!" MG whined. "You just jinxed us!"

"Oh, please, Milton. That's just syfy-geek... stuff... there's no such thing as jinxing."

But because there is such a thing as jinxing, there was a deafening screech that sounded from the school. However the only other person that turned their attention towards the school was Hope. She heard it, but why didn't anyone else?

"Did you guys not hear that?" I asked.

Kaleb glanced at the school, trying to see whatever we were focused on. "Hear what?"

Hope scoffed, "That scream? Surely you guys heard that."

"Great, now they've both lost their minds." Behind Lizzie, who was standing at the entrance of the gazebo, there were these inhuman ghoul-looking things slowly walking out of the house. It was clear as day their attention was on us. Or rather, Hope and me.

I pointed to them. "So you're not seeing those goddamn monster things walking out the school?"

"I told you you jinxed us."

"Or apparently just them," Josie said.

The monsters let out another screech before one of them suddenly started running. And like, quick. Nearly too quick to react.

Before it could pounce on Lizzie to get me (or Hope), I practically tossed the girl aside, causing me to be pushed so far back I landed near the water. Sadly, though, I didn't land near a sharp rock. Instead I landed on it, having either gotten cut or stabbed in my left buttcheek. Probably the latter.

"What just happened?!"

"It's a demon thing only me and Mel can see!"

I didn't know what exactly was happening, but all I knew is that one of those ghoul things was tossed into the water. I'm guessing the splash of it (plus me getting bopped) was the only thing anyone around us saw.

Via her footsteps, I heard Hope coming to my aid. She grabbed my arm and lifted me up to my feet which caused a hell of amount of pain in my butt. I pressed down on it with one had while my other arm was placed around Hope's neck. Hybrid or not, my healing is a little slow because I'm not fully activated. So this'll probably leave a mark.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Apart from bloody penetration in me buttcheek by pointy rock, yes."

"I'm gonna pretend that made sense."

"I have a butt wound, princess." I showed her my bloodied hand. "I'd show you, but... Ha. Get it? Butt."

"We're literally in danger right now." Hope dragged me along with her and Kaleb came to help her do so.

"What the hell is happening?"

"If I had to guess, Malivore sent these after us knowing there's not just one person with the means to destroy him..."

"But two," Ric finished. "Let's get to my office."

Hope shook her head, pointing to the other monster standing and waiting for us. "There's another one at the door. How do we plan on getting in? That's the only entrance from back here."

"Plus my butt injury is gonna slow us down if we try to run past it." Behind us, in the lake, there was a gurgling sound erupting from the waters. That, at least, was heard by all of us. Hope ordered Rafael to take her place in carrying me.

"What are you planning to do?" Ric questioned.

"Providing a distraction while you get everyone inside. Mel's already hurt, and these people don't know there's invisible monsters inside the barrier, so we need to get them to safety."

"But-"

"My mind's made up." Hope cocked her head towards the school, then took off in an opposite direction. She waved her arms in the air to capture the attention of the thing by the door. "Hey! Come and get me!"

It didn't hesitate to start walking in her direction, giving us an opening into the school. I nodded, "Okay, go go go."

Ric ran ahead of us, collecting other students along the way, instructing them to run inside as well. They'd sensed the panic in his voice and did as told without a second thought. And because I couldn't move as quick so the boys carrying me swooped my legs up and ran after the others.

Totally didn't make my ass hurt any more than it was. Nope, not at all.

We ended up mixed in the crowd of people trying to rush in the building. They scattered about the place, going in every direction possible to get tho their own rooms. At least that's what I assumed.

In the midst of the crowd running away from the danger, I saw one person standing in place. I recognized her medium-length hair and pieced together that it was Jack. She was probably going outside to relax or something.

She turned around and noticed the boys carrying me then stopped us when we got close. "What... the hell is happening...?"

"Invisible demon thing, gotta go," Raf huffed, moving around Jack to continue to Ric's office.

Jack followed close behind. "What do you mean 'invisible demon thing'? Melori, are you hurt?!"

"Well I wouldn't let anyone carry me if I wasn't."

"I'll go get a first aid kit. Where are you going?"

"To the big man's office." One of the things was now inside on our trial, judging by yet another screech I could hear down the hall. To confirm it, I did the dumb and looked back. "Guys, it's like, right down the hall so can we speed this up, please?"

"You can see it? I thought you said it's invisible?"

I groaned as I struggled my way out of Raf and Kaleb's arms. I grabbed my butt again to at least keep pressure on it. "New plan. You guys go to Alaric's office, see what you can find on this thing. I'll run circles around Jeepers creepers here to distract him."

"First of all, we don't even know what this thing looks like," Josie panicked. " Second, how do you plan on running while you're hurt?"

"Luck, charm, whit? Doesn't matter, I need to find Hope anyway."

"Why-"

"Just go!"

All of them except Jack took off running further down the hall. I grabbed Jack's hand with my not-bloody one and dragged her along with me, limping and running at the same time.

"Why can you see it?"

"Because it's after me. And it's after Hope too, which is why I need to find her."

"And why are you dragging me along? I don't wanna get killed too!"

"Because between you and me, only you can do magic. And I have an idea that might help me evade whatever that thing is."

I lead Jack out the front of the school and started to round my way back to the side. The front and back were separated by a long brick wall that went on into the woods for miles, so running around it would take forever. I dropped to one knee, laced my fingers together and propped both hands on my thigh, then motioned for her to step on them so I can give her a boost.

"What's your plan?" Jack hesitated.

"You're gonna make us invisible to it."

okay, I feel like thes chapters are FLYING out recently and they really are. I've had like, an expressway of ideas that just makes me wanna get all this in between plot stuff out of the way, like... the chapter I'm writing right now is...

you'll find out..

ANYWHO

I'm sick and I have more time away from school to do this so I'm having more fun actually. even though my throat is probably somehow a little swollen and I can barely breathe out of my nose.... ITS FINE

and it's not covid, just allergies :)

thank you for reading, as always, and I'll likely have another chapter out in four days or less :3

kisses x