Thread:Swampcloud51/@comment-38701854-20190304215551/@comment-38701854-20190313233025

Chapter Eight:

}{Atom}{

Word spread lightning fast about Atom's friend, Paradox. Just last night, Paradox had fallen onto the ground and begun screaming like a madman as he wrestled with the floor. Atom had found him and tried bringing him to the infirmary, but as soon as he had reached down to help, Paradox seemed to be alright. He even refused a visit to the infirmary, which seemed odd to Atom. This only made him feel more guilty and worrisome.

It was the next day in science class, and Atom had noticed Paradox was acting anything but normal. He was often muttering things under his breath that did make sense, such as “Third door to the left, take away one. Count the stones in the perimeter and then five to the left, then turn around. The sky is colored Indigo.” It made Atom's anxiety worse, but he was glad for the chance to work with Paradox and Astra in a “lab.”

They were working with physics and motion, so they were playing with a Newton's Cradle. It wasn't really a lab or so Astra figured. She kept saying this was more of a hands-on experience to help them better understand the Law of Conservation of Energy. To Atom, it sounded like she had just explained what a lab was, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead if arguing, he lifted one of the metal spheres on a string and let it drop, trying not to imagine him accidentally breaking the cradle because he left it gain too much momentum.

“Paradox, how are you feeling?” Atom finally asked, his voice thick with worry. “You don't seem to be yourself.”

“Yes yes, I'm fine,” Paradox assured, eyeing the spheres swinging back and forth.

“Are you sure?” Atom pressed, internally yelling at himself. ''He's keeping something from me! What did you do, Atom!?''

“Yes.”

“What about you, Astra?” Atom inquired quietly.

Somehow, Astra, who had her nose stuck in a book, head his voice and looked up. “Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine,” she answered, her head bobbing up and down once.

“Good, good,” he replied, nodding. He began nervously fiddling with a pen that had made its way into his hand. “Are you two sure?”

“Yes,” Paradox snapped, turning his attention away from the lab as he glared at Atom with cold eyes. Atom was very tempted to yell back, but at the same time, he didn't want to lose a friendship, and so he just felt miserable.

Astra looked up again, smiling this time. “Yes, I'm sure. But thanks for asking.”

Atom fought a growing blush as he looked back at her, and quickly diverted his attention to the Newton's Cradle. As he did so, he couldn't help but wonder what had caused Paradox to act so strangely. His thoughts, however, were cut short by a fearful cry.

Heart racing, Atom turned to see Paradox screaming and pointing at the empty doorway as he stumbled backwards across the room, never taking his eyes off the entrance. “Get out! L-leave me alone!” he shrieked.

Atom, once again, was beginning to panic, but was determined to help his pal. “B-but there's nothing there!”

The teacher, Mr. Kavon, stood up from his desk and tried to drag Paradox off to who-knows-where. “Young man, there is nothing there, so unless you wish to holler in the principal's office, I suggest you stop now!” When Paradox failed to stop, Mr. Kavon lunged, trying to grab him; however, Paradox fell to the tile floor after barely missing Mr. Kavon's arms and accidentally hitting the teacher in the jaw with his foot.

Desperation in his eyes, Paradox glanced at Atom. “Help me or leave! It's going to get you if you don't leave soon!”

To say the least, Atom was both terrified, concerned, and confused. Out of the corner if his eye, Atom noticed several students leaving, panicked looks plastered on their faces.

“You,” Mr. Kavon said, rubbing his jaw as he turned to look at Atom and Astra. “And you. Get him out of here and take him to the infirmary. Now. And class is dismissed.” Any students left in the room soon left.

Nodding, Atom and Astra helped Paradox stand up. Astra winced as she bumped into a glass vial, causing it to shatter onto the floor. As soon as it fell, Paradox seemed to calm down, and he allowed his two lab partners lead him out of the class.

“It's gone,” Paradox muttered as they walked. “It's just disappeared. It was coming for me and then it stopped. Then it left.”

Atom bit his lip, praying his friend would turn out alright. The three of them reached the infirmary in only a few minutes, but when Astra asked Miss Nealson why it could've happened, she shook her head and told Astra she had no idea. Sighing, Atom and Astra left Paradox in a bed to hopefully heal while they wandered off to lunch.

}{Julius}{

Julius knew something was up. Last year wasn't anything like this. Sure, sometimes kids’ curses would take over and things would go haywire, but this year…something wasn't right. He couldn't quite place his finger on why just yet, but he wasn't about to give up anytime soon.

''Let's see...first there was that Fallon attack, then about a quarter of the school was hospitalized, then Rune wasn't acting normal, then Boop almost died, that is, if what she says about the other night is true is true, and now Paradox is acting odd too. Someone's got to be responsible for this, but who?''

Julius frowned as he ate his sub sandwich, deep in thought. A pain just below his shoulders however, pulled him from his thoughts, and he realized that his curse was about to take action. Just as he did so, he began to heard someone singing loudly and yet with perfect pitch and a sweet voice.

}{Tiger}{

Tiger turned to look at his tall pal with blond hair swept to one side, a section of which was dyed a flame red. “Tracey, my friend, I think we might just win the science fair this year.”

Tracey nodded, laughing slightly as he looked down at the sketch Tiger had drawn. “This could change everything. That is, assuming it'll work.”

“Of course it will work!” Tiger announced, grateful that Mr. Kavon had been letting them use his classroom the past couple of weeks during lunch. He too looked back down at the drawing. “It has to. Maybe then we won't be hated.”