Universal War Chronicles: Andy's Story - Part One

Chapter 1

The New Girl

I was just staring. That’s all I could do; my body was frozen in place. I wanted to speak, but I couldn’t. I’m looking at an old friend whom I thought was dead, yet is now in front of me. As I look at him, I don’t see the kind person whom he once was. The person in front of me now is someone else; the person in front me is a ghost of his former self, and he’s looking right through me.

What happened to you? I asked. Please tell us what happened to you?

September 5, 2020. All the warnings were there; of course, we never thought much of it at the time, and that is where my story begins.

Enjoy the little time you have left of your perfect life. Soon, change is coming.

All I heard was this voice; I couldn’t see anything. The ground started to light up under me. When the bright light was gone, all around me was blood and fire.

Where am I? I asked myself. Someone grabbed a hold of me from behind and spun me around, and I was facing myself. His face was all busted up, and he was bleeding all over.

I hope you enjoy your peaceful life as much as you can because the war is heading your way. I did what I could to try to hold them off.

I was confused. I had no clue what he was talking about. Who’s them? What war? Before I could ask, a circle of what looked like grey flames surrounded us. The guy who looked like me grabbed my shoulder. I’m sorry, he said.

Something caught my eye, and I looked up. A figure of someone was coming at us from the air. I tried to move both of us, but I couldn’t. The flames that were around us got bigger. I looked up, and all I saw was some type of animal’s face, inches away from mine. I woke up in panic. I looked around, and I was in my room. It was just a bad dream, I thought.

When I got up that morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about that dream. I walked into the living room, and Dad was watching the news; Mom was getting breakfast ready. Morning, Andy.

Morning, Dad.

Did you sleep well?

Not really. I had a really bad dream last night.

Oh, what about?

I really can’t remember.

I didn’t want to tell Dad about it; it was only a dream, and that’s it. But it felt so real.

Andy? Andy!

Oh, sorry, Dad.

You sure you’re okay?

Yeah, just a rough night is all. I could tell he wasn’t buying it. Dad could always tell when I was lying.

Anything good on the news this morning?

Not really. It’s supposed to be nice today, high eighty. A good way to start out the new year, said Mom as she came out of the kitchen. Here’s your breakfast.

Thank you, I said.

You ready to start your last year of high school? asked Mom.

Yeah, but I can’t believe it came so fast, I said.

Yeah, I know, your dad and I are so old now, ha ha.

Breaking News:.The Last Orphanage in the United States was hit. The nannies woke up this morning to find all fifty kids missing. This brings the total number to two hundred million kids missing in the past four years.

What is going on? Mom said.

I’ve been talking to guys at work about this, and they are scared for their children too, said Dad.

More and more kids and adults have been going missing these past few months, I said. I wonder what’s going on. They haven’t found any trace of them.

Well, you’d better be heading to school soon, said Mom. You don’t want to be late.

Okay, Mom.

I went to get ready for the day, and as I was heading out the door, Mom and Dad were hooked to the TV watching what else is happening. For the past four years now, almost five, kids and adults have been disappearing. Not just that, but people in prisons and homeless have been dying all over the world. When it came to the prisons, it would happen overnight: hundreds were dying in their sleep. Most of the convicts in each jail were all dead. Sometimes they found some alive and had no clue what had happened. As for the orphans, the kids just vanished without a trace. Both good and bad parents were losing their kids.

I said goodbye to Mom and Dad as I went out the door, but I don’t think they heard me. I wish I knew that was the last time I would see them. I got in my car and headed to school. I lived right outside of Skaneateles. It was a small town, and in the summer, it was a great place for tourists to come visit. Because our town was built on one of the Finger Lakes, people from all over wanted to see how clean it was and see all the shops. I’ve lived here for years, and I still don’t know why so many people come in the summer.

It was nice to see the lake off to the right of me when I drove to school in the morning. Coming over the hill, it was nice to see the sunlight hitting the water. When I turned back facing the road, there was a person right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes. My heart was beating out of control. I got out of the car, and there was no one there. I was still panicking; I know I saw someone there, just inches away from my car. I jumped back in, and after I calmed down, I kept on driving. I kept looking back in my rearview mirror, hoping there wasn’t someone dead in the road. Should I call 911, I thought, or call Dad and tell him?

I pulled into the parking lot at school, and I sat in my car for a minute. Should I tell someone? I started to hear sirens coming closer, and I turned around and saw an ambulance driving toward the front of the school. I jumped out of my car and ran up toward the front of the building where teachers and everyone were gathered outside. Everyone was whispering to one another; I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I pushed my way to the front, and they were taking the gurney inside the school.

Andy!

I looked around to see who was calling my name. I didn’t see who it was at first. I looked across from me, and it was Rich. He was waving me over. I made my way behind everyone to get to him.

Rich, what’s going on? I asked.

They found Benson in the hallway this morning all cut up and busted up.

Benson? Did she say anything?

Far as I know, she didn’t.

The EMTs were coming out, with Benson covered up; they put her in and drove away. We couldn’t go into the building right way. When the police officers were done talking to the staff, the principal told us when we came in to go to our lockers and then go to home room.

I’ll see you later, Andy, Rich said.

See ya, I said.

When I was walking in, rumors were already going around about what happened to Benson. I didn’t talk to Benson that much; I tried to talk once or twice, but unless you were in the popular crowd, she didn’t give you the time of day. Someone told me once that she got around a lot, but I can’t remember who. Benson was a short blonde girl. I really didn’t know her all that well, but I can’t picture her getting into anything dangerous.

I dropped off my things in my locker and headed to home room. When I walked in, everyone was chatting away. I saw my friend Peter. Peter was on the basketball team with me. For a couple of years after I left, he kept playing. He was one of the tallest kids in our grade. He picked on me a lot, and I gave him a lot of crap. I walked up to him. Hey, Peter, how you doing?

Not bad, he said.

You sure? I know what happened this morning was a shock, I said.

I’m not shaken up. I bet she got drunk last night and broke in somehow.

Well, it looks like you’re shaken up about something.

I didn’t sleep that well last night. Just had one of those nights.

Yeah.

Oh, did you hear about the new girl?

New girl? No, I didn’t.

Well, I’ve heard she’s very cute. Everyone was talking about her.

I made a face and asked, What does she look like? I would have thought everyone would have been talking about her this morning.

Well, she has the darkest red hair that you have ever seen, and she is kinda short and has bright red eyes.

She has red eyes? I asked.

Yeah, I’m guessing she has contacts in.

Well, I would have thought I would have seen someone like that when I was outside. Do you know what her name is? I asked.

No, I don’t.

Well, hopefully I’ll see her around, I said.

After Peter and I exchanged a few more good laughs with each other, the day went on like any other day. It was fifth-period English class, and the day was going pretty well. When I sat down, I overheard two guys next to me talking about the new girl. I wondered why I hadn’t seen her yet. I would have thought everyone would be surrounding her in the halls the way people were talking about her.

The teacher walked in and welcomed us back from summer break and went on about what we were going to do this year and how the final would be at the end of the year. I zoned out halfway into class and looked out the window, watching cars and people go by. I looked back at the teacher for a minute then looked back outside when I saw someone standing on the sidewalk looking at the building. He was wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up and grey pants. I couldn’t make out his face, and people just walked by him like he wasn’t there. I looked back at the teacher again, and when I looked back outside, he was gone. I thought I was imagining things. I mean, what kind of creep stands outside and looks at a school in the middle of the day?

It was lunch time finally, and I was hoping to get a glimpse of the new girl. When I walked into the lunchroom, I saw Peter, Buddy, and Rich sitting together. I walked over to join them.

Well, look at this hard worker right here, said Buddy.

Buddy lived on a farm, had dirty blonde hair, and wore glasses. He had a dirty sense of humor when it came to certain things. He wouldn’t take anybody’s crap, even teachers.

I’m always working, I said.

The four of us exchanged a few good laughs talking about summer break. We talked about what happened this morning and seeing how everyone’s first day back was going.

So, Andy, did you see that girl yet? asked Peter.

I haven’t seen her yet. I’ve been trying to find her all day.

Oh yeah, said Buddy, well, maybe she knows you’re not a real man. When she sees me, she’ll drop her panties because she knows I’m a real man.

Ha ha, I haven’t seen her either, said Rich. I was hoping to see her in here.

Oh yeah, said Buddy, you going to get a piece if you see her?

Ha ha, Buddy, if you see her, are you going to try to get a piece of her? asked Rich.

Like I said before, she sees me, and she’ll be begging for a piece of me.

Yeah, Andy, aren’t you the man whore around here that asks all the girls out? asked Peter.

No, I said, I’m not the one. What are you talking about? I don’t go around and ask out every girl I see.

Well, I thought there was someone that we knew that would do that, he said.

I was trying to figure out what he was talking about; for some reason, I felt like I knew what he was talking about.

Hey, Andy, I think that’s the new girl over there.

I looked behind me, and I saw the darkest red hair I have ever seen; Peter wasn’t lying. Her eyes were bright red; they looked so realistic. She was so pretty; she was small, not midget small, but smaller than me. She looked like the purest thing in the world.

Chapter 2

Nightmare

It seemed like the lunchroom got louder from whispers that were going around. To be honest, this is the first time I have ever seen the school in a frenzy over some new girl. Now that I think about it, when I was moving throughout the day, I was asking around about the new girl to see why everyone was in such a frenzy about her. Nobody knew her name, and no one I talked to had any classes with her. I thought to myself that the only reason she was making everyone act like this was because of how she looked.

Hey, Andy, did you just cum in your pants?

What are you talking about, Buddy?

You’ve been staring at her for some time now and haven’t said a thing, said Rich. Why don’t you go up to her and talk to her?

And say what? I asked.

I don’t know … say ‘you look very nice today,’ I don’t know, said Rich.

The new girl had her hair up in two ponytails. She had a white spring dress on with red flowers, and she also had nice dress and shoes on. She lit up the room. She looked over toward us and started walking over. Why was she coming over here? Did she overhear us? No, she was too far away.

Now, Andy, you want me to talk to her for you? I’ll help you out, said Buddy.

No, I think I got this. I got this.

Just as she was about to come to the table, one of the jocks butted in. Oh shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bump into to you, he said.

Oh shit, Mack, why don’t you leave her alone?

Hey, Peter, why don’t you keep on sucking on your friends’ dicks over there?

Well, at least I don’t suck on mommy’s tits for money, said Buddy.

Fuck off, Buddy, said Mack. Now, I’m sorry about that. Why don’t I make it up to you by taking you for a ride in my Chevy truck?

She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder and said, Didn’t your mom teach you that it isn’t nice to cockblock someone?

We all started to laugh.

You bitch, he said.

Mack tried to swipe her hand off but couldn’t. One of Mack’s friends yelled out, What’s wrong, Mack, can’t swipe a little girl’s hand off of you?

He kept trying, but he couldn’t take her hand off him. The teachers were walking over to break up the situation. Then the new girl started to laugh and laugh louder and louder.

What the fuck are you laughing at? asked Mack.

Well, Mack, I’m just picturing a way to kill you, she said.

What happened next was the beginning of our nightmare.

Crack!

Oh, what’s wrong? You don’t feel so good? It’s okay, the pain won’t last very long, ha ha. I’m sorry, I lied. It’s never going to stop. It’s only the beginning of everyone’s pain, she said.

I thought I was having a bad dream. Was this really happening? The sound Mack’s body made was so loud, it echoed in my ears over and over. My body couldn’t move; it was silent throughout the cafeteria. Mack started coughing up blood. The girl put her arm right through Mack’s shoulder. His blood splashed all over us. The girl smiled and pulled her arm out of Mack’s body. I felt like all the air had just left my body; my whole body felt like it was going to crumble into little pieces. I started to sweat, and it felt like I was in the shower with all the water dripping off me.

I’m surprised you’re still alive. I guess you’re not as weak as I thought you were. Ha ha, who am I kidding? You’re all weak, mindless bugs, just like all the others. I’m so disappointed. I thought he would have shown up by now. Oh well, maybe he finally died.

Thud! Mack fell to the ground, blood pouring out of him.

You bitch!

I looked over, and it was Mack’s brother. Oh, what’s wrong? Did I kill your friend just now?

She had a saccadic smile on her face. Her right arm was still covered with Mack’s blood; it was dripping off of her. What, you’re going to call me names and not back it up? You pussy. The others had balls to do something about it.

I had no clue what she was talking about. I didn’t understand this whole situation that we were in.

Fine, if you won’t do anything, I will! She held out her arm that was covered in Mack’s blood, the palm of her hand facing up. The blood on her arm was coming off her and coming together into her hand. When all of the blood came off her arm, she had a ball of blood in her hand. The blood began to form into a long stick. When it stopped forming, it had two sharp tips, one at each end. She made a spear out of blood. She grabbed a hold of it, and in a split-second, she threw it at Mack’s brother.

A mad amount of wind pushed us back, and the next thing I heard was a crash, and there was smoke. I couldn’t see; when the smoke cleared, my eyes widened. Mack’s brother went through the window, and he was impaled by the spear. He was hanging over the garden the school had put in. The part of the building that the spear hit had a