Zombie and the Beast

- 5 -

Lara hurried to the back door and got out just as the bell rang, closing the door carefully behind her to avoid making any noise. She walked as quietly as possible through the narrow backyards, hiding behind shrubs and bushes.

Soon, she reached Mark’s house. Cold sweat ran down her back as she stood still for a few seconds, unable to move a muscle. She’d passed those blue walls and white shudders often on her way to gather plants for Cal, dreading her encounters with their owner. Somehow, he hadn’t been wary of her powers at all, unlike most people in town. At first, he’d been overly friendly, asking her questions about life on Islada and inviting her inside, frowning every time she refused. He’d quickly changed his tactics from trying to flirt with her to following her around and menacing her. He’d never dared say anything in front of Cal, who, thanks to his father’s side of the family, had long been accepted by the community.

On her last day, Mark had followed her to the river. “Just once,” he’d said. “No one will know you used Dragon-Magic unless you tell them. If you don’t help me, though, I’ll make sure the guards know you’ve been doing all kinds of illegal magic at night.”

“I haven’t and you know it. I’ve seen you spying on us.”

“They don’t know that. And who do you think they will believe?”

She’d sighed, annoyed. “I’m not immune to curses. And I already told you I can’t walk around searching for specific types of energy either. That’s not how it works. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t find a treasure that way.”

“You’re lying,” he’d said. “I've read about what Isladiand can do and if anyone can find the treasure of Shinseg, it’s you.”

She'd sighed loudly and turned away to leave. Although he had been partially right - she could distinguish the different types of energy - she would have never admitted it. Suddenly, he’d grabbed her wrist hard, and twisted her around. She’d pushed him, making him fall backwards. He’d scrambled up to his feet with fury in his eyes and then, things had escalated too quickly for her to remember clearly. Their fight had ended with a bleeding wound on her head and the impression that fireworks were exploding at the back of her neck. She remembered going in and out of consciousness while Mark was panicking about what to do.

“Why didn’t you just do what I wanted?” had asked Mark over and over. “It’s not my fault. Not my fault.”

She’d stared at his sky blue bike next to her - the only thing that seemed somewhat stable in a world that kept falling away and spinning - wishing she could focus enough to self-heal.

That same bike was now leaned against a metal stand by the road. She smiled. It could be useful. Taking it would also have the advantage of annoying Mark. Lara looked around and tiptoed along the house’s side wall, coming closer. She stopped at the corner, assessing the situation while her heart beat so hard it resounded in her ears.

Mark was nowhere to be seen. She exhaled slowly and leaned a bit further. Three people were talking and laughing in front of a neighbouring house on the other side of the street, hopefully too busy with their morning potion and gossip to notice her. She’d seen those neighbours pretty often, so she’d have to be careful as they would surely remember her. A bit further on her left, the mailman was riding his big red cargo bike down the street. On the right, a couple of people were jogging in matching outfits, while Ms. Curio, a few houses away, was still busy trying to peek through Cal’s windows.

Lara pulled her hood a bit further to make sure it hid her face, took a deep breath, then stood straight and walked towards Mark’s bike as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Living in Degawey might have made her feel like an outcast most days, but at least it had taught her that people didn’t pay as much attention when she acted confidently. She’d become excellent at pretending to belong anywhere.

“Dragons,” she said under her breath as she reached the bike.

It was secured to the stand with a heavy chain and lock. She looked up and met one of the neighbours' eyes. She quickly averted her gaze and turned towards Mark’s front door, pretending she was waiting for him.

“Please don’t recognize me,” she whispered with her eyes closed.

She moved slowly to put her body between the neighbours and the bike so they wouldn’t see what she was doing. Then, she looked at the lock again and tried to think of the fastest, least noticeable way to crack it open, but her mind seemed blank. Her eyes went to the door again. She had to figure it out before Mark came out.

With shaking hands, she grabbed the chain and focused, already harnessing energy. Melting the chain would take too long and too much energy. Freezing it and then breaking it open might work, but would be too loud. She sighed and tried pulling on the chain. And then it hit her; she could bend the mechanism inside the lock until it broke.

Quickly, she started to work. Low cracking and popping sounds gave her hope. She looked around, making sure no one was looking her way. The neighbours were deep in conversation. She startled as she noticed two guards on their official black and orange bicycles riding in her direction. She lowered her head and sped up the energy flow. 

The guards rode past her without stopping. She thanked the Dragons and kept working. A few seconds later, the lock made a loud pop. It finally gave out just as Mark’s house’s door opened. Lara got on the bike and started pedalling like her life depended on it. She turned a corner and then another one as Mark's voice rose, demanding what had just happened.

"Come back here!" he screamed.

Lara turned left at the next intersection. Making sure no one was around, she quickly cut through a garden to reach another street and put more distance between Mark and herself. She turned right at the next intersection, joining a busier road. She glanced back, making sure Mark hadn't followed her. Reassured, she slowed down to match the other riders’ rhythm so she wouldn’t look suspicious. Breathing heavily, she started following the signs towards the mountains.