Wind blew in sharp bursts that afternoon, tugging at the nearby flags and making them flap in a rhythm. Covered in spots of brown, the grass created a crushed carpet leading up to the wooded lot behind the school. Maylene stared at the ground in front of her feet as she picked her way along. If she placed her feet wrong, she often fell. It had become a habit, even if people complained about how slowly she walked.
As the area darkened, Maylene glanced upward. In the distance, a wall of dark shadows swallowed the sun. Storm clouds. When did those show up? It would be rather nice to wait and let the rain catch her, but… well… Her mom wouldn’t be pleased if she didn’t come straight home after school. Her mother would also hate having her drip water and mud all over her nice, clean floor.
With a sigh, Maylene turned back and shuffled toward the trees. A piece of paper carried by the wind smacked her in the face. She snatched it from her eyes and looked at it. Someone seemed to have lost their homework. She was sure she remembered that assignment from a couple of days ago. The ridiculously low score spoke volumes about why this student had lost it.
Maylene stuck the paper in her pocket to throw away later and continued to the left. Just in front of the trees, a shallow ditch stretched across like a border. She checked the area until she found a flattened section of the wire fence. An area the kids had traveled across often, making it easier to cross than anywhere else. Maylene could remember seeing other kids jumping across, but she knew better than to make the attempt herself. It would be far too likely that she’d end up hurting herself.
After crossing, Maylene stopped for a short time. She scanned the line of trees, but her friend was nowhere to be seen. She glanced back toward the school, but she knew Reyna wasn’t there. Her gaze drifted back to the trees. The area beyond the fence was off-limits. According to rumors, a pond back in that area caused some weird hallucinations and headaches. She didn’t want to get into trouble, but she knew Reyna always spent a lot of her time in such places.
Taking a deep breath, Maylene moved on. She shoved her way through bushes and stomped down tall weeds. One branch snagged her sleeve, and she had to slow down to remove it so that it wouldn’t tear the fabric. Clusters of thistles clung to her shirt and jeans. Tearing them off would have to wait. She edged around a thorny mass of bushes and frowned. Maylene didn’t like trees and bugs half as much as Reyna seemed to.
The sound of a bark was all the clue she needed. Maylene found her friend further into the trees after a slight turn to the left. Reyna was sitting with a large brown and black dog. The poor creature’s ribs were showing, and it had bald patches in its tangled fur. Thick, dark scabs and faded bruises mottled the skin beneath. Even despite its condition, the dog panted with a large canine grin and wagged its tail. Reyna, her dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail, was quietly scratching the dog’s ears.
Maylene believed her friend could become an amazing veterinarian someday if she wanted to. Reyna always had a way with creatures. Even wild ones cuddled up to her as if they were tame. It was miraculous.
The dog slurped up something that Reyna offered from her backpack. Maylene suspected it to be the ham from Reyna’s sandwich that she stuck in her pocket during lunch. The dog swallowed and licked Reyna’s hand in thanks. Rey patted him one more time and gave him a little shove to get him moving. The dog wagged its tail and obeyed, walking away through the trees. Maylene waited, then started once more toward her friend.
Reyna smiled again when she spotted Maylene approaching through the weeds. She stood and then hurried over to help her small friend.
Maylene spoke first. “I… wanted to ask if you would help me with some of my math problems.” She glanced up at the dark clouds. “But it looks like it’s going to rain. I suppose… you need to get home immediately?”
Reyna stopped for a moment, tapping her shoulder strap in a slow rhythm. “My class has a book report coming up. I can’t focus on that stuff, but you make it fun. What about working at your house? My parents can pick me up later.”
“Since it’s for school, I think my parents would be okay with it, but… um… maybe we should call first? Just to be sure, right?”
Reyna winced at the suggestion. “That’s right, you don’t have a cell phone yet, do you? You can borrow mine, but let’s get inside first.”
The first drop of rain hit Maylene’s nose, then two more hit Reyna. Soon, Reyna had pulled out her umbrella, and Maylene sighed as the two of them made their way back to school underneath it.
***
The sky rumbled a soft warning, and Maylene stared out from under the umbrella. The rain poured down around them. The sound of it hitting the pavement and trees surrounded the pair. Maylene held her hand out to let some drops tickle the bare skin of her arm. She smiled and looked up at Reyna, who was watching her with her own small smile.
“Do you see that? I think it’s your cat friend again!” Maylene stopped to point at a cat hiding from the rain under someone’s front porch.
The cat was a common sight around Reyna, although unlike all the other animals, this one never approached the girl. It kept itself at a distance, watching the world pass by with its calm, crystal-blue eyes.
Maylene kept her eyes out for the cat. She always noticed when it showed up. Its thick fur, an interesting blend of gray, black, and white, made the creature stand out. It had a mask pattern and swirling patterns traveling across its body. Although it had been around since Maylene had met Reyna, the cat hadn’t seemed to have changed at all.
Reyna stopped when Maylene attempted to catch her attention. She followed the direction of Maylene’s pointing finger to look at the cat, which was as much a mystery to her as to her friend. The cat stared back at the two girls, sitting still with its tail curled in a graceful curve around its feet. Slowly, the cat blinked its eyes, then turned around and vanished into the shadows under the porch.
Maylene groaned a little. “It left. I wonder why this one never comes closer like your other friends.”
Reyna smiled at that, “Even if it came closer, it might not like you as much as you seem to like it. Don’t worry, May-May; I’m sure it’ll show up again. That cat is always around somewhere nearby.”
Reyna looked back toward the spot where the cat had vanished before tugging on her friend’s arm. “Let’s go.” She said and held the umbrella a little higher.
The two girls continued up the street in silence, each one of them thinking their own thoughts. When they reached the neighborhood park, Maylene came to a stop as she spotted a figure near the basketball courts that looked familiar. Two older teenagers were talking. One was a tall, blonde girl. She wore heavy makeup and tight clothes. The other was a boy with light brown hair and a grin. He was the one Maylene had noticed.
“Hey… uh… Rey, isn’t that your brother over there?” Maylene asked.
Reyna stopped short and glanced over past Maylene. She squinted at the figures that were blurred by the rain still coming down. Another figure, this one larger than the other two, rushed toward the others. The large figure shouted, but an angry crack of thunder drowned him out. The shouting caused the other two figures to turn toward the sound. When the familiar figure turned, his face came into clearer view, and Reyna answered Maylene’s earlier question.
“That’s Caleb all right. Seems like he’s gotten himself into trouble again.”
Maylene remembered when Caleb boasted about not needing to do homework to pass the grade. He acted as if he could charm or negotiate his way through anything. According to Reyna, he regarded rules as optional. Reyna drew Maylene a little closer to the group. Close enough to overhear, yet distant enough to remain uninvolved.
“Take your hands off Janet! She belongs with me!”
The bigger figure was another boy around the same age as Caleb. His face was red as he shouted at Caleb. He stood with his hands clenched into tight fists. His voice cracked when he said the girl’s name, and he stepped forward closer to the other two.
Caleb grinned with one side of his mouth and spread his hands wide. When he spoke, his voice was slow and condescending. “Sorry about that, Rock-head. Janet doesn’t belong to anybody but herself. She’s a big girl; she can make her own choices. Obviously, she’s chosen me. See for yourself.”
The blonde girl nodded and wrapped her hands around Caleb’s arm. “Rocky, you’re always trying too hard. Relax a bit. Caleb could teach you a thing or two about taking it easy.” She tilted her chin down and looked up at Caleb through her fake lashes. “Isn’t that right?”
Rocky opened his mouth, then closed it again before speaking in a weak voice. “Janet? Didn’t you say we… belong together? I did everything you wanted! Why would you… you do this to me?” He turned back to Caleb. “This is your fault! You tricked her!”
Caleb stepped between Rocky and Janet. “Can’t tell when you’ve lost, can you? Let me spell things out for you, since you’re obviously too stupid to take a hint. Listen carefully now… Janet does not want you. She wants me. The girl you think I tricked came to me on her own. Do you understand?”
Reyna shook her head. Her shoulders drooped as she tugged on Maylene’s arm again. “Let’s go. Caleb is asking for trouble now.”
Maylene didn’t move. “We can’t just leave. We’ve got to stop this before it gets any worse.” Maylene bit her lip and glanced around for some way to fix things. No one else was nearby. No adults to rely on. She took a slow step toward the three figures but ended up only staring as Rocky yelled and lifted his fist.
Caleb avoided the blow, ducking under and chuckling as he pushed Rocky from behind. Rocky let loose a growl and turned around, swinging with both fists at Caleb. These punches Caleb could also dodge with minimal effort until he slipped in a mud puddle under one of his feet. He lost his balance, and Rocky’s fist grazed the side of his head. Caleb grunted, and his body jerked before he landed on his knees in the mud. Water splashed, drenching Caleb, Rocky, and Janet, who stood nearby. Janet pressed her hands over her mouth and then ran off without looking back.
Maylene shivered, then darted forward towards the fight. Reyna followed on her heels, clutching the umbrella.
“Stop! Wait! Please? Please stop fighting!”
Maylene stopped next to Rocky and Caleb, her hands stretched out toward the boys, open and empty. Her gaze darted between the two as she pleaded with them.
“Please stop! Stop it! I-I can’t…”
Rocky paused for just a moment, looking at Maylene with his eyebrows drawn together. Then he growled and turned back to Caleb, who was struggling to rise from the clinging mud. Rocky pushed past Maylene, knocking her down. She crashed to the ground on her hands and knees. The water soaked through her jeans in a flash. Rocky then attacked Caleb again. Caleb had barely gotten to his feet, but this time he returned Rocky’s attacks. With his body coiled defensively, Caleb lashed out at Rocky, causing the bigger boy to step back.
“Stay out of the way, kid. You’ll just get yourself hurt.” Caleb said to Maylene and helped her back to her feet. “Get going.”
Maylene took a step, then paused, her gaze drifting back to Rocky. He was standing completely rigid after being forced back. His chest heaved, and his face was down. His shaking was visible even with the rain continuing to pour down.
Caleb snorted. “What’s the matter, Rock-Head? Little old me fights back and now you’re scared?”
Rocky took a breath and answered in a frigid tone. “You shouldn’t have gone anywhere near Janet. This is all your fault. I’m going to get Janet back no matter what.”
Caleb laughed at the threat. “Come at me then. I can handle you. Just leave the children out of it.” He jerked his thumb toward Maylene. His gaze found Reyna, who was hanging back.
“I’ll do that.” Rocky said with a grin. He then reached down and pulled a gun out of his coat pocket, aiming it straight at Caleb’s chest. “You should have listened to me.”
Caleb froze in shock, all the color and confidence draining from his face in a second. It felt as though Maylene had received a blow to her chest. She could only stare at the weapon in Rocky’s hand. Suddenly, Reyna was between her older brother and Rocky, her arms up in front of her and her umbrella abandoned on the ground where she had been.
The black metal of the gun wasn’t as dark as before; it had shifted to a deep red. A soft hiss escaped where the rain met the barrel, and a wisp of black curled upward. Then flickers of translucent fire erupted from the gun. Rocky shouted, throwing the weapon to the ground. It was too late. The flames had spread, flickering over the gun but also onto Rocky’s hand. He grabbed his wrist, shaking it hard, but the odd colored light didn’t go out. The fire had an odd color. White and clear, but within its depths glittering prisms of color sparked and danced. Maylene continued to stare as the flames jumped from one hand to the other and continued to spread while Rocky continued to cry out.
Another scream shattered the air. Maylene spun to look at Reyna. The flames were on her as well. They had already burned through the sleeves on her shirt and almost up to her shoulders. The colors were more vivid over Reyna rather than the pale hue that had burned Rocky. Its movements also were more energetic and wilder. A bitter smell dampened the fresh scent carried by the rain. The skin on Reyna’s arms reddened and blistered under the fire. Caleb ripped his jacket off, throwing it over Reyna’s arms. He smacked and beat at the fire, his own hands scorching. But the flames continued to climb until they reached Reyna’s shoulders.
Maylene felt her throat shrink, blocking the shriek that wanted to escape. She stumbled toward Reyna, reaching for her friend. The heat was intense. Maylene flinched, but pushed forward. Reyna was crying. She couldn’t let Reyna continue to hurt. But what could she do?
“Stay back! Do you want to get burned too?”
Caleb’s words burned almost as much as the flames. “But…” Maylene said. Her voice choked.
Reyna opened her eyes. Through the tears, her gaze focused on Maylene. The flames flickered and then vanished. Not a trace of them remained. Rocky had curled up on the ground with his hands against his chest. Reyna sagged to the ground, stopped only when Caleb picked her up. The ruined jacket dropped to the ground, and he barked at Maylene.
“What are you doing? Call an ambulance!”
“I-I would… but…” Maylene said.
“But what? We don’t have the time!”
“I don’t… have a phone. Do you?”
Caleb groaned. “It’s in my jacket that just got trashed. I don’t care what you do, just hurry!”
Maylene looked around, her wet hair slapping her face as she turned. Then she darted toward the nearest house, yelling with all her might. Please let someone be home. Please let them be nice enough to call an ambulance.
***
The cat with the crystal-blue eyes watched everything from her perch in a tree. After watching the girl for most of her life, she had finally seen what she had been waiting for. The moment to act had finally arrived. The cat purred with happiness while the rain wet its fur and sirens drew nearer.