Game Sprite Mode

Enzo and AndrAIa sat on a bench staring at orange lockers. They hadn’t spoken much after leaving the party, which wasn't abnormal for them. They didn’t need to talk to enjoy each other’s company. There was an awkwardness between them that was evident this time, however. Neither of them wanted to address it, instead AndrAIa knelt down and examined his ankle, which was beginning to swell. She wanted to take him to the hospital, but knew he would be against it. Enzo wasn’t the kind of sprite who accepted help easily. 

She looked up and his eyes met hers with a strange intensity. Something was on his mind. Instead of telling him to see a doctor or questioning why he was looking at her like that, she took a seat once again, taking off her hat. She waited until he was ready to talk, and she was prepared to sit there all night if she had to. Thankfully he spoke, not wasting much time.

“What do you see in that guy?” He grumbled. 

She sighed and looked over at him, knowing exactly who he was referring to. Enzo wasn’t exactly hard to read. He was jealous. She took a deep breath before responding. 

“I remember what it was like to be new and not have any friends. I invited him to the party so he could meet some sprites, not fight you.”

“He hurt you.”

“It was an accident, and you overreacted.” She snapped, “Violence isn’t always the answer- you can’t punch your way out of everything.”

There was a flash of hurt in his eyes and she instantly felt bad for taking such a hostile tone. It wasn’t the first time his emotions had gotten the best of him, and she knew it wouldn’t be the last. Enzo was an amazing brother, and a loyal friend, but he needed to work on his temper. 

He took a deep breath before responding.

“I was only trying to protect you.”

“I know.”

“I just…” He trailed off, struggling to find the right words. “I’m always scared I’m going to lose you.”

“Hey,” AndrAIa took his hand, “Ray is just a friend- I’m not going anywhere, promise.”

He gave a weak smile. Deep down Enzo knew that AndrAIa only had eyes for him, but Ray was a sprite that he just couldn't trust. Despite the circumstances Enzo managed to smile. Staring into AndrAIa’s vibrant eyes it was hard for him to think about anyone else. Ray didn’t matter, just her. If she said he was just a friend then he would learn to tolerate- maybe even like him one day. As long as it made AndrAIa happy, that was all that mattered. 

AndrAIa rested a hand gently on his cheek, guiding his face towards hers. They both began to lean in, lips parting. Their eyes had all but shut as Enzo could feel her warmth creeping closer. She was nearly there. His heart raced in anticipation, longing for her kiss.  

“We have to go, now!” Ray yelled as he skidded to a stop on his board.

They both blushed as they looked up at the intruder, quickly creating some distance between them.

“What the hell do you want?” Enzo snapped. 

“There’s no time- we have to go! Dot she- she.”

“Ray, calm down.” AndrAIa stood. She could tell he was spooked. His eyes darted around nervously like he was looking for something.

“No, no!” Ray grabbed her arm, tighter than he intended, “She’s been nullified!”

“Ow!” AndrAIa tried to pull away, but he had a firm grip on her. Without further explanation he began dragging her down the hall.

“We have to get away!” Ray yelled.

“Let go.”

“Hey!” Enzo stood, but instantly buckled to the ground. His ankle could no longer bear his weight.

“Ray, that’s enough!” AndrAIa yelled, yanking her arm with so much force she almost fell over. When she was free she looked at him, venom in her eyes, "Just go, Ray! I'm done playing games, just leave me alone.”

“You don’t understand.” He tried to explain, “Dot, she-”

“This isn’t funny.”

“No, you don’t understand-”

A deep, guttural growl came from every direction, silencing them. It didn’t sound anything like Dot or the null she had become. Whatever made that noise was much larger. Ray had no intention of sticking around to find out.

“Yell at me later, let’s go!” Ray urged. 

AndrAIa went over to Enzo, helping him to his feet. She struggled for a moment and then he lifted up with ease. Ray had gone to his other side. The two of them worked in unison to carry the large sprite down the hall. Enzo didn’t like it, but was in too much pain to protest. Whatever had made that noise didn’t sound friendly.

“Explain.” AndrAIa urged. 

The two sprites had been standing for quite some time, just staring at the back of the room. An uneasy silence stretched between them. They had definitely seen something dart into the cabinet. As the seconds trickled by both sprites allowed their imaginations to get the better of them. The creature trapped there with them didn't look natural. 

Bob was the first to speak. His voice cut through the air in a low whisper.

“Mouse, maybe we should go.”

“Nonsense,” She smiled nervously, trying hard to keep up the facade of a cool demeanor. Mouse was the sprite you called when things went wrong. If you needed someone strong or clever to get you out of trouble, she was there. Mouse wrangled escaped lizards, hung banners where other sprites were too scared to go, and subbed in at the last minute on a team- even when she had little experience with the sport. She was not someone who cowered in fear or ran away from a challenge. So Mouse did what she did best- she approached the unknown danger. 

Bob stood in awe as she went towards the cabinet.

“What is it?” He asked as she pulled on the swinging door. 

She carefully leaned in to get a better look.

Suddenly something shot out. Bob ran to the door and shut it before the thing could escape. It circled the room frantically, but not sitting still long enough for either of them to get a good look. 

After a few moments of panic it stopped and turned towards Mouse. She gaped at the null slithering on the floor in front of her. 

“It can’t be!” She gasped. Nulls weren’t supposed to exist, they were an invention of superstition. 

“A null!” Bob jumped onto one of the desks, trying to create some distance.

The thing trembled, clearly cornered. In desperation it let out a high frequency loud enough to make the desks around them rattle. Both Bob and Mouse held their hands to their ears and cried out in pain. Even the air around them seemed to vibrate. A pressure began to build in their heads, one that neither had ever experienced. Mouse knew they were in trouble when she felt heat permeating her ear drums. 

She stumbled to the door and opened it. The second a crack was exposed the null stopped screaming and slipped out.

Bob still kept his hands on either side of his head and said something, but Mouse couldn’t make out the words. His lips moved, but no sound followed. All she could focus on was the ringing in her ears. The null had stopped screeching, but the damage had already been done. 

She was used to going up against creepy crowlies; spiders, rats, snakes. Mouse knew when she was out of her league and supernatural creatures is where she drew the line. She went over to Bob, pulling him down from the desk. His feet hitting the ground made no sound at all. The two sprites clumsily pushed away any obstacle between them and the door. The desks being shoved aside slid in an uneasy silence. She knew there was resistance against her hands, even felt the vibration of the legs scraping against the floor. All she could go off of was touch and instinct. Her ears refused to give any aid.

Mouse tried not to panic. Instead she held firmly onto Bob’s hand and pulled him out of the classroom and down the hall, back where they came. There was no null in sight. Bob followed obediently, allowing himself to be carried in any direction Mouse willed. He was still disoriented, but tried his best to keep up. 

He tripped, falling hard. As he hit the ground he felt his hand slip from hers. Bob told her to keep going, but couldn’t even hear his own voice. Mouse knelt down and tried to pull him up, but paused. 

She held a hand to the cool tiles beneath them. Suddenly she became hyperaware of the individual grains of dust that clung to her fingers. She could feel movement, like with the desk, but much deeper. Something was causing the ground to almost shiver and quake. They could both feel it. Something was getting closer.

Bob forced himself onto his feet and dared to look back. There was something low to the ground heading towards them, fast. Mouse followed his gaze and then locked eyes with him before they both ran. The thing that barreled towards them wasn’t just one null, but an entire hoard. Just from a glance it had to be at least a hundred. Slithering globs of mindless data writhed and collided with each other as they pursued fresh energy. 

As they ran they both tried to not think of the stories they had been told as children. Each null had once been a spite, but had deteriorated into residual code and flesh; code and flesh that hungered for energy. They had to keep running, because if the stories were true the nulls would feast on their very lifeforce until there was nothing left. 

Bob looked back, seeing the swarm getting closer and closer. He tried to run as fast as he could, but he wasn’t an athlete. He was average at everything he did; not the worst, but never the best. He tried to yell to Mouse, who had pulled ahead. He needed her to tell Dot how he felt. 

“Mouse!” He tried. She was driven purely by adrenalin and seemed miles away by that point. 

“Mouse, please! Tell Dot-”

Bob tripped again and screamed, though there was no one there who could hear it. For a brief moment he wondered if she would have heard him even if the null hadn’t damaged their ears. How loud was that swarm behind them? Would his words have been silenced no matter how hard he tried? 

TW: Blood and Gore

Ray felt like a complete idiot. He had seen a good portion of the net for someone his age, bouncing from system to system- nine to be exact. Each school it was the same thing; no friends. Despite his hardest efforts he always managed to say or do the wrong thing. Although he was well traveled, there was no wisdom gained from the journey, only endless blunders. 

Ray pulled the keytool out of his pocket and began fiddling with it again. A finger traced its smooth edge as his mind wandered. He had been walking for a while and still hadn’t caught up to Dot. Ray pushed the same button he tried before. He knew it wouldn’t do anything, but needed a distraction. 

He wished he could turn back time and not screw up the party, or get in a fight with Enzo earlier that day. In fact he wished he hadn’t accidentally hurt AndrAIa. ‘Who am I kidding? She’s never going to like me.’ Ray sighed.

“Maybe I am just a jerk.” He thought out loud. If every sprite he met hated him, then maybe he was the problem afterall.

 Suddenly the interface lit up and the device gave a soft click. Ray froze. After a few seconds the gear on the outside turned. A word appeared on the screen: ‘GLITCH’.

“Glitch?”

The device chirped happily.

“Is that your name?”

Before Glitch could respond a scream echoed down the hall, rushing towards them. Ray jumped, not expecting the sudden noise. It came from up ahead, where Dot was.

“Dot?” He called.

He was met with silence.

Slowly he returned the keytool to his pocket, eyes glued ahead. He swallowed, waiting hopefully for a reply. None came.

“Dot!” He yelled louder and with more urgency. 

His  mind pivoted sharply to the story AndrAIa had told him. Maybe the wall they broke down was more important than he thought. Perhaps it wasn't to keep nosey students out, but to ensure something sinister stayed trapped inside…

He smiled, shaking off any fears. The flimsy drywall wouldn’t have been enough to keep a monster locked away. It was just an old section of the school and nothing more. Dot had already pranked him once, and it was Halloween after all. She had to be pissed about his fight with Enzo; she was just trying to get some payback.

Ray kept walking, skateboard in hand, this time suspiciously eyeing every closed door along the way. Dot was probably waiting to jump out and scare him.

“You know this isn’t funny!”

Silence.

Ray continued until he met something a little more troubling than one of Dot’s pranks; a dead end. He had reached the end of the hall and hadn’t crossed paths with her.

He turned, looking back from where he came. There was no way she could have turned back without him seeing her, which meant that she had to be in one of the rooms. Ray held his breath and listened closely as he started tip-toing back. If she was hiding somewhere she was bound to make a noise.

Ray had managed to advance only a few meters when he heard shuffling to his left. A door stood slightly ajar. He sighed, seeing it as a clear set up for her antics. Regardless, he took the bait. He even decided he was going to pretend to be scared to satisfy her need to torture him. After what he did to Enzo, he may have deserved it.

“Dot, are you in there?” He said, practically announcing his arrival.

He dropped his board by the door and walked in. Even though the lights in the hallway had turned on, the room was dark. It looked like a storage room from what he could see. Ray’s hand found the lightswitch and flicked it on and off a few times. There was no change. Maybe the bulbs were dead. A chuckle escaped him, not intimidated at all by the darkness ahead of him. He simply pulled out his phone, shining a light ahead. 

As he went deeper into the room he looked around at the shelves. Stacks of printer paper, pencils and other classroom supplies were neatly stacked. The room wasn’t very large so he made it to the back of the first aisle pretty quickly. He pivoted and started walking down the next. His flashlight illuminated the cluttered shelves around him, dragging shadows in their wake. Surprisingly no cobwebs hug dormant, merely dust, which dulled the shine of any light. 

 Ray had almost travelled the whole room when a strange noise sent a shiver down his spine. It was a moan. The voice was soft, but burdened, like someone in pain.

“Dot?” Ray turned down the last aisle, pointing his light towards the end. There was a table with a few old printers sitting on top. Underneath he could see purple… The same purple Dot had been wearing.

As he got closer he froze, hands trembling. It was in fact Dot curled in a ball, but not all of her. She slowly reached out towards him with a quivering limb. Her heavy breathing was kept in time by the steady dripping of blood from her outstretched hand. Crimson glinted back at him, running from every orifice of her body. As she opened her mouth another moan escaped, along with a trickling of blood. It hit the floor with an underwhelming splash, breaking the rhythm. The way her lips moved almost mimicked the shaping of words, like she was trying to say something. 

“Th-th-this is-isn’t funny.” Ray barely managed to choke out. He didn’t have to put on an act or pretend like her plan was working; he was afraid. There was something about her jerky movements, the blood, the sounds escaping her, that made him go cold. This was far more elaborate than the dark robes from before. 

Dot responded by crawling towards him, dragging her torso out just enough for him to see where she had been severed. Her legs were gone, nowhere in sight. As she inched closer Ray backed away, keeping a necessary distance between them. Desperately he tried to rationalize in his mind how she was pulling off something that looked so real.

After a few more laborious movements she stopped trying to reach him. Ray watched, because that was all he could manage to do. Dot's violet eyes rolled back, revealing nothing but glossy whites with enlarged veins. She opened her mouth once again, this time letting out a blood curdling scream. It was a sound Ray had never heard before. The noises she made should not have come from any sprite. As the high pitched shrieks continued Ray covered his ears, dropping his phone in the process. The beam of light danced sporadically around the room, revealing just enough for Ray to understand what was happening. Dot's skin morphed and folded, as she began to turn to something new- something unnatural. She became more compact, smaller, and lost all distinguishing features. Bones broke, chunks of hair fell to the floor. 

Her physical body and energy devolved into something small and slug-like. The only resemblance to Dot it had was the colouring. The green thing slowly slithered out of her clothes, daring to get too close to Ray. It was then that his instincts took hold, even before the shock had time to wear off.

Ray turned and ran, barely remembering to scoop up his skateboard before barrelling down the hall. The sprite picked up enough speed and dropped the board, skating faster than he had ever gone before. Ray didn’t look back. He didn’t have to in order to know what he had just witnessed. The image was forever burned into his mind. Dot had just been nullified.

to be continued...

“It’s been a while, sugar.” Mouse said with a smile. 

She maintained a steady stride as she meandered down the hall. The bottom of her cleats tapped gently with each step. She couldn't help but sway her hips as she walked, even though every part of her told her to stop being so alluring. Bob certainly volunteered quickly to join her, and she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. They had a bit of a history, nothing romantic but still, it was a history none the less. 

They both came from another system, one much larger than Mainframe. Mouse had been the sneaky sprite making counterfeit hallpasses, and Bob the eager do-gooder who always tattled. She spent many late nights locked up in detention. Several recesses were missed as punishment. Thankfully his parents relocated and took the nark with them. Mouse only got a few years of peace before her parents decided to move too. She was definitely shocked to come face to face with her nemesis once again, and even more surprised that he had grown into such a handsome sprite. Regardless, she wasn’t interested in some goodie two shoes. It was nice to see a familiar face though.

She tried hard to ignore his gaze as he matched her speed. Even when he cleared his throat she pretended not to notice. 

“So, Mouse…” 

“Yes?” She responded hesitantly. He was obviously nervous. Bob tugged at the collar of his costume and fidgeted with his hands. 

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about- since you’re a girl and we’ve known each other for some time.”

“Is there?”

“I know it’s still months away, but I’ve been thinking about prom.”

“Have you?”

“Yes,” He smiled, “and at first I wasn't going to go but then I thought, why not? And if I’m going, then I should ask someone- as a date.”

Mouse grit her teeth. As annoying as Bob was, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings.

“So, I was wondering if-”

“Bob, honey, I should really stop you there-”

“I should ask Dot.”

There was a pause between them as they both stopped walking. Relief washed over Mouse and she let out a chuckle.

“You want to ask Dot to prom?”

“Yes, unless you think it’s a bad idea. I’m not entirely sure if she likes me.”

“Bob, are you blind? That sprite is obsessed with you.”

“You think?”

“Didn’t you see the way she huffed and stormed off when you came after me?”

“She did?”

Mouse’s smile quickly turned to a frown as it sunk in how clueless he was. Even the new kid probably picked up on it and he had known them for a day. She punched his shoulder. 

“Yes!”

“Ow! That hurt.”

“She likes you! Just ask her- instead of asking me if you should ask her.”

“Did you hear something?” He said, head turned to where they had come from. He was losing focus on the conversation.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Shh!” Bob held up a hand. 

Mouse pursed her lips and waited. She watched as Bob looked around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and she couldn’t hear anything. Still, she waited. The look on his face was serious. She found herself becoming impatient quickly. The topic of his love life was much more interesting than listening to the aged creeks of an old hallway. 

Just as she was about to speak she heard it. The sound was soft and so distant that she wouldn’t have acknowledged it had she not been on alert. Mouse held her breath, hoping to hear it once again.

The two sprites looked at each other. As their eyes met they silently agreed to keep going, but much slower and as quietly as they could manage.

Mouse tried to identify the sound. It sounded wet, almost gooey; like something was slithering against the floor. 

Crash!

Something clanged in a room just up ahead. Mouse went to the door and gripped the handle.

“Wait!” Bob whispered, “We don’t know what’s in there. Maybe we should turn back.”

“Or we could explore.” Mouse winked.

“Mouse, wait-”

She swung open the door. At first glance it just looked like an ordinary classroom. A large desk sat close to where they entered at the front of the room, and behind it a large chalkboard that covered almost the entirety of the wall. Oddly enough the surface was pristine, as if it had never once been used. No lessons had been written, no notes erased.

Rows of desks sat, with chairs placed behind them, all evenly spaced. The chairs looked straight from the manufacturer with no chips or bends. Likewise, the desks had been untouched by markers, lighters or knives. The room seemed almost fake, like the set of a movie. Despite how old they suspected the section of the building was there was no evidence of wear and tear. Everything was untouched. 

 Mouse slowly walked to the back of the room while Bob stayed in place, momentarily stunned in the fear of anticipation. He wanted to stop his friend, but she had rushed ahead so quickly he didn’t have time to reason with her. He was getting a strange feeling, one he didn’t have before. It was as if everything went quiet, much more silent than it had ever been. An uneasiness sunk in quickly as he watched Mouse press on.

Mouse didn’t see anything out of the ordinary at first. She almost made it to the back of the room before something caught her attention. Where they walked they left footprints behind, The floors hadn’t been cleaned for who knows how long, meaning that there was a thick layer of dust everywhere. 

“That’s odd.” she said, kneeling down.

“What?”

“Look at this.”

The basement of the school was far from glamorous, in fact it was exactly what Ray expected. The concrete floor was uneven and sloped slightly as it met its edges; the walls covered in flakey white paint that revealed the drywall underneath. Still, the large room was filled with students dressed up in surprisingly elaborate costumes. Suddenly Ray felt slightly self-conscious for just wearing a regular sweater. The walls were decorated with purple and orange streamers. Cut out of bats, ghosts and pumpkins hung from the low ceiling. In the center of the room a table with snacks and a punch bowl sat. Smoke flooded out from under the table, probably from a fog machine. It rolled out to cover the entirety of the room. There were several doors scattered about, probably for storage. Someone had sprawled caution tape across them. 

For such a shabby venue, it did make for quite the setting. The lights were dim, and the cheap decorations added charm. Ray recognized the orange table cloth and halloween themed plates from his shopping trip with AndrAIa earlier. Everything else were other sprite’s contributions. Eerie music played in the background as everyone socialized. 

Ray wandered, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. When he saw AndrAIa he waved. She smiled back at him from under the brim of a witch’s hat. It was striped black and white with black fabric draping off the front like a veil. 

“You Maneframe sprites know how to party.” He said over the music. 

“We try.”

“I feel a little underdressed.”

“Dot holds a costume contest every year- the best one wins a prize.” 

“What’s the prize?”

“I’m not sure. Last year it was an electric bike.”

Ray raised a brow, impressed. 

“So, AndrAIa-”

“Seriously?” A gruff voice cut him off. 

Suddenly the sprites who were mingling stopped talking and looked over at the commotion. Enzo towered over Ray. He wore a plaid shirt and held a plastic rifle in his hand. He also wore a brown hat that looked slightly too large for his head. If Ray was to guess he would say Enzo was a hunter of some sort, though he couldn’t be sure. 

“Do we have a problem?” Ray responded.

“No, you don’t.” AndrAIa stepped between them, “we are not doing this again.”

Enzo paused, looking at his girlfriend and then around at the serious faces around him. He took a deep breath. 

“All right, fine.” He said in a low voice before taking AndrAIa’s hand. Just as he was about to lead her away Ray spoke up.

“Maybe I want a rematch!”

Everyone whispered amongst themselves. 

“No you don’t.” AndrAIa warned. 

Her hand slowly slipped from Enzo’s as he turned to face his prey. Ray could see it in Enzo’s eyes; he wanted to hit him. For AnrAIa’s sake he was holding back. He thought about it, but instead took the high road, turning once again.

AndrAIa sighed, relieved. Watching her wrap an arm around Enzo made Ray’s blood boil. It annoyed him seeing her with such a jerk. She could do better.

With no thought Ray picked up a discarded drink cup that was sitting next to his foot. He threw it, hard. As it collided with the back of Enzo’s head everyone gasped in unison. The remnants of sticky liquid ran down his back, only fueling the anger Enzo tried hard to bury. 

“Coward.” Ray egged on. 

Enzo gently moved AndrAIa to the side and dropped his prop weapon. In less than a second he charged in Ray’s direction. Ray smiled, waiting to time things right. He jumped out of the way, causing Enzo to crash into the wall. To everyone's surprise instead of colliding with a hard surface it crumbled away. Enzo flew through thin drywall, causing a waft of dust and debris to rise into the air. Everyone was in shock as he flew completely through and landed on the ground, rolling to a stop on the other side of the wall. 

“Enzo!” Dot cried.

AndrAIa was the first to make it to his side, leaning down in the rubble, tarnishing her black dress as it clung to velvet. She put her face in front of his and whispered something. 

Mouse was at his other side. The moment he started to move she grabbed an arm, helping him to his feet. It was a little awkward since she was dressed as a football player, helmet and all. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Dot yelled, shoving Ray out of her way to check on her brother. 

“Shit!” A blue sprite looked visibly stressed as he examined the damage, “How are we going to fix this?”

“I’m fine.” Enzo grunted. He brushed off all the concerned sprites.

To Ray’s surprise it wasn’t a blind rage or anger that was painted on Enzo’s face. Instead he shook his head, disappointed. Ray glanced around. Everyone looked at him like he had just deleted someone. Even AndrAIa had nothing but pity in her eyes. 

“Come on, he’s fine.” Ray let out an awkward laugh. 

“The wall isn’t.” The same blue sprite from before said. He had his phone out and was frantically scrolling, trying to find the cheapest and quickest way to repair a wall. His silver hair was concealed by a CPU hat. His uniform was impressive. He even had a replica gun, baton and handcuffs strapped to his side. Ray shook his head before turning back to Enzo on the other side. 

“Are you sure you’re all right?” AndrAIa looked at him with concern. 

Enzo tried to walk. He winced once he put weight on his right leg.

“It’s all right, I can walk this off.”

“What is this place?” Dot asked. It was then that Ray noticed that she had changed from her outfit earlier. A tight purple bodysuit clung to her, something Ray had never expected from the sprite. She wore a matching hat. Stars covered her from head to toe and a staff was firmly grasped in her hand. 

Everyone's eyes went from Enzo to the new hallway they stood in. It stretched out in three directions. There were no windows, but the floors were tiled with the same laminate as the rest of the school. The walls looked similar as well. There were even lockers further down. 

Dot held her phone flashlight up. The small beam darted around as everyone tried to figure out what they had just discovered. 

Everyone looked down the dark hallways that stood before them. There was an air of familiarity to it, one that none of the students could place. Although it bore many traits of the halls they walked every day, something was clearly off. Something about it just seemed wrong, though no one could explain why. It was a place they knew only in the darkest recesses of their minds; the place they had all gone during moments of despair. They stood in awe.

As if on cue one by one fluorescent lights began to flicker on, revealing just how vast the new space was. From their vantage point there was no end.

“Is this an expansion?” Mouse thought aloud. 

“Why was it blocked off like that?” Dot whispered.

“I don’t know…” 

“Maybe we should go. Party over.”

“Or…” Mouse removed her helmet, looking playfully at her friend. 

“Are you basic? We shouldn’t go in there- who knows how old this is. It could collapse for all we know.”

“It’s been under the school this whole time, bearing all this weight. Don’t be so easily scared.”

“I’m not scared, and-”

“I’m going this way.” She said as she dared to venture further, cleats clicking against the floor, “if you’re afraid just stay here.”

Dot motioned to run after her friend, but then a sprite cut in front of her.

“I’ll go with you, Mouse.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Bob!” Dot stomped a foot as she watched the two walk away. She held her breath, feeling like a slow processing moron. The hours she had spent shopping for the perfect costume was clearly wasted; Bob was preoccupied with other sprites. He clearly didn’t notice her at all.

She huffed as she looked over at the last two tunnels and picked the one going the furthest away from them. Her pace was brisk and fueled by a silent rage.

“Are we seriously doing this?” AndrAIa asked, but the others had already made it out of earshot.

“I guess so.” Enzo said as they started their way down the last hallway. He limped slightly and AndrAIa gave him her shoulder as they went. Ray started to trail behind.

“Are you serious?” AndrAIa looked at him with a twinge of anger. Her glare made him stop in his tracks.

He sighed, picking up the hint that he wasn’t wanted. He couldn’t just sit around while they had all the fun, though. Instead of staying behind and cleaning up with the others he followed behind Dot, hoping he’d catch up with her eventually. It wasn’t every day you got to explore a secret passageway, and that was an opportunity he had no intention of passing up.

To be continued...

ReBootober Day 15: Rocky the Rabid Raccoon. I decided to draw Enzo dressed in his in game outfit from this episode.

Nullified Chapter 7

Ray stood just off the property line looking up at Mainframe High. During the day the warm coppers and oranges of the building seemed so welcoming. But under the cast of moonlight all the shades became dull, the colours less vibrant. If he hadn’t seen the state of the brick earlier he wouldn’t have even been able to tell that it had any colour to it at all. Like an old movie the scenery became drab and washes of grey. 

He pulled the navy keytool out of his pocket, yet to figure out how to turn it on. He had tried every knob and button, but still, nothing. Ray had even tried using voice commands. After a few more minutes of fiddling he returned it to the cozy nest of his hoodie pocket before gliding on his skateboard towards the school. AndrAIa had said that one of the windows at the side of the building would be ajar. He was so quick to judge Dot before, but she was the sprite tasked with staying back late to create an entry way for them after the janitor left. The one good thing about being on student council was that teachers didn’t find it suspicious if you were lingering in the halls.

Within seconds he found the window and made his way through. He was in, now he just had to locate the basement. It shouldn’t have been too difficult. Ray quietly slipped out of the classroom he found himself in, looking both ways before entering the hall. He had a vague idea of where the stairwell was and headed in that general direction. 

Something moved behind him. He caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye.

“Hello?” He whispered, turning. 

His voice echoed down the vacant hall. No one was there. 

He continued on, pausing when he heard a strange noise. It was almost like something was being dragged against the floor. He turned once again. 

“Who’s there?”

This time Ray pulled out his phone, turning the flashlight on. There was nothing out of the ordinary. 

Something crashed off in the distance and he bolted for the door to the staircase. To his surprise when he pulled it didn’t budge. It was locked. He turned, preparing to go the other way, but was met with tall sprites in dark robes. Their faces were concealed, overcast by shadows from deeply arched hoods. Behind them more crashing noises as fists were slammed into lockers. 

Ray stumbled, falling to his knees. He was cornered. 

“Get back!” He shouted. 

Laughter was the response he got. 

One by one the hoods came down, revealing students of Mainframe High. The sprite in front was Dot. Her red lips were upturned in a smile.

“Got ya.” She laughed. 

“Good one.” Ray said sarcastically as he stood up.

“Where’s your sense of humor?”

Dot pulled out a key from under her robe and unlocked the stairwell door. One by one the students filed in behind her. Reluctantly Ray followed. 

AndrAIa was an impeccable student. She had managed to finish every year with honours, maintaining straight A’s with little effort. She never caused trouble or played tricks on the teachers like the other students did. The one thing she was lacking though was good attendance. Usually she could talk her way out of consequences, but not always. As she sat in detention she looked up at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. She was subjected to another hour before she was free to go. Even more unfortunate was the fact that she was there alone. 

A knocking sound made her look down. 

“Hello?” She paused but got no response, until another knock.

She looked around and saw that someone was by the window. 

AndrAIa crept over. The teacher supervising had stepped out a while ago, and she wasn’t even sure if they were coming back. 

“Hey!” Ray smiled from the other side. 

She pushed it open and let out a small chuckle. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“Breaking you out.”

“What?”

“I got to make it up to you; for earlier.”

AndrAIa looked back once and allowed him to take a hand and guide her through. Once she was free they both ran, although there was no one in pursuit. When they made it off the school property they stopped, catching their breath. 

“Luckily the teacher was gone.”

“That wasn’t dumb luck.” He smiled.

“Oh?”

“He’ll be busy for a while. I may have set some crickets loose.”

AndrAIa laughed. Principal Phong was fond of bearded dragons, meaning any class pet was of the scaly variety. They had to eat something.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” Ray turned, preparing to drop his board and ride off.

“Wait, there’s a party tonight. I have to pick up some supplies if you want to help.”

“I’ve got nothing better to do. Why not?”

“Great. The store’s this way.” She motioned in the opposite direction.

They started walking down the road as she rifled through her bag. She pulled out a pack of smokes, offering him one.

“No thanks.”

She placed one between her lips and lit it.

“So you’re having a party?”

“Not me, it’s going to be at school.”

“Seriously?” 

“It’s tradition. We sneak in and have one in the basement every year.”

“Soudns fun.”

“If you can get past the rumors."

“What rumors?”

“The rumors that Mainframe High was built on top of something. I think it was a sewer or cave- something like that.”

“Okay, well buildings are built on top of things all the time.”

“True, but most schools don’t have monsters lurking underneath them.”

“Monsters?”

“That’s how the story goes, something is sealed inside; a creature that can feed off of your energy and reduce you to nothing more than a null.”

“What?” Ray couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s ridiculous.”  

“It’s a pretty good atmosphere for a halloween party though. We all know it’s just a story they made up, otherwise they’d have to tell us the real reason it happened.”

“It?”

AndrAIa looked over at him, finishing her smoke and flicking it into the road.

“You really are new here.” She paused before continuing, her tone turning serious, “All of our grandparents talk about it. Have you noticed that there aren’t any guardians here?”

“I haven’t really paid any attention to that, but now that you say it- yeah.”

“That’s because they were all deleted.”

“... Deleted, how?”

“They won't tell us. How exactly does fifty plus guardians all get taken offline at the same time and no one knows what happened?”

“What does that have to do with the school?”

“Whatever the school is built on… That’s where it happened, where they were all deleted.”

“All fifty of them? Why would so many guardians need to be there?” Ray’s smile fell. He couldn’t tell if AndrAIa was pranking him or not. The story didn’t quite make sense, there were pieces missing. 

“That’s a good question.” She looked over at him, her eyes meeting his sharply, “maybe they really were dealing with a monster… One that fought back.”

Ray sat in the principal’s office, arms crossed; as usual he had managed to get into trouble. Shortly after the crowd had dispersed Ray was escorted by a teacher to the main office. They had witnessed the fight from start to finish. Part of Ray was irritated that he was the only one there; Enzo was more than guilty. He grumbled to himself as he waited to be reprimanded. 

A large oak desk sat between him and the principal of Mainframe High. On its surface sat stacks of papers, trinkets and a small metal standee that read ‘Principal Phong’. A metronome sat in the center rhythmically moving back and forth. With each tick Ray found his rage dissipating. As he focussed on the sound he looked at his surroundings. The walls were adorned with several prestigious degrees and photos with important sprites. Phong’s image smiled back at him with a startling intensity. Looking around it was just like every other school office Ray had been in. He glanced over at Phong, who sat in his chair smiling. That was a little strange. Ray had quite the record, and had been kicked out of many schools. Usually the staff didn’t like him on sight.

 Phong cleared his throat and Ray patiently waited for the warnings and threats. He took a defensive posture, already certain that he had an uphill battle ahead of him. 

“Ray Tracer, welcome.” Phong stated.

There was a moment of silence between them. 

“Is that it?” Ray asked. 

“Is there more you would like me to say?”

“I’m late.”

“I noticed. It is a Friday afterall. We can work on your attendance moving forward.”

“And I got into a fight.”

“Youth brings about many obstacles when it comes to emotions. What matters is how you choose to act in the future.”

“I’m not in trouble?”

“No, I have your class schedule here.” Phong pulled out a file folder and slid it over to him, “there is also information about your locker and the school rules.”

“... All right.”

“Usually we don’t allow hats or sunglasses indoors.”

“The shade’s stay on.” Ray snapped.

“... I see, well I don’t mind making an exception if you need them to feel more comfortable.”

Ray paused. That wasn’t the answer he expected. 

“Thanks, I guess.”

“You are very welcome. My door is always open, so if you have any questions feel free to come by. I have a student council member here to show you around.”

“Really?”

“Yes, new students start with a tour.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in!” Phong called.

It opened slowly and a green sprite stood looking in at them. She wore round glasses and had her hair cut short. Ray stifled a laugh. Her knitted sweater was two sizes too big and clashed with the plaid pencil skirt she had on. She clearly didn’t know how to dress. 

“Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all, Dot. Ray is ready for the tour.”

Ray stood and followed the girl. He trailed behind as she led him out of the office and to the hallway. Orange lockers stood on either side in large clusters. Some were decorated with stickers, others graffitied with permanent marker. 

“So am I actually doing this tour?” Dot asked.

“I don’t know, are you?”

“I’m supposed to show you where the library and labs are mostly…You don’t strike me as the studious type.”

For some reason her comment got to him, even though it was true. He grit his teeth before responding.

“You don’t really know me, we just met.”

“Hmm, that’s true. I hear you’ve already had a run in with my brother.”

“Your brother?” Ray had to do a double take. Now that she said it, she did bear a striking resemblance to Enzo. They had the same deep violet eyes and jet black hair. It was hard to believe a proper student council member was related to that brute. 

“He’s got a temper, but he’s never fought anyone without a good reason. What did you do?”

Ray was taken aback by the question. He was the victim. As he prepared to respond he took another good look at Dot. Once you got past the frumpy clothes and glasses she was actually kind of cute. 

“I bumped into AndrAIa and she scraped her hands. It was an accident.”

“Ah!” Dot laughed, “You hurt his girlfriend? No wonder he hates you- good luck getting on his good side now.”

“I don’t really care what side I’m on.”

“All right, might be social suicide though.”

“This coming from a nerd?”

“You don’t really know me, we just met.” She said mockingly, followed by a wink.

Ray sighed, it was almost bugging him how confident she was. At his previous schools someone like her would have been eaten alive. The sprites of Mainframe weren’t at all what he was used to. 

To be continued...

“Get off me!” Someone yelled. 

Ray was still disoriented from being in the dark. It took a second for him to grasp what was even happening. 

“Sorry!” He said as he rolled off of the sprite he landed on. 

He looked over, his cheeks instantly burning. The girl he had fallen on looked like she was his age. She had bright teal hair that tumbled over her shoulders in waves. Her blue eyes looked around, as if she was searching for something. Her hands scanned the grass. After a moment she picked up a cigarette that was half burned through. She sat up and took a drag before looking over at him once again. She wore black from head to toe. Her eyes were heavily lined, which only made her gaze more alluring. He couldn’t help but stare. 

She slowly got to her feet, balancing on large platform boots. She was at least a full head taller with them on. Her body was adorned with silver- studded belts and spikes. 

“Who are you?” She finally asked as she dusted herself off.

“Ray… I’m new.”

“Clearly. This is my spot.”

“I didn’t know.”

She looked him up and down as she finished her smoke. Her back was leaned up against the mausoleum. 

“I’m heading to school now.” Ray continued. 

“If you are then you’re pretty late.”

“So are you.”

She chuckled at the comment. 

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“I got  a bit… Lost.” He said softly, “maybe you could show me the way?”

“I guess I could.”

“Could you also tell me your name?”

She dropped the remnants of her cigarette and crushed it under her heel.

“AndrAIa.” 

“That’s a nice name.”

“My parents would agree.” She said before turning and walking off. Ray quickly grabbed his board and followed behind her. 

“So you like to hang out at cemeteries?” 

“It’s quiet here. I can just relax and think. Plus there’s the added bonus of not listening to my parents scream at each other."

“Try living with five foster siblings.”

She arched her brow, but said nothing. They walked in step with each other as they made their way off of the cemetery grounds and back onto the road. As they walked towards school they made small talk. 

“You don’t get scared?”

“Scared?”

“Being in the cemetery alone.”

“What’s there to be scared of?” She laughed, “residual energy?”

“Hey, some sprites believe in that stuff.”

“I’m not so convinced.” 

Before long they made it onto the pavement of the school parking lot. The large building was made of peach and grey bricks. The colours alternated creating jagged strips up and down the exterior. It was two stories high and bore large windows framed in bright orange. To their surprise there were students everywhere. 

“Why’s everyone outside?” Ray asked out loud.

“Shit. It must be lunch already.” 

Ray thought for a moment. It only felt like he had been in the mausoleum for a few minutes, but clearly it had been much longer.

Before they even made it to the door a green sprite approached. For a high schooler he had a large build and a thick beard. He was practically a man already. A cracked leather jacket hung off of him. His face was decorated with piercings, the silver glinting against his cool green skin. He was smiling at first, until he locked eyes with Ray. His expression changed for the worse. 

He hung an arm over AndrAIa’s shoulder.

“Enzo,” She said with a smile.

“Who’s this?” His voice was gruff and unwelcoming. 

“This is Ray, it’s his first day I think.”

“Welcome, I guess.”

“... Thanks.” Ray kept a neutral tone. AndrAIa’s companion didn’t seem particularly friendly.

Enzo and Ray stared each other down. The tension between them grew with each second that passed. Although they had just met, Ray had already grown fond of AndrAIa. ‘How could a girl like that enjoy the company of a brute?’

“Enzo, I have to show you what Mouse sent me this morning.” AndrAIa attempted to lighten the mood. She reached into her pocket, but winced before retrieving her phone.

“Hey, are you okay?” Suddenly Enzo’s voice was tender. He gently took her hands, turning them over. AndrAIa’s palms had several scratches. Her skin peeled around the edges.

Ray instantly felt guilty. It must have happened when she fell earlier. 

“Sorry.” He said instinctively.

“You did this?” Enzo snapped. In a nano his fists were gripping Ray’s sweater tightly. He struggled, but was clearly no match strength wise. 

“Enzo stop, it was an accident! He didn’t mean to.”

Enzo pushed Ray up against the wall, pinning him. He kicked in protest as Enzo lifted him off the ground. To his surprise one of the blows landed, pushing away the aggressor. Enzo looked back at him with a blind rage. He ran at him, tackling Ray to the ground. They both struggled as a large group formed around them. 

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” Everyone chanted. 

Ray swung and missed.

“Enzo, stop!” AndrAIa called, but her voice was drowned out by the crowd. 

A purple sprite wearing a varsity jacket pushed through to AndrAIa. Her bright orange hair was tied up in a messy bun.

“What on earth is going on?” She asked her friend.

“Enzo has it out for the new guy.”

The sprite rolled her eyes and walked over to the boys wrestling on the ground. She put her fingers in her mouth and blew, letting out a piercing whistle. The crowd hushed. 

“Get up you two and stop acting like fools.”

They both looked up, panting.

“Mouse, he-”

“I don’t give a shit.” She cut off Enzo.

To Ray’s surprise Enzo released him and stood. Mouse offered him a hand and he took it, getting to his feet. 

“Thanks.” Ray said as he caught his breath.

Mouse responded by punching him in the arm. Hard.

“Ow!” 

“This is your one get out of jail free card. Take care of yourself, sugar.”

Mouse, AndrAIa and Enzo all walked off together, heading inside. The crowd dispersed as quickly as it had formed. Before long he was left standing alone on the pavement. Everyone continued as if nothing ever happened. Even though there were hundreds of students around him, Ray was completely alone, as usual. 

To be continued...

Ray adjusted his sunglasses as he looked down at his phone screen, following the directions blindly. He was five minutes away from Mainframe High, and more than an hour behind schedule. Ray glided down the sidewalk, flying by the picturesque suburban homes around him. His eyes glanced around briefly darting from house to house. He screeched to a halt as something caught his attention. There was a break in the road where a dirt path wound off. It swerved to the right, away from the street and towards what looked like a cemetery.

“Interesting.” He said with a smirk. 

Ray figured since he was already late, a small detour wouldn’t hurt. The wheels beneath him turned to the dirt path. As he gently rolled downhill the wind picked up, adding some resistance. To hasten his descent he pushed off. Ray’s smile widened, there was something about going fast that made him forget about where he came from or how screwed up he was. All that mattered was the moment, his heart beating and the raw energy pumping through his veins. The wind ruffled his blond hair as he went. 

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Gravestones of various sizes sat in neat rows. Some were withered and crumbling from time, others had freshly upturned dirt. Off in the distance he could see large stretches of empty grass waiting to be turned into new plots. The homes became small cubes dotting the horizon. It  was quiet. There were no sounds of cars or sprites walking their dogs. Even the animals fell silent. 

As the wind continued, fallen leaves rustled about, filling the void. Any that still clung on to branches struggled to keep their place. The hill tapered off to more even ground, causing him to slow. Ray allowed himself to drift until he came to a full stop. He picked up his board and looked around. Directly in front of him stood a large square building. It was constructed of white stone slabs, thick columns sat decoratively at each corner. The surface had yellowed slighting, tarnished by time. Ivy and vines climbed the walls of the structure. 

He stepped off the path to examine the other sides. There didn’t seem to be any entrance or doorway, which he thought was odd. He was about to move on when a glint of something caught his eye. 

“What’s that?” 

Down at the base of one of the walls, through tall unkept grass, something flickered. 

Ray crouched down, getting close. As he pushed the brush away he realized there was an opening; a hole just big enough for him to squeeze through. He squinted into the dark, trying to figure out what he had seen a moment ago. 

“Damn.” He sighed as he dropped his board and pulled out his phone once again. He pointed the flashlight into the gaping darkness. From what he could see it looked like a large chamber. He pulled himself a little closer to get a better look. On the far wall several shelves were hung, carrying… Urns? He couldn’t be sure. There was also something large sitting in the center of the room, but he couldn’t tell what it was. The corner of a table perhaps? 

His curiosity wasn’t satiated. He had definitely seen something. With little hesitation he began to crawl through the hole. It was jagged and narrow, so he had to go slowly. First his arm made their way through, gripping the inside of the wall. Ray wiggled as he pulled himself to the other side. 

A thick coating of dirt and dust was disturbed as he crawled on the floor. He coughed as it invaded his lungs. 

Ray sat up and shone his light around as he struggled to breath. The narrow beam of light revealed exactly what he had seen before, rows of urns. He got closer to the back wall, daring to touch one. There was an inscription, a name perhaps, but it was far too worn to make out. As he explored he realized that every wall was crammed with them. He couldn’t help but wonder who all these sprites had been, and if they were related. 

He pointed his light to the center of the room. Ray froze. It wasn’t a table he had caught a glimpse of before. A large rectangular stone sat peacefully; one that housed a sprite's remains. Ray drew closer to the sarcophagus. The top was flat, and unlike the urns bore no inscription. There were no markings, no images. He ran his hands along the rough surface and wondered if he would be able to move the top slab; just enough so he could peek inside. He prepared himself, placing his hands to the sides.

Just as he prepared to push, a small flash of light caught his eye. He looked down and saw that there was something sitting in the far corner. Something vaguely square shaped. Ray walked over and picked it up, turning it in his hands. He had to dust it off to see the metallic blue underneath. He gasped. ‘Is this what I think it is?’ He held it up, examining it closely. It was. He instantly looked back over at the sarcophagus. He must have been standing in the tomb of a guardian. Why else would a keytool be there? 

He quickly shoved the treasure into his sweater pocket. After retracing his steps he began to climb out the same way he entered. As he broke into daylight he pulled himself up and stumbled, tripping over his skateboard. Ray toppled over, and to his surprise slammed into someone. 

He wasn’t alone. 

To Be Continued...

Ray opened his eyes, forced awake by a shrill voice calling his name. He sat up quickly, instantly bumping his head on the ceiling. ‘I just had to have the top bunk.’ he thought as he rubbed his sore forehead. He had fought off three of his foster siblings for the spot and had no intentions of giving it up after just one night. It was the only top bunk that wasn’t directly underneath a vent. His foster mother housed five other sprites, and naturally was too busy to keep up with all the chores. As a result dust bunnies frolicked freely about and layers of debris coated the baseboards and every vent in the house. That alone made that bed in particular worth fighting for. 

Quickly he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked over at the angry sprite in the doorway. She scowled at him, arms crossed. Her dark red hair was in a ponytail so tight it pulled at her skin, making her eyebrows arch menacingly. Her green complexion was bright and almost glowed. If she wasn’t such a crabby bitch she would have almost been pretty… For someone so old. 

“What?” Ray groaned.

“Youre brothers and sisters are already gone. Do you want to be late for your first day?”

“You’re right, maybe I should just try again next time. Monday I’ll give things a proper go.” He mumbled as he lay back down, getting comfortable under the covers. 

Suddenly a pair of hands were on him, ripping him from the warmth of his bed. He was astonished that someone with such a small frame had so much strength. She pulled him down with very little effort.

“None of that!” She scolded, “You’re lucky I even took you in with such a bad record. You’re going to school every day- and if you skip there will be consequences. Get up. Get dressed. Get to class. NOW.”

The door slammed behind her, leaving Ray in a state of shock. His last few foster parents had been complete pushovers. She really was something else. He smiled, silently accepting the challenge. Pissing her off enough to throw him out would be entertaining. At first he had hated the idea of filing himself in a system as small as Mainframe, but things could get interesting.

For once Ray did as he was told. He would worry about skipping school next week. Lucky for him his first day was a friday, and a holiday as well. He had to at least make friends with someone, otherwise he wouldn’t know where the best parties were. Halloween was perfect for mischief, and he had no intentions of coming home that night.

He searched for the small duffel bag on the floor of the room. It had long since been buried under the clutter around him. He had to push around blocks, dirty undergarments and other toys to even get a glimpse of the bright blue peaking out. Six sprites in one room wasn’t just a tight squeeze, it was insanity. The sad part was that he had suffered through much worse accommodations than this; things could always be worse. 

Ray lifted the bag out and rummaged through its contents. After pulling out a pair of jeans and navy hoodie, he returned the bag to the floor and quickly changed. The last thing he did was put on his sunglasses, a pair of reflective aviators, and grab his skateboard. He was officially ready for the day. After straightening up Ray walked out the door. 

To Be Continued...