The OutCasts: Hunted

Ms. Justice:

As I sit on my bed, crisscrossed applesauce, I stare at the laptop in front of me.

"I have classes all throughout the week," I think while nibbling on a potato chip. "Along with extra practices on Monday and Wednesday. I also have to meetups with the tutors on Thursday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday, I have to complete those school projects. I guess that means I only have Tuesday free."

I sigh as I pull back up and look at my wall. Covering my walls from top to bottom are calendars for every month. I zoom in on the current month and upcoming day. When I see it, I slap myself on the forehead.

"Oh shoot," I cry out. I sigh as I look back down at my laptop. "Nevermind. Next Tuesday, I have plans with Mom and Dad."

I delete the appointment from my online calendar. While checking for my next free day, I turn toward my window and see the morning sunrise.

"Oh shoot," I cry out again. Again, I slap myself on the forehead. Just to be sure, I check the time on my laptop. It reads 7:30.

"I've been up all night, planning my schedule. I need to get ready for school."

I turn off my laptop and place it on my desk before running to my closet. Grabbing a set of clothes, I then run down the stairs. I reach the kitchen in less than a minute, only to find it empty.

"Speaking of Mom and Dad. Hey Mom! Dad! That's weird. Where are they?"

I pull out my cell phone and check for any new messages.

"Nothing."

It's not the first time they had to stay out all night because of their jobs, but normally, they would have sent me a text message.

"They must be extremely busy."

I shake my head and pour myself a small bowl of cereal. I eat it all before washing and putting the bowl away. I then go to school.

The day goes by almost instantly. I go to school and finish all my classes before attending my gymnastics classes. By the time I get back home, it's already 6 in the evening.

Stretching and yawning as I walk through the front door, I yell out again.

"Hey, Mom! Hey Dad! Are you guys here?"

I don't hear a reply. In fact, I don't hear a single sound.

"Hello? Hello!"

I sense something is off. I drop my backpack and begin to search the whole house.

"Mom? Dad! Where are you guys?"

While I search, I pull out my phone and check for any messages. When I see nothing, I try calling them and texting them but it's all left unread.

"Mom! Dad! Hello? Hello! Can anyone hear me!"

I yell and yell but there isn't a single reply. Not even the wind answers me. I somehow find myself back at the front door. There, I drop to my knees while looking around the empty house.

"Can anyone hear me," I ask again. Nothing. Nothing nor no one is answering me. At least, not at first. I can't be sure, but after some time, I hear this weird ringing. It sounds like an alarm but when I look around, I don't see one.

I push myself up and look around, only to have the world around me start to crack. Cracks appear all over, and before I know it, the world breaks and I fall into a black void.

"Ahh," I say, shooting up. Still sleepy, I blink a few times while kicking my blanket off. "Ahh, what's a weird dream."

I shake my head as I rub my eyes. Yawning as I push myself into a sitting position, I look with blurry vision at the calendar.

"No way," I say, the sleepiness disappears instantly. I push myself off my bed and run to the calendar on my desk. I check the date to make sure it's the right date.

"No way. Yes. Yes! Today is the day!"

I slam the calendar back down before running to my closet. Grabbing my goggles and placing them on my head, I then grab my mask and tied it on. Once I'm ready, I grab the presents I have underneath my bed and run out.

"Guys," I shout as I run into the living room. "Guys! Guys!"

To my surprise, the others are already out and about, moving about their day. QuickShot and JumpStart are sitting in front of our new coffee table, with a bunch of gears and tools in front of them. Meanwhile, SpeedBlade is in the kitchen again.

"Guys," I say again, approaching my friends with the gifts in my arms. "Guess what today is--"

Before I could finish, the sounds of yelling cut me off.

"JumpStart," QuickShot shouts, holding out her hand. "My screwdriver! Give me my screwdriver!"

"Not yet," JumpStart screams. He ignores QuickShot and focuses on his own project. With a screwdriver in his hand, he narrows his eyes as he screws something in. "Hey!"

Without any warning, QuickShot snatches the screwdriver out of JumpStart's hand.

"I was using that," JumpStart says, his eyes going red.

"This is my screwdriver," QuickShot answers, using her screwdriver to make some adjustments to her arrows. "Use your own."

"My screwdriver is too big for these screws. I need yours!"

QuickShot and JumpStart start to fight over the screwdriver. SpeedBlade on the other hand drops some pots and pans and grabs all our attention.

"Hey, SpeedBlade," QuickShot yells. "Be careful!"

"I will if you two would stop yelling," SpeedBlade says. "I cannot focus when the only things I am hearing are your annoying voices!"

As SpeedBlade says this, the pan in front of him catches on fire.

"Fire," JumpStart screams, pushing himself to his feet. QuickShot follows JumpStart and the two of them run to SpeedBlade.

"What," SpeedBlade asks, turning around. Screaming when he sees the fire, SpeedBlade rushes forward and tries to put it out.

"Back away," QuickShot orders, pushing SpeedBlade back. "Back away now!"

Using a nearby rag, QuickShot grabs the handle of the burning pan and throws it into the sink. She then turns on the water, the fire disappearing and steam shooting up.

"Really," QuickShot asks, turning to SpeedBlade. "After all the trouble we went through to rebuild the OutPost, you decide now to set fire to it."

"Don't talk to me like that," SpeedBlade says. "I told you. You and JumpStart's annoying voices grab my focus. If you two were just a little more quiet, then this wouldn't have happened."

"The only reason I was yelling," JumpStart interrupts, "Was because QuickShot took my screwdriver!"

"It was my screwdriver," QuickShot corrects.

Before I know it, the three of them are all yelling and screaming at each other. They wave their arms and point fingers at each other. I couldn't stand to see this.

"Enough," I yell. I drop the presents on the ground and the noise stops them.

"Enough," I yell again, walking right into the middle of the three of them. I push them all back.

"Hey," JumpStart says, "What's the big idea?"

"Enough," I yell again, shutting JumpStart up. As I yell, I feel myself running out of breath. I have to stop to catch it. While catching my breath, QuickShot notices all the fallen presents.

"What are those," QuickShot asks. JumpStart and SpeedBlade look over and see the presents themselves.

"Yes," SpeedBlade says, "What are all of those?"

"Those are presents," I say, looking at them myself. "They were for you. All of you."

"For us," QuickShot asks. "Oh no. What's today? Another birthday?"

She sighs and lowers her head.

"Who's birthday is it now?"

"It's no one's birthday," I answer.

"Oh," QuickShot says with a smile and a wipe of her forehead. "That's lucky. Wait, if it's no one's birthday, then why the presents?"

"Because today is the anniversary of the day we met," I answer. "Two years ago, on this day, the four of us meet each other. Don't you guys remember?"

JumpStart, SpeedBlade, and QuickShot all look at each other before shrugging their shoulders and shaking their heads.

"Well, I remember," I say. I walk over to grab one of the presents. It was for a blue box with a red ribbon. "This was for you, QuickShot, but I guess you don't want it."

I drop the present once more. As QuickShot watches the present drop, she starts to shake. She rubs the back of her head and looks around.

"Okay," she says after a few seconds. "We're sorry we forgot about the anniversary."

She walks up to me and picks up the present. It was slightly damaged due to it being dropped twice.

"But, Justice, listen. I don't know about SpeedBlade or JumpStart but I'm not big on celebrations. I'm sorry but that's just me. I'm not a big fan of birthdays or anniversaries or even holidays."

QuickShot says everything so calmly and causally. It was like it didn't bother her even a little that she hated all those things. I was hoping SpeedBlade and JumpStart would join in, maybe say something like 'This isn't so bad" or "Come on! Laugh a little". However, they stay silent.

"Well, then," I say. "Nevermind."

I bend down to pick up the presents only to have the alarm go off. The lights in the OutPost turn red and a ringing sound echo throughout the whole base.

While JumpStart runs over to our computer, QuickShot and SpeedBlade run to their room. QuickShot drops the present as she runs. It falls and bounces against the floor. About to grab it, I stop myself and run to my room to grab my shield.

"What's going on?"

QuickShot asks JumpStart after the rest of us gather our weapons and regroup around JumpStart.

"Robbery at the museum," JumpStart answers. "Look at this."

The computer's screen shows guards begin blasted by someone in a strange suit of armor.