1.
Brandon: "Ahhhh..." Brad heard someone scream. Brad got scared and screamed with that person too. Then they stopped. Brad squinted in the darkness, but all he can make out was a dark silhouette of someone that looked like a girl. "Uhh....Hi?" Brad said, not sure about what to do. Then he found a pocket knife next to his throat, then it slowly went down. Brad started sweating. Like, sweating REALLY REALLY much. The person in front of him turned on a flashlight. In front of him stood there that was probably 15, a year younger than him. She's pretty, Brad thought. It was the only thought that came to him. With her medium length chestnut brown hair, she looked like that she was prepared for everything and anything. Maybe she is, Brad thought.
The girl looked at him. "What or you looking at?" Brad asked.
"I'm not looking at a 'what', I'm looking at a 'who'," She replied. They stood there staring at each other for a while, then she finally said,"I'm Charlotte."
"I'm Brad." Brad said.
The girl, or Charlotte, tensed a little. Then smiled at him as if she just made a decision.
2.
Brandon: Brad could not believe this person. How could he? They have just met, and now this guy Horace is claiming that his right eye is blind. For some reason, as hard as he tried, Brad got a bad feeling about him. It was like two magnets repelling each other. Somehow he couldn't flip one the magnets around. After Brad heard what he said, all he can do was to stare at him. Horace stared back. "What did you just say?" Brad asked.
"I said that I think my right eye is blind."
"You think?"
"yep."
"Why?"
"Well, when I winked at you," Horace winked and stayed in that position," I couldn't see anything."
Brad nodded in acknowledgment. Then Hans woke up. He looked at Brad, then at Horace. "Oh no, this is not good." Hans muttered to himself. "What?" they both asked. Hans said quickly," Nothing." Hans strode over to look at Horace's leg. "This is bad. You gotta be careful where you go and what you do next time. That forest has things even I cannot name. Better be careful, boy."
Horace nodded and said," My name is Horace."
Hans looked at him and said," If I didn't know that I would've asked you already."
Horace looked at Hans, clearly confused. Hans continued," It seems like you were bitten by a snake, Horace. You're lucky that it's not a poisonous one."
Horace gaped at him. Brad couldn't help but chuckle at Horace's look on his face. Hans stole a quick glance at him, clearly warning him. Brad shrank back a little. "So, what do I do now?" Horace asked. Horace soon realized that it sounded a little childish. Hans looked at him and said," We will need to go and search for the ingredients for the antidote." Horace swallowed, and both Horace and Brad was thinking about the same thing: if a not poisonous snake will need an antidote, what will a poisonous snake be like?
3.
Brandon: Brad was sitting at Hans cave in a very comfortable way.Then, after a while, Hans said," I want to ask you how you became immune to fire?"
Brad looked at him, then said,"I don't know...maybe I was born with being immune to fire?"
Hans looked at Brad." So, you are Brad Rothman, am I right?"
Brad nodded. Hans didn't know his full name was Brandon, so if he really wanted to see if he's there in the world with some kind of technology, he will never find him. But, let's not talk about that when Brad doesn't even know where he came from. "I'm going out,"Brad said.
"I can come with you." Hans offered, but Brad shook his head.
"I'm fine. I can always find my way back home."
Then Brad stood up and walked out of the cave. Brad's shiny brown hair reflected the sun, causing whoever looked at his head would get their eyes burned. Then he heard something, a tiny buzzing sound. Brad decided to follow the sound.
After a while, he found it. It was a laser. Then, off to the corner in the trees was a boy. Brad walked over to the boy. He had dark, sleek black hair, arms muscular with probably the work out of either the sports or just working out. Brad decided to carry him back to the cave, and that's what he did.
4.
Brandon: "What?!" Brad said more than asked," So, are you saying that Horace is your friend?"
Charlotte nodded. Brad looked down at his feet, then lifted his head up and said," Well, then, there might be something you want to know. His right eye is now blind."
Charlotte gasped, then turned into a confused look," How come?"
"I don't know. He was unconscious when I found him."
"Oh.." Charlotte said.
"Yeah, so...Hey!"
Charlotte looked at him. "What?"
"Is that broon?" Brad asked, squinting at a weird plant.
"Uh, I don't know."
Brad looked at her." Aren't you from around here?"
"No."
"Then why are you here?"
"Well..uh...you see...I'm on a mission."
"Oh, ok. Hey, I think this IS broon."
" Really?" asked Charlotte.
"Yup, as far as I know, it is. I wonder what time it is..."
Then they heard a soft growl.
5.
Brandon: Brad woke up, his head hurting. Then he realized he was not at Black Midnight anymore. He looked around, then rubbed his head, but it still continued hurting. Then the memories came back to him. There was this girl named Charlotte, then this creepy creature was there, then there was a flash of light and everything went black. Well, everything is dark in Black Midnight anyways. Brad smiled at his own little joke but all he got was his head hurting more. Then something popped into Brad's mind. Something told him to observe his surroundings. So that was what he did.
He looked around and saw a campfire with something burnt on top of it. It was all black, so he doesn't know what it is, but one thing for sure: it's not marshmallow. Then Brad realized that his arms were tied. Fortunately, his legs weren't, which meant that he can walk. He stood up. It was a little difficult, but luckily he was pretty good at it. He will have to thank his P.E. teacher for that. Mr. Haynes was his P.E. teacher, and he was a strict one too. Brad never liked him.
Brad walked over to the fire. He felt heat, but the heat made him think that it wouldn't hurt him self consciously. He studied the black piece that was like ashes more. The black thing looked like something familiar. Then it came to him: it was an arm. He kicked it, use the fire to burn the ropes that tied him, and soon he was free. One thing about being immune to fire: it can help you escape. Brad picked up the burnt arm reluctantly but also interested. He scraped of the ash part and realized that it was the arm of a human. Brad shuddered at the thought, then suddenly realized that this might happen to him too. Where was Charlotte?, he thought. Then, he ran away into the trees.
6.
Brandon: Brad was stuck. There was no way his eyes will live on and guide him on to where to walk to. Then he heard something outside. Something really familiar. Then it came to him: it was the sound of balls bouncing. Not just any ball, but basketballs. Well, there was only one basketball bouncing, but it was enough for Brad to know. Brad suddenly had some sort of instinct like a ball was going to hit him and he rolled of the bed. Brad lied there, unsure why he can move again. He tried to lift his hand, but it wouldn't work. He tried harder, like ready to catch a ball. After a few more attempts, he was free from the spell. Brad stood up and charged through the tent. Outside Brad saw Horace and the girl playing basketball with a few other people. There were uneven teams, they needed one more player, and Brad ran over.
"Can I join?"
They all stopped except for Horace, who made his way around them and got a nice basket.
"How did you free yourself?" The girl said.
She stepped forward and was about to freeze him again, but another guy stopped her. He was around the same age as the girl, who looked around the age of 15.
"This guy, Brad, freed himself, and it's not something anyone can do. Erin, let him go. But, not the other boy." The boy looked at Horace.
"Okay, but, Oscar, who will be facing the Dogon?"
"I have other plans." Oscar said.
Brad looked at them confused. Then Horace crumpled to the floor with a pained look on his face.
"Horace!" Brad looked at the girl named Erin and Oscar," What did you do to him?"
Erin smiled at him. "Something you will do to him one day anyways."
"Wha-?" Then another guy threw the ball at him.
Brad caught the ball and threw it back. The other guy smiled at him. "You play basketball?"
"Sort of." Brad replied," But I'm better at running."
"Running is what you need in basketball too."
"Well, yeah."
"Excuse me, but we have a lot more important things to do than to talk about basketball and what kind of sports Brad plays." Erin interrupted.
The other guy looked at her. "Do. Not. Interrupt me. Again. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
Erin ignored his rude statement. "I don't care. Just because you're my older brother doesn't mean you rule me."
Brad was left standing there listening to the rest of the conversation.
"Uh..excuse me but what am I going to do now?"
Oscar looked at him. " Shut up," he said and he knocked him out.
7.
Brandon: The creepy girl left him frozen like stone. The girl was really creepy, because when she looked back she looked like Brad himself. Brad almost half suspected that he was frozen because of shock, but he knew that it was more than that. He has been frozen for a day, and he was hungry, his eyes were so dry. He really wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't, and he really wanted to close and just fall asleep or just at least keep them from getting drier than a desert. Then the girl came back. Brad tried to move, and he continued to struggle until he got tired and gave up. Brad tried his best frozen glare, which didn't really work well because he couldn't move. The girl sat down next to him. " How are you feeling?"
Brad gave her another failed glare. "Knew you would do that," The girl said mockingly.
Brad became angry, but he couldn't show it, even if he wanted to. " It seems like your friend Horace came."
Brad was surprised.
"It seems like I haven't introduce myself yet." the girl said.
Brad listened carefully, but then got really disappointed when the girl said, " But let's wait a little later. When you're free and we can introduce ourselves nicely. Of course, I know your name already. But it doesn't matter, because you won't even need to think of being free until your friend Horace pass the test."
Brad started to look confuse, but then he realize that, not for the first time and not the last, he could not move.
"Don't worry, your friend will have a great time with my friend the Dogon."
8.
Brandon: Brad stumbled past a log, fell down, got up, continued walking, trip on a log, fell down, got up, continued walking, tripped on a large stone, and couldn't get up. Where is he? Then, in the darkness there suddenly came bright sunlight. Brad squinted in the bright light. Brad went up to a sign and read it. It said: Suskoo.
Brad has no idea what it is. Then he saw a village. So Suskoo is probably a village, Brad thought. He decided to go and find out.
When he reached the village, a girl around his age came over. "What can I do for you?" She asked him. Brad looked at her, surprised.
"Uh, what does Suskoo mean?"
The girl's expression turned dark. Then she looked up and said," It's the name of our village."
She said it in such a tiny and timid voice it sounded like he was talking to two different person. Brad frowned and said," I got lost. Which way should I go?"
Then brad realized that he DOESN'T know where he should go, and the girl laughed.
"Come on, follow me. Maybe we can help you."
Brad marveled at the way the villagers built their home. It was only a simple village, but it was simple enough be wonderful. Then Brad realized something: he felt like he was in a totally different place. Ever since he woke up and found himself in a place known as the Forrest, it was like as if he was in a different place and time. Like, out of the universe kind of different. Something Brad never experienced before. But Brad felt even stranger. Suddenly the girl fell, and when she turned back to him, she was different. This time really different.
9.
Brandon: The stone somehow made the fire brighter and warmer, which was a good thing. It was really cold and dark, and Brad kept shivering. Hans didn't show any emotion. He just stared at the blazing stone. Brad studied the old man's face, but there was nothing. brad was really tired, so he layed on the stone floor, which was not that comfortable, and closed his eyes.
In his dream, there was a snake. It was slithering in the water, it's eyes glinting with evil. Then it crawled up something, then there was a scream. Fire went ablaze, and then the snake slithered towards the fire. when it reached the fire, the fire backed off, which was strange. Then the snake attacked the fire, and Brad woke up. Hans was still asleep, but the sun was already rising. Brad decided to go out of the, which is what he did. He went outside and breath in the fresh air. He loved the woods. For all he can remember, he grew up near the woods and he would go out and play in the woods when he was little. Suddenly Brad had a headache. He tried to remember what was his last name, but he couldn't. Then, suddenly, it came to him. " Rothman," he whispered to himself," My last name is Rothman."
10.
Brandon: The next day, Hans told them what to do. So, Horace will need some hanick, a type of herb in the Forrest. Brad would get the broon, some fungus like thing. Hans would get the rest. "What are hanick and broon? I've never heard of it before." Brad asked before they split up.
" The Forrest is a place where things we do not know grows." was the reply.
Brad nodded and started up a road that's more like a line. He turned back and saw Horace heading the way Hans told him to, then Hans went another direction. Brad walked on. This trip won't be really long, they'll be meeting back at Hans' cave after sunset. Brad kept on walking until he found the place Hans told him to go to. The place he came to was called Black Midnight because it was always dark there was never sunlight. You can be fooled by thinking that it was never daytime. But darkness was where broon grows. Once broon sees daylight it will start dying. That was why Brad got a bag that was sealed tight so no sunlight can get in. Then he heard a soft growl when he stepped into Black Midnight.
11.
Brandon: The old man stared at Brad, his eyes showing how amazed he was. "How do you do that?" He asked.
Brandon looked at him like he didn't unerstand, but he did. "Ok, if you don't know, answer me this, what's your name?" the old man asked.
"B-brad," he answered. His voice hadn't been used for so long it sounded more like "brd."
"Brad," he said again.
"Ahh, so you're Brad. I'm Hans."
Brad, unsure what to do, said," Uh, hi Hans."
The man nodded, smiling in a wierd way. Brad nodded with the man(hans, he reminded himself). Then Brad stepped out of the fire, but the fire felt like it wanted him to stay there. Hans stared at him. Then, he picked up the rock and threw it at the fire, and for some reason the rock caught on fire. Brad didn't even know if that's possible. But it did, and that's what happened.
12.
Brandon: Brandon slowly woke up, realizing that he was surrounded by darkness. A leaf fell down, brushing his face gently as it continued its way to the ground. He looked up. It was sunrise, and the sunlight slowly spread across the darkness until Brandon, aka Brad, can see that he was in a forrest. Then his brain came to work, realizing that he had no idea what happened and how hungry he was. Where did he come he had no idea. One thing he knows is that he has taken some survival classes and he knows how to survive in the wilderness. He got up, a little too quickly, which caused him to fall back down because his legs were not warmed up. Water. He needed water. He started walking, then into a slow jog, then it broke into a run. Brad was that desperate.
Brandon was lost. The huge forest was like a maze at level 100. Brad was jogging again now, he's a good runner. In fact, he's one of the best. But, one quick look on the ground and he crashed into a tree. He could feel the blood pumping in his head as darkness surrounded him once again.
13.
Brandon: He woke up again. Brad's head was hurting. He got up, his stomach growling really loudly this time. He was in a cave. There was fire, which probably meant someone else is here. Or was. He looked at the fire, it's brightness capturing Brad's eyes. It's not because he never saw fire before, that'd be strange especially when he played with fire at the age of 5. Yes, it was dangerous, but his parents didn't mind. Brad walked towards the fire, his legs getting warmer and warmer with each step. He was still walking towards it when he realized he stepped into the fire. He wanted to scream, but somehow he felt nothing. No pain, and his legs didn't even catch on fire! Soon he turned from scared, bewildered, and then amazed. Why did it happen? Then he heard footsteps behind him and he turned around. It was an old man, not so old that all his hair was white and he needed a cane to walk, but old enough to be considered old. The old man looked at him, eyed a piece of rock, and stared at Brandon.
14.
Charlotte: " What do you think you're doing?! Charlotte, you messed up the whole mission, got kicked out of school, and now you totally ruined my car!" Mr. Horner yelled. Charlotte Horner, 15, was a trouble maker. But she was glad she got kicked out of the cursed school that made her do anything she doesn't want to. Charlotte walked to the living room, proud of what she did but not glad. Ruining Bob Horner's car was the last thing anyone would want to do. "hey, the mailman is here!" her little sister exclaimed.
her sister loved mail, for some reason. Charlotte rushed outside, hoping she would get to the mailbox first, and she opened the mailbox(before her sister), and found only one letter. She ripped it open and found a letter that read:
Dear charlotte,
you are expelled from our school but that doesn't mean you don't have to go to missions. Your family has been spies for so long, you're a natural. We will give you one more chance, come to my office tomorrow and get briefed. if you do not come, you and your family will forever be banned. You must come.
From,
Harlan Harley
15.
Charlotte: Charlotte knew she could trust this guy Brad once he introduced himself. She's good at that. The best one in class, in fact, for seeing if you can trust someone or not. There was an awkward moment of silence, then Brad asked her," Do you know what broon is?"
Charlotte shook her head. "I just came here, though I waited for so long for the sun to come out and it still didn't come out for all those hours."
Brad laughed, but not mockingly, she could tell. Just amused. " This place is called Black Midnight,"he said with a grin,"And the sun never shows up here."
Charlotte stared at him and then realized that she was about to drool on her feet. She quickly closed her mouth. Brad turned around and turned on his own flashlight, then started looking at the ground.
"What are you doing?" Charlotte asked.
"I'm looking for this plant called broon."
"Why?"
"Well, you see..."
"I don't see," Charlotte interrupted and clamped a hand over her mouth. It was a really bad habit she developed over the years at the school.
Brad looked at her, then continued."So, this guy Horace got bitten on the leg by a snake, and it's really bad. You should be careful, Charlotte. There are creatures here that you don't even KNOW about."
"wait, that guy's name is Horace?" Charlotte asked, some hope rising, hoping that it was really Horace.
"Yep, his name is Horace."
"Describe him." Charlotte told him.
Brad was a little uncomfortable, then said," Black hair, green eyes."
Charlotte looked at him, then thought, it's really Horace!!!
16.
Charlotte: Charlotte stopped breathing. She wondered is Brad did too since there was total silence except for the creature's breathing. "What is it?" Brad whispered, causing him to let go of his breath.
" I don't know," Charlotte said," But I think it's the same creature that chased me here."
Brad shivered, his body vibrating in a weird way. Then they saw a dark shadow. Brad and Charlotte backed up at the same time, bumping into each other into a tree. Charlotte was so sensitive right now when she bumped into the tree, she jumped up and almost screamed. She looked over at Brad. Brad was sweating a lot now, and he was staring at the shadow, trying not to move. He was breathing slightly. Charlotte turned on her flashlight and saw a creature with the body of a panther and the head of the hawk. It was terrifying, and it wasn't because of its weird combination, but of it's eyes glaring at them. Charlotte was really scared, and she couldn't move. Then her whole body went really hot, and bam! went the lighting. It filled Black Midnight with light for a second then it died out. Charlotte stared at what happened, and then she fainted. Before everything went completely black, she couldn't see Brad, who got to be somewhere.
17.
Charlotte: Charlotte woke up and found herself surrounded by darkness. She blinked a few times, but it was still very dark. Then she remembered that she was in Black Midnight. So where is the beast?, she thought. And Brad, she added to her thoughts. Charlotte has never been so scared. In fact, Charlotte was rarely scared, like once in probably a year. What should she do now? She doesn't know where she's suppose to go, she doesn't know where is safe, and, worse of all, she doesn't know where to find Brad Rothman.
Then she heard a sound behind her. She snapped her head around but saw nothing. Then she heard a groan. "Huh?..." She muttered to herself.
She backed away, just in case it was that creepy monster again. She hoped it wasn't, maybe it was Brad. Then something came out, and it wasn't the monster OR Brad.
18.
Charlotte: Standing in front of Charlotte was a huge bird. About seven foot tall, it looked like a giant hummingbird. Despite its big size, Charlotte found it adorable. It was a weird feeling, but it was something Charlotte always feel. The bird made a weird gurgle sound. Charlotte looked at it. The bird stared back at her. Charlotte frowned. The bird tilted its head in a confused expression. She sighed. Then Charlotte walked the other way. The bird followed her. "What do you want?" Charlotte asked the bird. No reply. Charlotte knew it, the bird won't even understand what she's saying. Charlotte continued walking, aware that the bird was still following her. It was another thing she was good at: detecting who was following her. She was glad that she actually went to that school even though she hates it. Finally she can't stand it. "Please, bird! Stop following me!" Charlotte yelled. The bird gave her a sad look and it looked away. Charlotte seized that moment and ran away. After a while of running, she stopped and started wondering why the huge hummingbird was following her. She was still walking when suddenly the crowd of trees turned into a huge wide open space. That was also when she saw that she was standing on a cliff's edge.
19.
Charlotte: Charlotte kept running, even when she couldn't here the sound anymore. Then she entered a really dark place. She started feeling scared. Then she stepped on something. It was kind of squishy, and bouncy, and worst of all, it smelled. Charlotte backed off. She heard breathing from another person. Or thing, she reminded herself. She knew that the Forrest is full of animals and other creatures that we humans did not even know about. Then she heard a gasp, which was a human one and that was more comforting. Then Charlotte started worrying about if they will harm her or help her. She usually doesn't think this way, but the Forrest was obviously confusing her brain. Then she bumped into someone and caused her to scream really loud.
20.
Charlotte: Harlan Harley, HH, hah! she thought as she walked across the street. Then a Harley Davidson drove by. And the picture of it stuck to her head for the rest of the day, especially when she saw Mr. Harley. Charlotte hates him, but was best freinds with his son, Horace. So, anyways, she came in with the usual glare from Harlan's eyes, watching her every step. Charlotte, not able to resist glaring back, gave him her evil glare.
" So, you have to go to the Forrest. They say there is some kind of activity around there and will really appreciate if you could help me(he didn't sound so apreciatted when he said that). You've been training from a really little age, you know what to do." Harlan said with his loud, stupid-sounding voice. He IS stupid, she thought. But Charlotte nodded like a "little good girl would" and said," So, you want me to go to the Forrest and see what's going on?"
This time it was Harlan's turn to nod. "why else would you think I'm asing you?" he said with his obnoxious chuckle that sounded more like he's choking on bones that are rattling in his throat. Imagine that.
"So, where IS it in the Forrest? It's huge."
"Well, we don't know, so I asked my son, also your freind, to go with you. But, unfortuanately, he said no."
Charlotte nodded, once.
21.
Charlotte: For some reason Charlotte was really scared, and then she also found out that, for another random reason, she was trapped. It was like she was standing in a island. A very tiny one too. All the other part was disappearing, fast. Charlotte could only stare. Her legs started shaking when she saw how high she was. She was not scared of anything but heights, and that was something bad because she needs to face it for a lot of times. After some weeks without training she was really scared again. And she hates it. So, Charlotte has nothing to do, nowhere to go. Charlotte was so frustrated she almost forgot that she was standing on a really tiny piece of rock that was about a mile tall. Then there was some sound, and the rock Charlotte was standing on started to move. It also caused her to do something really bad: she looked down. Her eyes were frozen on the image. The river, thin because of the height, and finally Charlotte used all her willpower to look up and to the sky. That made her more scared because she lost her balance and fell down.
Charlotte couldn't scream. She tried to hold onto the rock she was standing on, and that stopped her from falling fast, but her hands really hurt and she knew that she will start bleeding anytime. Yet, if she let go, then she will fall really fast and if she tries to stop from falling she will hurt her hands badly. Charlotte tried holding on to the rock harder, and it stopped her fall, but it won't for long. Charlotte started thinking about climbing back up, but it wouldn't work well. She decided to give it a shot since she's closer to the top than the bottom. She started climbing, and it was, you can say, her 'worst time in her life', but she has experienced worse, only a different type. By the time she reached the top, before getting on the top, her arms gave up and she fell down to the river.
22.
Charlotte: Charlotte looked at the Forrest. It was a dark and spooky place, and some people that went exploring in there never came out. Truthfully, Charlotte was really scared. "Here we are," Harlan said. Harlan came here with Charlotte, but then he will leave. Harlan nodded to the driver, got back into the car, and then they drove away. Charlotte looked back towards the Forrest. They haven't given it any name, it was just called the Forrest. Charlotte slung her backpack over her shoulders, and slowly, hesitantly, walked towards the Forrest. Once she stepped into the Forrest, the whole place was dark. She looked at all directions, spun around a few times, but still she couldn't find light. She unzipped her backpack and tried to find her one foot long flashlight/laser pointer. When she finally found it, she quickly turned it on. It was a really good flashlight, as Rich has said. She pointed the flashlight inside the backpack and started looking at the things. Inside was camping equipment, a pocket knife, and a dart gun. There was also some dried food and clothing that perfectly fit her. That's one thing Charlotte was grateful for. There were three compartment, the one at the front the smallest, then the middle one middle size, and the back one the largest. In the first one she found spare changes of batteries. In the second one, she found a bottle of water and the tent. In the third one was the clothing and other gadgets. After looking at all these things, she zipped it all up and continued walking, the light making everything ever so clear.
23.
Charlotte: Charlotte woke up in a dark and gloomy place which makes her feel sad. She was all alone, and then she started remembering what happened. The memory flooded into her mind, that made a big impact. She panicked. What happened? she kept thinking. It was hard to believe that she somehow made it. Then she thought, where is she now? Questions filled her mind, but she knew that none of them can, and will, be answered right now. Little does she know, as dark and gloomy the place it, someone left her a note containing all the answers. Charlotte didn't know about the note, the letter, and stood up. Another thing that she did not know, and just found out, is that she was in a small place that was not tall enough for her. She banged her head on the ceiling. "Oww," she yelled, her voice echoing around her.
Charlotte, bent down and uncomfortable, tried to look around, but she couldn't that much in the dark.
There wasn't much to see. She was all dry, but somehow she still feels like she was wet. Crouched down, she crawled to somewhere, a direction, that she does not know. It was really hard to tell where you're going in the dark, if you didn't get what I meant at the beginning. She tried all directions, but they all came to a dead end. The place was like dead. No way out. She went back to where she started and found the note. It was impossible to read it in the dark, and she knew that she will need to get out soon. The note also says how to get out, but she couldn't read it, so it was basically useless at that moment. Charlotte was really frustrated with the state she is in right now. There was, to Charlotte, no way out.
24.
Charlotte: Charlotte went to see Harlan again. Harlan will give her all the information he knows. when she walked into his office, she smelled bacon and instantly knew that's what Harlan had for breakfast. She sat down on one of those chairs and waited for Harlan to come back. She waited for five more minutes and then Harlan came in, all looking nice and stuff which just made him look more weird. Charlotte rolled her eyes secretly, hoping that Harlan didn't see that. He didn't. Even though Harlan was head of Secret Intelligiance School, which was for ages five and up, Harlan himself was a no good spy. He's horrible, in fact. Harlan sat down in his comfortable chair. Charlotte shifted uncomfortably on the really uncomfortable chair Harlan likes to make people sit in. Harlan smiled at Charlotte, this kind his kind and gentle one, which usually means something not good will be happening.
Charlotte looked at Harlan, waiting for Harlan to start talking,but he never started. In fact, he just sat there grinning at her. Charlotte was annoyed very quickly, and soon she got mad. So, she decided to start talking first. "So what do I do now?" She asked, trying to sound innocent since that'll fit what's happening now. Harlan looked at her and said," I want you to go to the Forrest and look for the people that's in there. I told you that already." Charlotte nodded, just to show that she is listening to his slow talking that takes a long time to get to a point. "Now, there are people that I want to seek out. For all we know right now, there is a person called Rothman out there. Have you ever heard of Brad Rothman? He's a top spy, public enemy number one. Get him and earn his trust. He has a brother, but he's nothignto worry about. his brother just mixes chemicals and builds stuff all day long. You with me?"
Charlotte nodded, then asked,"So, I'm suppose to find this guy named Brad Rothman, earn his trust, and then what?"
"And then you find out what is he up to."
"Yeah? and how will I do that?"
"Then you'll stop him. do whatever you can to do that."
Charlotte was beginning to understand what he wanted. He wanted her to earn Brad's trust, find out what's he up to, then just stop him. That's pretty simple, she thought. well, at least, she HOPES that is would be pretty simple. charlotte nodded and said," I will do that, sir(she added sir so she can leave in a nicer way). I will find Brad and see what he is up to." Then she picked up all her stuff, and left the room.
25.
Charlotte: Charlotte walked for what seems like forever. Of course, she didn't walk forever. It seemed like it's a long time but in reality it was only 3 hours. Charlotte's legs were sore, she hadn't done such physical exercise(if walking regularly counts) in a month. Finally she sat down and rested for a while. She has no idea where to go, and if she did she will have trouble finding that place.It was such a huge place. When Charlotte was about too fall asleep, she heard a soft growl. She quickly came back to her senses, something that was part of her training and partly it was natural. Her brain told her that it was ok, but her instincts told her that she was in danger, and instincts are usually more reliable than her thinking. Then she saw it. It was like bright balls floating in the air, which was probably the creature's eyes. Charlotte turn on her flashlight. It disappeared. Then she turned it back off, and she saw it again. She was really scared, and so she walked slowly backwards. Then, she broke into a run that was epic fail because of the backpack not cooperating. Then she tripped over a log and fell down a hole, wishing that she had never agreed to do this.
26.
Charlotte: So, Harlan told her everything she needed to know, so now it was time to get her equipment. She went to Rich, the guy that makes all of the equipment.
"Hey Charlotte," he said. His voice was always kind and gentle, but has the most violent and ruthless ideas. But the ideas were 99.9% good.
"Hey Rich, I'm here for my equiment." she said.
"Ahh, yes, the equipment."
Rich searched his cabinet that was full of drawers.
"I wonder where it is...?"he muttered to himself, pulling and closing drawers.
Charlotte waited patiently, that's a skill she had to learn.
"Yes, there it is," Rich said to himself again.
He put the tray on the table, then sighed deeply.
"So...what now?" Charlotte asked.
Rich picked up the first peice of equipment: a peice of string. Charlotte stared at it, but Rich was smiling like he's really proud of it. "Uh, Rich, what's that suppose to be?"
Rich smiled and said,"This is a peice of string. what can it do? You can tie knots with it, throw it in people's face, and other stuff you can do with a string."
"Well, so, that's all?"
"That's all about this piece 'o string." He said with his easy smile.
Rich picked up the next item. It was a laser pointer.
Charlotte started wondering what was going on with Rich. "So,"rich started to explain," This is a laser pointer."
"Yeah, I can see that." Charlotte was geting bored with this weird piece of equipment. His work usually wasn't like this.
"Yeah, so this is a laser pointer. Flip it on the other side and it is a flashlight, and a very strong one indeed. Another fact you should know, this is made exactly one foot long."
Charlotte nodded."So,what's next?"
Rich looked at the tray and picked up the backpack, which was also the peice of equipment.
" I do not have the time to explain what is in this. Find out yourself when you have the chance to."
Rich put the peice of string(it was measured three feet long, rolled up) and the laser pointer inside the backpack. Charlotte picked it up, finding it surprisingly light, and walked out the door of Rich's office/work place.
27.
Harlan Harley- One Week Ago: Harlan was having a good day. The Brad Rothman business, even THAT was taken care of. Harlan was smiling the whole car trip, and he doesn't even like his car. When he got home, he saw no one. Horace's probably in his room, he thought. Harlan, being in such a good mood, decided to go and play basketball with Horace and his basketball friends. "Horace!" Harlan yelled.
"Horace!" he yelled again.
No response. What happened? he thought. "Horace?"
Harlan got mad. Why wasn't his son responding? Harlan stormed over to his son's room. Locked. Harlan took a step back and kicked the door open. In there was no one. The only thing new he found was a dart. Harlan picked it up and started leaving the room. Then he heard someone land softly behind him. Harlan turned around, dart ready and the dart was out in the blink of an eye. The figure was dressed from head to toe in black except for his eyes. The dart got the figure's arm because of the figure's attempt to dodge it. The figure shot Harlan with a dart, and Harlan, being the best dodger player, dodged it by about a millimeter, and Harlan caught it with his extreme reflexes. Harlan threw it back to the figure, this time getting the figure in the leg. Harlan could see that the dart's whatever-it-is was getting into the figure's system. The figure glared at Harlan and shot him without Harlan knowing. By the time Harlan realized that he was shot, it was already too late.
28.
Horace: He was in pain, but still conscious. There were people carrying him, but he'd rather walk to wherever he's suppose to be instead. He was left in a room, left enough time for him to think. He was swimming in his thoughts, running through them. He knows that Charlotte is here, in the Forest, and lost somewhere. Brad is at the village outside, at lost in what he's suppose to do. Then he thought about himself. He was the only one not lost. As he continued thinking about everything he remembers, he got confused. Then he got it. Charlotte is lost in the Forest, Brad is outside lost, and he was lost in his own thoughts. He was so messed up with his thoughts, he gave up. He wasn't going to fight with his mind anymore. Just rest and let his mind stay where it is.
29.
Horace: There, standing unstably, was Charlotte. Well, the figure looked like Charlotte. "Charlotte?" Horace whispered. The figure turned.
"Charlotte!" Horace yelled when he recognized her face. 'Charlotte' took a step closer to Horace slowly. Then another, and another until she reached him. "Uh, Charlotte?" Horace said, unsure. It was already too late when the figure reached him. There was lightning, then a storm cloud.
"What..?" Then Horace fell down with a thump.
Horace woke up in a hut. Not in Hans' cave, Horace noted. He sighed and sat up. There was breakfast next to him. Then Horace looked around. It was a tiny hut, with only a bed, a table, and some lighting. He stood up. His blinded right eye didn't him, for it only made it worse. Horace decided to try eating, but that didn't work either. He felt horrible. Then someone came in. Horace recognized that it was the girl that pretended to be Charlotte. He realized that he knew that she pretended to be Charlotte by the way she walks. The girl has a slight limp, while Charlotte walks perfectly. "What do you want?" Horace said coldly.
The girl frowned. "What a pleasant way to save your friend."
Now is was Horace's turn to frown. "What friend?"
"Your friend Brad Rothman. You know, the guy that found you."
"Oh..." Horace was confused, "What happened to him?"
"Nothing, but soon there will be something..."
With that, the girl left.
30.
Horace: Horace was put to sleep instantly. He didn't want to, but he guess he hadn't mastered mind over matter, something his dad needed him to for all the times.
He had a dream during the time he was asleep. In his dream, there was fire. The fire was really close to him, but he felt nice and cool, and the the fire couldn't get near him. Horace couldn't get near the fire too. It was like there was some force field between him and fire. Then something struck him and he realized that he was in a form of water, and there was light inside the water. It looked like electricity, but he wasn't sure. Then there was pain and he realized that fire won and he evaporated.
Horace woke up, feeling like it was going to be a big day. Maybe it is. He sat up and the creepy girl came in. "Ready for some battle?"
"What battle?" Horace growled at her.
She laughed. "You don't know what battle is? You were born for it, after all."
" I've only heard of being born as a spy like my dad, that's all."
The girl glared at him. " Play nice, you wouldn't want to be on my bad side."
"I thought I already was."
"How about, evil side then."
Horace gave her a chuckle. " Don't worry, you'll always earn a place on my evil side." Horace said.
" Very well, follow me then, if you don't want me to kill you right now."
Horace made a scared look," Don't kill me, I was born for battle."
Horace laughed his famous Horace laugh. Everyone at his school laughed at his laugh, which makes Horace feel strange.
Outside the tent was like a totally different place. It was bright and plain, whereas the tent was dark and gloomy, full of things. Then Horace knew why he liked the outside: it reminded him of basketball, a sports that Horace loved.
"Basketball," Horace whispered.
He really missed saying that word. He used to say it everyday, like," Hey wanna play a game of basketball?" or, " Let's play basketball," or sometimes even, " Give back my basketball!"
Horace was a big guy, but it doesn't mean he gets bullied, and the bullies love to take his basketball away. Then Horace stopped following the girl, and the girl sensed that. She turned around. "What now?"
Horace looked at her sadly, " I'm not feeling well."
The girl was a loyal person, a person of dignity, and sometimes that includes following rules and directions.
So, the girl slapped him. Horace was so shocked that, with a wave of anger, he slapped her back.
31.
Horace: Horace couldn't think. He was stuck on a math problem and he was about to get brain damage. This is the hardest math problem ever!, he thought.
"Horace, are you finished yet?" his teacher asked. At least his teacher was nice. He just want to go home from this horrible school. He wanted to know what happend to his freind Charlotte. But, alas, it was not time.
The bell rang at exactly 2:30, and Horace rushed out. He ran home, his impatience overcoming him. Bang! As he turned the corner he banged into a pole. "aww, this stinks." he complained but continued running after that. His dad, Harlan Harley, was not home yet, which meant he was free. well, as free as a person can be when you are stuck in a house with nothing to do.
The bell rang, the one in his house this time. He opened the door. It was his dad.
32.
Horace: It was night time, but both he and Hans couldn't see Brad. Where IS he? Horace thought. Well, Horace suspected that Hans was thinking about that too. Hans sighed. Horace copied Hans and sighed too. Hans stood up from his sitting position, and Horace copied that too. "What are you trying to do?!" Hans asked in a half shout.
" What AM I suppose to be doing then?" Horace asked. Hans got quiet and continued letting Horace copy him, but it was obvious that Hans was getting annoyed. Horace, being the good person that he is, stopped copying him and went over to the fire. He studied the fire and moved a little closer in a squatting position, but the closer he got, the smaller the flame became, but when he stayed in one place, it grew back to normal.
Hmm, that's strange, he thought. He decided to touch it.
His hand came out and was about to touch it when Hans suddenly shouted," DON'T TOUCH IT!!!"
33.
Horace: Horace looked at Hans. "So, what do we do now?" he asked. Hans studied Horace's swollen leg for a while, then said," It seems like we will need to find some herbs first."
"Herbs? Like, what kind of herbs?"
"Special kinds. The ones that normal people doesn't know."
"Who ARE you?"
Brad looked at Horace. Brad had never even thought of that question. Hans looked at Brad, then Horace with a face full of concern, but not because of the leg but something else.
" I am a Hider." Hans said at last.
Both of the boys looked at him, clearly confused.
"To answer your unasked question, a hider is someone who hides away from things."
"Like how?"Brad asked.
"By hiding in caves and healing people and always on the go when there's something important to do."
"So, like, who do you work for?"Horace asked.
"No one, really."
With that Hans stood up and walked into the deeper part of the cave.
34.
Horace: Horace woke up with a groan. He opened his eyes but quickly closed them again because of the sudden, unexpected light. He had expected it to be dark, but also his eyes was just wasn't used to the bright light. When he fully opened his eyes, he realized that the light was coming from a fire. Then he saw the boy and the old man. The boy was probably an year older than him and has a handsome face. Even though he was a boy he can still tell that he is a really good-looking guy. The old man and the boy was asleep. Horace moved and grimaced. His legs hurts so much. When he looked at it, there was a huge red swollen thing on it. It was so big and round it kind of scared him, and he was not a person that was scared easily. He shifted his position and yelped in pain. That woke the boy up. The boy suddenly opened his eyes and quickly rushed over to him. Horace looked at him, not sure if he can trust him. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," the boy said, then paused for a moment, realizing that sounded kind of lame. Horace smiled and said," I'm Horace. What's happened to me?"
The boy shook his head and said," I have no idea what happened to you. Or your leg. I'll have to wait 'till Hans wake up."
"Who' Hans?"
"The...uh...old man over there." Pause, then," I'm Brad, by the way."
Horace smiled at his discomfort, but not in the mean and teasing way. Then Horace realized that for some reason his vision was kind of weird. It just felt weird and the things he saw was a little different. Horace winked at Brad, then he realized something: he couldn't see when he winked. Horace can only wink with his left eye, which meant that his right eye was kept open. He tried it again, and again, but still he could not see. " What are you doing?" Brad asked.
Horace looked at him and replied," I think my right eye is blind."
35.
Horace: Horace could feel something that made him uncomfortable. He's never felt that way before. What it this feeling? he thought. Then he realized that it was pain. The last time he has felt that way was three years ago. It sounds incredible, but that was true. Horace couldn't stand it anymore, it hurted so much. Then, water rushed over him. It was not regular temperature water, but super, icy cold water. Suddenly, his leg didn't hurt that much anymore. Horace relaxed his whole body, letting the cool water rush over his whole body. He kept it at that position, the water surrounding his whole face and body. Then he realized oen thing: he was breathing underwater. He could see in it, and the water was so cold, it could've frozen you to ice. But somehow, he didn't. In fact, it felt even better! Horace got all his strength back, and he stood up, then limped to the nearest tree. His leg still kind of hurted, but he can walk now. Then, a laser flashed, and Horace fell down and blacked out.
36.
Horace: After a full day of training, Horace was exhausted. He had to jump all day long. Horace still couldn't reach the tree, but he was closer now. "Are you tired, Horace?" Hans asked.
Horace nodded. There was no point on lying when Hans already know the answer. Horace sighed.
"Are you really that tired Horace? Because then, you have a big day tomorrow."
"Why?" He asked.
"You don't expect to jump everyday right? Tomorrow you are going to do something more than jumping."
"Like what?" Horace said, a little nervous.
Hans gave Horace his you'll see smile and went into the deeper part of the cave that Hans forbids Horace to go.
Horace couldn't sleep. He still has no idea why he was here, or how he came here. Then he thought, Maybe I'll experience something new and better than facing Dad all the time.
He smiled to himself and closed his eyes, but he still couldn't fall a sleep. Then he heard a sound. It came from outside the cave. Maybe it's Brad, he thought hopefully.
He decided to go out and see.
37.
Horace: It was hard work finding hanick, for it was a really rare type of herb. On the other hand, he will have to travel the closest, which meant that it took him less time to go to Sunset Crossing, the place where hanick usually grows. Not a lot of people goes to Sunset Crossing because, according to Hans, people has died visiting there before. Horace shivered of both the coldness and of the danger he might face. He walked for a little while, then he saw it. There was a sign that said:
Sl nset Cros ing
Horace knew it said Sunset Crossing, but if you didn't know you will have a hard time realizing that because of the vines, moss(it was a damp and humid place) all over it and loss of parts of the word.
So, there he was, looking for hanick while limping from place to place. Finally he spotted some hanick. It was a really normal looking piece of herb. It looked almost identical to grass except for the tiny, little white dots.
"Yes," he have whispered to himself. Horace took some more, stood up, and started his trip back to Hans' cave.
38.
Horace: "Where is he?" Horace asked Hans.
Hans groaned and said," How am I suppose to know? Think about it."
So, Horace thought about it just to kill time. Brad never appeared. It was really late now, and both Horace and Hans is really tired and impatient. "When that boy comes back he'll owe us big time." Hans muttered to himself but secretly wants Horace to hear that. Horace sighed and became smart: he went to sleep. He layed on the floor and just dozed off. Hans looked at him, amazed. Then Hans went to sleep too.
The next morning, Hans told Horace that Hans will be training Horace to live in the Forrest. "One skill you have to know is to jump high." Hans told him.
"I know how to jump high," Horace said with smirk that showed his overconfidence. Hans smile at him and said," Then try to jump up onto that tree."
Horace looked at the tree. It was the big tree out around the cave. Horace cursed at his stupidity. "I'll never be able to reach that," Horace muttered under his breath and he started thinking of him jumping. "And that is why you won't be able to jump that high," Hans said. Horace looked at him.
"I'm sorry, but what were you saying?"
"You didn't miss anything, Horace," the old man said. There was a short pause.
"I just concluded what you were saying."
Horace looked at him with a baffled look. "I do NOT think I get what you are saying."
Hans chuckled and said," Sooner or later, with the help of others or just yourself, you'll get it."
39.
Horace: Horace was woken when the feeling of nice, cool water splashing across his face. He took a deep breath adn almost choked. He went straight up into sitting position. Then Horace tried to get the water out, and finally the water ran down his nose. He sniffed, just in case there was still water in it. Then he stood up, and was really confused. Where am I? he thought, when he saw a huge tree. The Forrest was famous for super tall trees and huge dark shadows created by them. Horace instantly reconized the place. He took a step forward, then another, then another. Soon he was walking like what you would do. He's only been to the Forrest once, and that was by accident. His dad was chasing him, testing him. Horace was so desperate, despite the stories he'd heard from the people that's been there before, had ran into the Forrest and was instantly surrounded by the darkness. After that, he had never been into the Forrest ever again. Well, until now. He followed the river, which took him into the forrest of trees, but there was still sunlight, probably the only place, and suddenly it just came to a stop. The river ended, there was nothing. The water just stopped, there was a dirt pile at the end. Horace didn't realize it until he tripped and fell, then realized that he didn't land in the water but wet, soft dirt. Horace stared, not able to take his gaze off the dirt. Then, something unseen,bit him.
40.
Horace: Horace was in a bad mood. First, his dad asked him to help him, which he refused, and got ignorance as a reward. Second of all, he's now grounded, which meant no hanging out with Charlotte and Jon. Jon was this little guy that's 12 and a science nerd. But right now, he could just think of nothing but the fact that he was grounded. So, he didn't think of the fact that in the Harley's household, you can use the computer when you're grounded.
Then the doorbell rang(yes, it always ring when Horace is around). He opened it and Jon came in. Jon knows all the rules on being grounded in the Harley's household, and that means that Jon can come over.
"what's up, Horace?" Jon asked.
"The most up thing is the ground."
"why?"
" 'Cause i'm grounded." Horace said.
Jon smiled. They always do that when Horace is grounded. They still have no idea why it's so funny, it just is. "So, want to do something?" He asked.
"Sure. what?" Horace asked.
"the number game!"
Horace groaned. he hates it. but at least it's better doing nothing(he still didn't remember that he can use the computer). "so, what's the one hundredth number?"
"100"
"Wrong. it's the hundredth number." Jon laughed, Horace stared, obviously not amused.
"You know what? I'm tired so i'm just oding to go to bed. Bye."
And Horace shooed Jon out and went to bed.
41.
Jon: He was mad and bored. Jon didn't know Horace would rather sleep than hang out with him. But, him being the awesome scientist, was ready. You might be asking what he is ready for, and I'll tell you: he's ready for revenge. He walked back to his house, which was only a block away, and ran to his room. He grabbed his dart gun, filled with 20 stun darts, and walked back to Horace's house. He was taking his time, there was no reason for him to rush when he also needed to make sure Horace was asleep anyways. Horace was 15, a year younger than his brother, who was 16. Jon, being only 12 and was a midget, was often underestimated by people older than him, and one of them is Horace. When he brought his gun, he also brought his backpack, not his school one, but the one with all the dangerous stuff and the equipment. One of these equipment was a grappling hook. He threw it up to the roof and sarted climbing. When he reached Horace's room(his house has two levels), he broke the net part(his window was open), and climbed in. Then, with his newest invention, Jon shrank Horace and carried him to the Forrest. There, he made Horace go back to regular size, then left him by a pond. Then Jon turned and left, feeling good that he got his revenge.
42.
Lost: Part 1
