turned his attention to Rory who was lightly snoring now.
“What happened to him?” Mr. Parker asked, annoyed. Olivia and I glanced at each other and we both shrugged our shoulders in indifference. Mr. Parker walked to the front of the room and sat down at the main desk. “All right, there’s still forty-five minutes left in this session, I suggest you two use it wisely.”
Olivia pulled a pad of paper and a pen from her small backpack. She flipped to a fresh page and began scribbling down lines of text. Probably lyrics for a new song. Reaching into my school backpack, I removed three different cell phones and placed them on my desk. I pulled a small kit of tiny tools out next, and began tearing the gadgets apart. I had three recent customers who needed their phones fixed as soon as possible. If I was going to spend the next few weeks locked in this timeout, then I’d at least make some money during it. Lucky for me there wasn’t a piece of electronics I couldn’t fix.
Detention flew by and Olivia let me walk her to the school parking lot where her band members milled around. They were waiting for her to finish up her punishment for the day so they could start this afternoon’s band practice. They did have a dance to prepare for after all. Just as Olivia climbed into the passenger’s side of the older SUV, she called out to me.
“You need a ride?” Her eyes smiled my way and I blushed a little. The other band members fidgeted impatiently, ready to rock.
With a wave of my hand, I smiled, “Nah, I’ve got a ride.”
“Okay.”
“See you tomorrow, Rockstar,” I said, coyly.
“Be good,” she whispered back. Olivia and her band drove away quickly and I cautiously surveyed the parking lot. It was almost empty, just a few cars left. Probably some late working teachers. But there was no prying eyes in view. I raised my hand in front of my face with my palm opened, and my fingers bent in anticipation. Ripley materialized inside it only six inches tall.
“Ripley, it looks like I don’t have a ride home.” Ripley nodded in understanding. A huge smile cut across my face. “I have an idea…”
Moments later I found the town below me rushing by at an insane speed. I held onto Ripley’s neck as we raced through the fluffy white clouds, making my way to my house in a matter of minutes.
Yup, I think I was getting the hang of this phenomenal cosmic power.
LEVEL 09
PANIC STATION
Soaring. Twisting. Gliding through the open air. As I outstretched my arms and let my fingers tickle the stars, I laughed wildly. With each flicker of spinning light, I pushed Ripley faster.
“Fly faster! Faster!”
Ripley’s metal body pointed itself toward the glowing moon and rushed forward. The midnight sky swirled from purple to black as the bursting stars bounced off of our bodies. From below us the ocean grew darker and darker. The wild moonlight sparkled like diamonds in its mighty reflection. For the briefest moment I couldn’t tell which way was up or down, heaven or Earth. It felt wonderful. It felt crazy. It felt unreal.
It was most definitely a dream.
Ripley tore through the atmosphere, punching us both into the center of the moon. It exploded like a firework, sending colorful bursts into my hair and clothes. I screamed with excitement and begged Ripley to fly faster. Unexpectedly though, Ripley froze in place, leaving us stranded a million miles above the world.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
~ Listen. ~
“For what?”
~ Don’t speak. Listen. ~
I closed my eyes tightly and focused all my attention on the sound of…nothing. What the heck was going on here? This was my dream. Ripley didn’t control that, I did.
“Ripley…”
~ Listen. ~
Just then a faint scream echoed below us. “Did you hear that?”
~ Listen. ~
“I am.” Another scream followed, this time much louder. It sounded like Olivia’s little sister, Sophia. Then, another terrifying
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