(The following story contains violence and coarse language)
--For my sister, Maxine--
Maria hated English. Out of all her courses in high school, it was the one she hated the most. It wasn't merely because she did poorly or that she hated the teacher. She just found English boring. No, not boring; predictable. Every class was the same. It would start with her teacher talking about some
'epic masterpiece' and end with an essay assignment. The rest of the students would then write their generic essays, hand them in and get their Bs and Cs before moving on to the more important subjects in school. Maria, however, couldn't keep her mouth shut, or more accurately, her fingers tied, as she wrote exactly what she thought about the whole ordeal. So it was no surprise to her when the big D and F showed up on her paper.
The only thing Maria liked about English was Sarah, her classmate and her lunch hour peer tutor. Sarah was the most wonderful teacher she ever had. She wasn't a very good teacher, as Maria barely learned anything from her. But Sarah was patient. What Maria liked the most was that Sarah would smile whether Maria did something right or wrong. And when Maria talked about how she hated English, Sarah would listen without any judgement and with a smile on her face.
What Maria really wanted to learn was never taught in school. Because what Maria loved most all the world was magic. Not the kind in fairy tales with wizards and dragons. What Maria loved was magic shows with tricks like pulling rabbits out of a hat and sawing people in half. Slight of hand and illusion. She spent her allowance on crazy gizmos and magic books to teach herself tricks. Her collection grew with cards, ropes, handkerchiefs, matches, coins and trick locks. They all fascinated her and she loved them all.
She loved to go to magic shows and sit in the front row. Whether it was small street performers or elaborate big names on stage, she just loved to watch them work their magic. She would watch the tricks with wonder and amazement and she would ignore the sceptics who would complain how fake it was. She was not under some delusion; she knew there was no such thing as magic. No hocus pocus or anything like that. But she also knew that the real magic came from the magician. If a magician could make the person believe, even for a moment, then the magician did their job. That was true magic.
At the annual fall festival, she had endeared herself to a local magician and got a part-time job working for him. The job only involved helping with the set up and packing up but for Maria it meant being able to go to shows and get paid for it. Soon the job expanded to include demonstrating simple tricks for the kids to take home and making balloon animals from a book. It was kids stuff, but Maria loved it.
Maria's favourite audience was Sarah. It started when Maria performed a coin trick for her. Though it was a simple trick, Sarah smiled, applauded and, most importantly, didn't ask her how she did it. All she said was, "That's amazing". Since that day, Maria would end their little lessons with a trick or two, becoming more complex along the way.
Sarah surprised Maria one day with a gift. “For the amateur magician,” Sarah said. Maria expected it to be a dollar store magic book or a cheap magic trick in a box. What Maria didn't expect was a cube with brightly coloured squares on its faces.
“They call it the Magic Cube.” Sarah smiled. “It holds magical powers for those who can solve the puzzle.”
“It's just a Rubik's Cube.” Maria insisted.
Sarah winked, “I'm sure you'll enjoy it.”
Maria thought it was silly, but during the first night with it she discovered she was very good at it. Within the first hour of play, she had solved one side. And by the next morning, the entire cube had been solved. She showed what she learned to Sarah at lunch, who clapped in amazement.
It happened that on the weekend before March break, Maria discovered while packing up after a show, that she left her cube at school. to pack up after a birthday party when she found packing up She thought about the long hours ahead without it to amuse herself and decided to swing by school on the chance that she could pick it up. The school was close and on the way home anyway. So after she finished packing up and said her goodbyes, she ran as fast as she could to school. By the time she arrived, the security lights were on and the doors were locked. There were no janitors in sight and no cars in the parking lot, save the broken down school bus.
She was about to leave, when she thought this might be a good test of her lock-picking skills. At worst she would trigger the alarm. But in this town, that gave her plenty of time to grab her cube and get out. She felt her heart pump as she picked the lock, using the tool kit from her bag. She had never done this in a public place before. Still the lock gave easily and soon she was inside. Then her heart sank. She forgot about the cameras recently installed after some computers were stolen three months ago, and one was pointing right at her. Her fear became confusion when she noticed the little red light was off. But instead of questioning it, Maria ran down the hall towards her locker.
With a few turns of the lock, Maria's locker opened and she searched looked around inside. She never kept anything important in there, using it simply as temporary storage, keeping her possessions from the idle hands of morons. The cube was on top of her English text books and novels, scrambled into a mess during her lunch break. She shoved it into her bag.
"Maria?"
Maria almost jumped out of her skin. She spun to see who was behind her. Ashley Campbell, student president, year book editor, head cheerleader, honour student and natural blond was standing across the hall. She was dressed in her purple and orange cheer-leading uniform and staring right at Maria with a wicked look in her eyes.
Maria and Ashley Campbell never talked. She was everything Maria wasn't and didn't want to be. Maria hadn't even known Ashley Campbell knew her name. And what was she doing here after school?
"Maria. Maria." Ashley Campbell's voice always sounded like it was cooing. It made Maria want to throw up. She glided across the hall and placed her hands on Maria's shoulders. "Maria, you're interrupting."
"I'm sorry, I just came for my cube," I need to get out of here, Maria thought, "I'll just go."
"Don't be silly." Ashley Campbell's hands were on Maria lightly, but Maria couldn't budge. She forced her whole weight to twist out of Ashley Campbell's hands, yet she found herself fixed in place. "It's good that you're here. We've had our eyes on you anyway. You being here tonight just makes things easier. It gives us the advantage."
"Advantage in what?" Maria asked, though she really didn't care. She just wanted Ashley Campbell to let her go and stop hurting her.
Ashley Campbell cackled. "You mean you don't know? My, my, hasn't she told you anything yet? And here I thought she'd have her talons in you by now. Freelance work and all that."
Maria winced. Her shoulders began to really hurt, yet she still couldn't move.
"But now, I have my talons in you. And unlike her, I won't hesitate."
Maria looked over at the hand grabbing her and she saw why it hurt so much. Ashley Campbell's 'talons' were in her. In her shoulders to be precise. Long, sharp talons like a bird of prey. Maria turned back to look into Ashley Campbell's dark red eyes.
Arms came out from behind Maria; and, before she could react, she was pulled straight through the lockers and the wall, out of Ashley's arms and into... Sarah's.
"Run!" Sarah yelled.
Before Maria could respond, a deafening scream came from the hallway. Sarah grabbed Maria's arm and pulled her across the room and through the opposite wall as though it were air. They ran through walls and classrooms until they finally reached the outside wall. But as Sarah ran straight into it, they both smashed into the concrete.
"Damn!" Sarah cursed. She tested the wall with a hand then punched it. "They've sealed us in already!” She pressed a button on her headset set, “Call off the attack! There's a human on site!"
Maria breathed heavily and shook herself. Her shoulders hurt like hell and bled like crazy, she was pretty sure her nose was bleeding as well and something felt broken. She looked at Sarah and thought the headset looked out of place on her. In fact, her whole attire was out of place. Instead of the school uniform they usually wore, she wore tight leather jacket and pants. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She had a pistol worthy of science fiction in her hands.
Sarah ran to the door and locked it. "Two minutes?! She'll be dead in two minutes! Shit!" Sarah switched off her headset again and turned back to Maria. She looked more upset than angry. "Damn it, Maria! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"What's going on?" Maria demanded. Then her heart leapt as the sound of gunfire and screaming ripped through the building.
"Shit!" Sarah pulled Maria into the corner and crouched low. She had to scream over the noise. "Keep away from the windows and the doors and don't make any noise!"
Maria felt tears coming to her eyes. "What's going on?" She cried.
"All you need to know is that you're in the wrong place at the wrong time." Sarah cringed as an explosion rocked the building.
"What do you mean? We need to call the police!"
Sarah shook her head. "The police are too busy with the alien incursion right at the moment! Besides the banshee hybrids had this place booked for months! The police know all about it!"
Why was Sarah spouting all this nonsense? Maria thought. "What are you talking about?"
Sarah groaned, "Just stay down!"
The explosions were getting louder and closer. Maria could hear running through the halls and the sound of fist fights. Sarah grabbed Maria's backpack and dumped the contents onto the floor. She picked out the magic cube and thrust it into Maria's hands.
"Solve the cube!" She yelled and turned to the door.
For Maria, this was the end of the insanity. She wanted answers. "Why am I..."
"DO IT!" Sarah yelled. However, it was not Sarah's voice that yelled. Her voice was now deeper, masculine and full of anger. It was as unlike Sarah in every way. But that didn't scare Maria as much as the fact that Sarah's eyes blazed with a green light.
Frightened, Maria began to solve the cube as quickly as she could. The fastest she had ever solved it in was two minutes and forty seconds. She always hoped to go faster. The dials began to spin as she remembered the combinations and algorithms. Soon the explosions were only distant memories as she focused on the cube. Watching the dance of the colours and the patterns fall into place were the only things that made sense to her.
Suddenly the door to the classroom burst open and three men with assault rifles poured in. Seeing Sarah and Maria, they opened fire. Sarah dove in front of Maria and raised her hands. The bullets suddenly slowed and came to a halt.
Maria gasped. "What... happened?"
"Shut up and listen to me." Sarah's voice had returned to normal, though now it quivered. "I've stopped time so you can finish the cube. Solve the cube, then press the centre squares of all the colours at once. It should break the spell sealing this place. Run for the door. Go!"
Maria ran to the door, leaving her things behind. She continued on the cube, but stopped when she reached the door. She turned back to Sarah. "Come with me." Maria pleaded.
Sarah's light brown eyes met hers. "I can't move." A tear escaped her eye. "I should've...” The moment hung between them more vividly than the bullets hung in the air. Sarah looked away from Maria as her arms began to tremble. Then she looked back with tear filled eyes and mouthed the word. “Go.”
Maria ran from the room and raced for the outside door. She felt a weight lift off her head, then she heard the bullets rip. She couldn't think about what just happened. She just kept running. The last section fell into place and Maria pressed all the centre squares. She slammed into the door and into the cold night air.
"Help!" She screamed into the night. "God, somebody help!"
Three black armoured trucks rolled up to the curb as soon as she reached it. Men in black body armour and weapons poured from them and ran past her
"In there! Get an ambulance! Please hurry!" Maria wondered why no one stopped for her. She reached a solider talking to a tall thin man stepping out of a black limo. The man had a bad emo haircut and wore a black trench coat.
"Commander Striker, sir” A soldier addressed the man, “ The attack was compromised. There was a human on site."
"Secure the area." The man walked past Maria without a look. "The council will want an explanation. They will not be pleased."
"What's going on!?" Maria screamed.
"Dispose of that." Striker pointed at Maria. And with that, Maria woke up.
Maria wondered if it had all been a dream. Her clothes from the night before were gone and her shoulders, though sore, weren't injured. There was nothing in the news. There was no gossip in her email. She asked her mother about that night, but she said was she was in bed before Maria got home. She walked to the school and did a lap around the building, looking for any evidence. No broken windows, no cracks in the concrete, no burn marks. No signs of recent construction either. Could she have imagined it all?
An agonizing week passed with no news or sign of any kind that anything out of the ordinary happened. On the Monday back from March break, the school was the same. Maria wandered the halls over and over again, looking for even the smallest clue. Everything inside was the same. No bullet holes, no evidence of explosion or blood. Not even marks on her locker. Could she have dreamt the entire thing?
When English arrived, she half expected Sarah to be sitting there, smiling as if nothing happened at all. But Sarah's desk was empty.
"Excuse me," She talked to the girl who usually sat next to Sarah, "Do you know where Sarah is?"
"Didn't you know?" The girl asked, "She's been planning this holiday for awhile and she might be gone for a little bit. But to tell you the truth." She started to whisper, "I think she's sick and just... you know."
Maria never knew that Sarah was sick. And Maria thought she knew Sarah. And yet, looking back, she realized she knew nothing at all about her friend.
The door opened and Maria watched the teacher walk in. The sight made her want to die. They had a new male teacher. He wore a white golf shirt and black pants. And he had a bad emo haircut.
"Greetings class," said an all too familiar voice, that commanded respect from even the worst in the class, "Certain circumstances have forced Mrs. Harvest to take early retirement. I will be replacing her for the rest of the year. My name is Mr. Striker."
Maria felt as though she would faint in her seat. So it was real and they had finally come for her. And all she could do was wait for the first move.
Days past, however, and nothing changed. Striker was stricter than Harvest, and even less predictable. He did, however, bring a sense of rigour to the work that had every student confused and unsure as to how to write essays strong enough for his expectations.
Some days Maria swore she saw Striker watching her from the corner of his eye, inspecting her every move. But nothing ever came of it. The only change was that her Ds and Fs became Bs. Striker seemed to like her essays about how the books were overused and improperly taught, with a few marks deducted for structure and citation. His feedback always invited her to tutorials after class, but she never fell for it.
The strangest change was Ashley Campbell. She still came to school and was still the most beautiful and popular girl. Yet Ashley Campbell's eyes would go wide every time she saw Maria and she would make any excuse not to be in the same room with her. No attack of any kind: verbal, physical or indirect. Ashley Campbell, from that day forward, never had her back to Maria. People noticed, but Maria never cared. Ashley Campbell was everything Maria wasn't. And didn't want to be.
Sarah never came back from holiday or sick leave. Everyone assumed she transferred somewhere else. Maria asked around, but no one seemed to know anything. It was as if she had simply dropped off the face of the Earth.
The nightmares stopped sooner than Maria expected. The bad ones, where she woke up in a panic, only lasted a week, and soon the nightmares disappeared altogether. She felt ashamed for not having them, as if having them meant she still cared and hurt that Sarah died because of her. But soon they faded and never came again. But the memory of the night still remained.
Maria graduated from school and took an apprenticeship with the magician. After a year she got an agent, then started to work locally in her home town. She never made it bigger than local festivals and backyard parties, but Maria never minded.
Maria never forgot Sarah or that night for the rest of her life. But she didn't look back with sorrow and regret. To Maria, it is the greatest magic show she has ever seen. For even to this day, she still believes.
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