Welcome to Present Earth
You are now passing through the 'time-mass' barrier and will soon be entering a field with a small cottage. Get ready for their is much adventure just around the corner. 
Scott woke, lifting his head out of a cold pizza; he looked over the table to his friend David. David had fallen asleep with his face resting on a three ring binder and was snoring peace fully. Scott reached over and punched David on the shoulder. David toppled to the floor and laid there his eyes staring at the ceiling, "College is to hard!" He stated unmoving from where he lay.
Scott lay his head back down on to the pizza and groaned "Teachers have no idea how stinking hard we work, home schooling was never this hard!"
David sat up, " Maybe if we didn't wait until the night before the mid-term to study we'd score better." Said David in a thoughtful tone, looking over at Scott.
Scott snorted in distain " Right, like that would work. Listen I've read studies that proved unhappy students don't do well on tests!
"I don't enjoy having the snot hammered out me every weekend by George and his friends!" David argued
"David, David," Scott said in a tired voice " I've told you before training isn't made to be fun, its good for you!"
"But, isn't school good for you?" David asked innocently. He was rewarded by a slice of pizza slapping him behind the ear.
"Scott, David you are both very intelligent bright young men with a bright future ahead, why is it that your test scores are always in the gutter?" asked their teacher Miss Brueggman (or just Miss B as she was known to her pupils). The young woman reminded Scott of a younger version of his own mother with her long blond hair and thin build, making him hang his head in shame. " I try to help my students as much as I can, but you need to do your part as well." She admonished gently
"I sorry ma'am," Scott said lifting his head " its just that, well, cutting up frogs and cats and stuff, just isn't my thing."
"But the test was on the book not the lab!" said Patrick from the back of the room
Scott shot him an evil glare, he knew Patrick from the days when he had been homeschooled and it didn't help the fact that Patrick had scored a 97 and David and he had scored barley a C.
"We'll do better next time" David finished for Scott and pushed him through the classroom door.
A red sun had just cleared the horizon when the long shadows of two men fell across the doorway of Scott and David's small cottage. It was a smallish building made of concrete block painted white. It was set within a hundred yards of the college grounds, in the woods that colleges always seam to have around them; they were totally alone to do as they pleased, a fact noted by the two men at their door. One of them lightly knocked at the door, there was no answer. He knocked louder this time, still no answer; his companion held up his hand and walked over to a window and looked in; he saw Scott laying with a book over his head on the couch and David asleep with his head resting against the T.V. with a video game controller in his hands. The two looked at each other then the larger one (standing 6'2'' and very well muscled) began to pound on the door. No stirred in the house. Finally he tried the door, it opened easily, the two looked at one another and shrugged. Stepping in to the house they were surrounded by piles of clothes, books, and weapons. The smaller one with long hair bumped a spoon, which clattered to the floor. Suddenly, Scott leaped up and grabbing the nearest thing at hand brought it down on the head of the nearest intruder!
The only effect the magazine had on George was to make him laugh uproariously " Reflexes like a cat!" George said in mock awe. It was only George, Scott's brother and Matt, one of their friends. Today was Saturday and George had come for their weekend training, something that all of them enjoyed, although David would never admit it.
"It looks like you guys were studying hard last night," said Matt helping David into a chair " I know just the thing to make you feel better, it's push-up time!" George and Matt laughed at the groans Scott and David made as they were led outside.
Two hours and much sweating later David and Scott were feeling better. Scott was just about to face off with Matt for a sparring mach. He was still wearing the clothes he wore yesterday; a white dress shirt with slacks. Matt wore jeans and a polo shirt, David and George sat on the hood of George's car David wore khakis and a T-shirt while George wore black polo shirt and khakis. Both Scott and Matt squared of to begin when they saw a flash of light overhead and felt the ground rock beneath them.
"I think that was a meteorite!" said David excitedly "I think it hit over there!" he pointed.
Scott and Matt looked at each other "This can wait." Said Scott running over to the small barn next to the cottage. They heard his voice from inside "David, come help me with the side car"
"No, No, that's ok Scott" David squeaked, "I'll just ride with George."
"David." Scott's voice rose warningly.
Sighing, David disappeared in to the barn. Moments later there was a roar and one headlight shone in the dark of the barn, then a fully restored '70 Honda shadow with a matching sidecar tore out across the yard. Grinning George and Matt followed at a slower pace in George's '69 Impala Super Sport. About a mile down the road George caught up with Scott and David, they were standing in a farmer's field looking down into a deep crater. Looking down they saw a smooth, shiny black orb. Matt jumped down into the hole to get a better look.
"Careful Matt," Scott warned, "That thing has got to be super heated!"
"No," said Matt "It's not giving off any heat at all!"
Later, in the lab at college Scott made introductions and told miss B about how they found the meteorite. Miss B being the head of the science department, they reasoned would know what one did with a meteorite, if found. "I don't understand how you could have brought this to me this quickly," she said "how long did you say it sat until you found it?"
"Not long," said David "Not with the way Scott drives."
" I've called a specialist who's a friend of mine to came look at it first thing Monday." Said Miss B, "Just leave it on my desk."
The four friends left the classroom and headed outside, right in to a heavy down pour " Funny," said Matt as they ran to George's car "It was nice and clear when we came in earlier."
They headed back to the cottage; since it was clear no more training could be done in the rain. As they drove up they saw two figures on the front porch. Scott and David jumped out and ran up to them as George parked the car in the barn. As they reach the porch he thought they looked familiar. "Jenni! Janelle!" Scott said in surprise as he saw their faces "What are you doing here? One of the twins began to answer, but Scott silenced her until he had unlocked the door and let them inside. "There." He said "Now what are doing here?" Not that he minded; these were some more homeschool friends he had known before college. They wore matching mini skirt and differently colored blouses both were petite and pretty, but didn't mind sitting on the nearest pile of clothes like everyone else. "We're here to visit our boyfriends." Said Jenni, " and we thought it would be nice to visit you two." Janelle looked around her in disgust, "How do you live in this?" She asked "Simple," David answered, "You don't clean anything, ever." George and Matt came in and the six of them fell to talking about when they were younger and all of their friends back then. Finally Janelle looked out the window and it was dark outside "Oh no," she said, "we were suppose to go out to dinner with Tim and Mike at six!" Matt looked at his watch then the clock on the wall "It's only two o'clock." He said confused. David stepped out on the porch then yelled for everyone to come out. It had stopped raining; instead everything was coated in a layer of ice, in October, on what had been a bright sunny and warm fall day! "I'll drive you to your boyfriends dorm" George offered looking at the dark sky where the sun should have been. "Matt, you come to, Scott, David, stay here." Jenni, Janelle, Matt, and George left for the car and Scott turned to David and said, " I have a bad feeling about this!" "Yes, Han Solo." Said David laughing, although he silently agreed.
George and Matt dropped the twins off at their boyfriends' dorms. As they walked back to the Impala they talked about the strange weather pattern, it had left them both very nervous, although they didn't want to tell each other. "Funny how cold it got so quick." Said Matt trying to sound as though it wasn't weird in the least. "Sure is," said George "Right after we found the meteorite. I wonder if they're doing something weird in space." George looked away trying to look unconcerned, when suddenly a hand grabbed his leg.
Scott's eyes flew open, he had been dosing in a chair when a wave of fear struck him squarely in the chest. Across the room David stood, horror on his face. They stood, just staring at each other, daring the other to say it was just their imagination. There was a tapping at the window, each turned at the sound. The tapping became louder and on more then one window. Scott knew he should do something, anything, but everything moved in slow motion. A crash rang out and all hell broke loose!
Even as he tripped, George's foot lashed out and sent a kick that would have taken someone's head off from his shoulders. Instead, it impacted with shattering force on the wall, looking down George saw a slumped form lying below where his kick hit the wall. Recognition donned on George and Matt. "Patrick!" They breathed together in shock. "Help me!" he whispered, stark terror etched on his face, "Dead cats walking though my room! The dead swarms! Stop them! Please!" Matt looked down a Patrick "This guy is really tripping out. I've seen people like this before." He comment pityingly. "We better get him to his room." said George picking Patrick up off the floor. Together they walked to Patrick's room, laying him down on bed. Patrick struggled to rise. Even in his fevered state, fear gave him strength and he almost escaped once, but together Matt and George held him until he stopped struggling and fell asleep. George and Matt left closing the door behind them. He would wake in a few hours after what ever he was on wore off and he would remember nothing they decided. "Funny isn't it?" Matt tried again.
Zombies crashed though the windows shocking Scott and David out of their fear. Scott's hand went to the sword rack above his bed and closed over a short sword before a body fell on top of him knocking the breath from his body. David saw his friend go down and felt something snap within him. Fury filled him, burning away the fear; how dare theses unholy monsters attack his friend! A zombie lurched at him, raking its nails across his face. David's fist exploded into the creature sending it flying back into the wall another sprang at him to be met with a kick that nearly knocked him over. His hands clasped the first thing that they came in contact with to steady himself, the spears in Scott's spear rack. Snatching one he turned and impaled a zombie that had come up behind him. That didn't stop it, but the kick that knocked it back off did. The monsters turned their attention to easier pray, Scott. Hidden beneath a mass of zombies fighting over his body, David could see his friend's blood smeared on the floor. His first urge was to destroy his friend's killers, but he knew that Scott would not want him to throw away his life, but he knew what he would want. Diving though a broken window David ran to the barn and leaped on Scott's Shadow. As he rode past the house he raised his spear in salute and plunged blindly into the woods.
As Scott fell he felt teeth bite into his shoulder. Had he any breath left in his body he would have screamed. His sword was trapped beneath his body so instead he placed has hands on the zombie head and pushed a certain place on each side, he heard a crack and felt the jaw go slack, he had broken the things jaw. The zombie still clung to him and others had joined him. Scott heard David's cry of rage and grief and though still struggling for his life Scott found the time to think "Is that my friend? To think he had that kind of feelings penned up in him all this time. Maybe I don't know him as well as I thought." Scott's musing was interrupted by two cold hands that wrapped around his neck slowly crushing the life out of him. Scott didn't even bother fighting the undead strength of this horror; instead he fought to free his sword. He began to feel his life leave his body; sleepiness stole over him and just before he felt he could fight no longer, the sword slid free! Hope sparked in his oxygen starved brain and his sword carved it's way though the two hands holding him. Air flooded into his aching lungs and Scott fought the urge to stop and rest, he knew to stop now would be a fatal error. Pulling both legs back he sent a powerful kick into the chest of his attacker sending its twisted body flying back into the other zombies knocking many down. Without pausing he leap forward slicing his enemy cleanly in half before it touched the ground. The zombies drew back, looking at him though their dead eyes; smiling grimly he held his sword up in a high guard, the sword point gleaming. They stood eyes locked for hours or seconds; one finds him self lost in the stare of the undead, then with out warning, they attacked. Scott also leapt forward his sword a silvery arc.
The Impala bumped and bounced as it sped down the narrow dirt road. Its passengers said little; they simply sat warming their hands on the cars old heater. Ahead they saw a light though the trees. As they drove nearer they saw it was a fire, a fire built in the middle of the road! Gathered about it were ten or more dark shapes, one seeing the shine of the cars headlights turned. Light glinted off a steel pentagram worn over the man's black robes. Unable to turn the car around or drive around the fire, George stopped the car. Both he and Matt knew there would be no talking things out with these freaks.
A man walked forward, and it seamed to George that the man was about to speak; however Matt didn't wait. Leaping out of the car he threw a jump kick to the mans face! The thin cultist hit the ground before he knew what hit him. With a howl of rage the other cultists rushed forward; George by this time had reached Matt's side and with a blaze of hands and feet, dealt punishing blows on his attacker. Matt did the same to the first cultist to reach him, but the next ducked under his attack and stabbed Matt with his fingers. Matt doubled over in pain; his attacker made a slashing motion with his hands and Matt was thrown against the hood of the Impala crying out in pain. The Impala roared to life and leapt forward. It was all Matt could do to hold on to the windshield wipers as the Impala plowed its way though the cultists. Matt's face contorted as he saw the fire loom closer, then it struck the bon fire, scattering burning wood and sparks everywhere.
George didn't stop until they reached the cottage and by that time Matt was pale and shaking. George and Matt walked up to the porch then stopped staring though the jagged glass of the windows. Scott was charging five zombies that were leaping to attack; his sword swept in a silvery arc as he past between them, then he froze and his attackers paused. They stood that way for a long moment, then all five zombies toppled as Scott straitened. He turned to Matt and George, "Pretty good huh?" Said Scott before he passed out at their feet.
Matt and George dragged their sleeping friend up into the hayloft of the small barn, feeling it was safer to be up off the ground. Shaking Scott awake they told him about the cultists and the strange power they possessed, "They picked me up off the ground without touching me!" Matt finished.
"Where's David? Is he guarding the Impala?" Scott asked looking up at them, but their eyes held no answers.
"I don't know. He wasn't in the cottage or on the ground outside. He could have left to try to find us." George tried.
"No," Scott said "he wouldn't leave in this darkness by himself. I heard him yelling, but I was too occupied to figure out what happed."
George turned to Matt "Take another look around."
Matt was back in mere seconds "I've some good news and some bad news, the good news is David is alive or was a little while ago, the bad news is he took your bike."
"Before we go running off lets see how we stand" George spoke up "Besides that bite how do you feel Scott?"
"Fine, except for a little headache." Said Scott, which wasn't true. He felt as if the bite was freezing and it was slowly spreading. Matt had taken off his shirt reviling two shallow slices across his chest. George tore the sleeves off his shirt to wrap the many small cuts Scott had taken.
"First, everything started when we found that orb. Second, The Orb seems to attract evil to it. Third, the evil doesn't seem to like us. Lastly, the orb is in the lab at the school." George looked at Matt with eyes wide "Patrick! We practically locked him in his room and every thing he's said seems to work! We locked him in with things that could kill him!"
Then Matt remembered something else "Those two girls! We left them alone too!"
Jenni edged along the dark hall, sure someone or something was stalking her. She hadn't seen it, just an echo here a shadow moved there, the soft scrape of claws on the floor, one step behind her and yet waiting there in front of her. Ahead of her there was another body, Jenni stiffened, the last one had gotten up moaning and clawing at her She got closer; it was a guard. In his stiff hands he clutched a handgun, bending down she slowly pried his cold fingers off and took it with her. Even with a weapon she felt no better, feeling something brush her leg she looked down to see a cat sitting at her feet. The cat looked up its eyes held no life; it reeked of formaihide. Slowly it rose dragging its tail behind it; its fur clung wetly to its body. Jenni turned and ran.
"What's taking her so long?" Janelle asked.
Mike, thinking the same thing said, "I'll go look for her."
"How could she get lost this easily?" Janelle thought.
Ten minutes later Tim offered to go search for them "No, I'll go this time." Said Janelle and left the room. She began to feel funny being out here all by herself, but she thought " If I go back now they'll all laugh at me for being scared of the dark." However she started feeling differently as things got colder "In fact," she thought "It looks like there's ice on the floor." The farther down the hall she went the worse it got. Ice covered everything. It looked more like she was walking though a cave then a hallway. Finally she decided to turn back. Turning, she realized in horror she had no idea where she was!
David parked and looked at the college, mist shrouded most of the building. He had taken the shorter path though the woods, making it here in good time. David walked to the front door and pulled. The door was frozen so he smashed a window and climbed in. It was an office, and a person sat in a chair at the desk with his back to David. David walked around to the front of the desk and looked at the man. The mans eyes were on his paper work; he didn't blink or breath, David's fury suddenly left him. David turned on his heels and left though the office door. In the hall two people stood shaking hands, they didn't turn when David called to them, they didn't move at all. David saw ice crystals glittering in the hair of one of them; they were frozen! David walked down the hall numbly; he had to find a way to stop this. Here and there David would stop looking at the face of those he knew. He looked at one with a smile frozen on his cold face, David looked down, and when he looked up again the smile was gone! He backed up only to bump into another; David whirled, there hadn't been one here, had there? David side stepped and looked around, the one he had bumped seemed to wink at him. David felt their eyes on him, but when he turned they just stared blankly. He turned to run but one of their feet tripped him. He kicked at one but it wasn't there. Standing slowly he looked around all were back in there original places, if they had moved at all. "I'm just freaking myself out! David said aloud. At this on of the forms ahead slowly turned. David stumbled back tripping again; falling to the floor he covered his head with his hands and waited for the end.
Janelle walked in what she thought was the direction of the dorm. She was in fact correct, the ice cave ended abruptly and she entered the part of the college still lit. She walked over to their boyfriend's room and knocked, there was no answer. She turned the knob and went in; Tim sat in front of a dark T.V.
"The school is covered in ice! Its like" Janelle's voice failed her.
Tim sat without moving, blinking, or breathing. Janelle screamed and ran over to touch him, but at one touch of that cold hard skin she drew back. She backed out of the room and turning ran down the hall and down the steps into the administration section beneath the dorms. There was no comfort to be found here ether only more frozen bodies. Janelle heard a sound behind her, freezing her with fear.
She stayed like this as the sound drew nearer and nearer, she heard a brief scuffle then a voice murmur, "I'm just freaking myself out!"
Janelle slowly turned just in time to see David stumble backwards over one of the iced people and lay there shaking.
Walking over she said, "David are you OK?"
David looked up "Why aren't you frozen?" was all he could ask.
"David Slone the worlds coming to an end and all you can ask is why I'm not dead? I, I" She began to cry.
David stood, picking up his spear he awkwardly patted her on the back, were was George or Scott when he need them! He didn't know how to comfort a crying girl.
"I'm sorry," David tried "Scott just died. I know how you feel."
At this she cried harder. He didn't have time for this although he felt like a good cry himself.
"Look," He said harshly "if our friends are dead we need to stop whatever killed them! And, and we ah have todo what they would have wanted!" He finished, feeling better instantly.
Janelle stopped crying and said " That was very pretty David. Even if it was borrowed from George." She laughed weakly "Well, fearless leader what's the plan?" "Well, first," David started, "We'll look for the problem. Where ever that is." They turned and slowly walked down the hall; they weren't alone.
"The college is built like a plus sign" David said more to himself then Janelle, "It seems to me that each wing has something different wrong with it." At this moment they were walking through the ice cavern part. "In the center, on the top floor is the lab where we left the orb." David stopped ahead there was a trail of blood smeared over the ice. "Let's go around." Janelle whispered. David nodded and they turned down another hallway. Another hundred steps down this hall there was bellowing mist. As soon as they stepped in they were separated, David look around wildly then relaxed, he saw her petite form walking towards him. David waited for her "Stay close." He told her. Then he looked up and in to the dead eyes of the undead. The thing that had once been a girl lunged at him to feed. David went down under the attack and began to grapple fiercely with it. Finally he broke free of its grasp; snatching up his spear he crushed the things skull, then broke its legs. Then he heard Janelle's scream farther down the hall, he spun and ran towards the noise. Janelle was backed into a corner a zombie walking slowly towards her, there was nowhere to run. It reached out its clawed hand to touch her when a spear exploded into its head knocking it aside David pounded in to view blood pouring across his face like a crimson mask. There burned a light in David's eyes and for a moment Janelle wasn't sure which to be more afraid of the unholy monster or her friend with a blood covered face and a killers look in his eye. David leapt on to the things back and grabbed a hold of its neck which he twisted snapping the spine. Letting the body drop he turned to regard "Are you OK?" he asked gently "I'm fine. What about you?" David wiped his face on his sleeve "Wow," He said after a moment "I didn't know I was bleeding that bad, other then that I OK."
Jenni walked along clutching her gun in front of her. All around her webs rippled in the wind that flowed down this corridor. Bodies wrapped in web could be seen in the larger webs. As she rounded a bend she came face to face with a zombie. It had blood on its face and across its clothes, gasping she brought her gun up; the things eyes widened as she pulled the trigger.
David and Janelle made it through the mist filled part of the school only to be confronted with a rolling sea of web. Bodies filled some of the webs, others were torn as something to big to catch tore through, as they turned a corner the came face to face with Jenni. Horror was on her face and before David could do anything she lifted the gun in her hands and pulled the trigger!
Click.
The hammer fell on an empty chamber. "It's me!" David yelled. Jenni dropped her gun. She fell to the ground sobbing, trying to tell them what she had seen at the same time. Janelle hugged her and comforted he the best she could, David was glad he didn't have to this time. She pulled herself together very quickly considering what had been happening; she looked up at David and asked, "What's going on? What caused this?" David thought for a moment. "I think it has to do with that black orb thing we found. It seems to be reanimating dead things and sending them around the school, I think." "So, what now?" Janelle asked. "What our friends would have wanted. We destroy the Orb!" said David his voice strong again. He know he should take the girls somewhere safe, but where was safe? They were safer together anyway. "Come on," said David " We've got to get to the top floor."
The three cut their way though some of the weaker webs made slow progress back towards the center of the building. Once Janelle tried to sing as they walked to raise her sprites, but the returning echoes were so twisted and evil sounding, she fell silent. Jenni looked back once and wished she hadn't. As they cut there way though the web, a thousand spiders sealed the rips behind them.
Finally they reached the center of the building. It was a dome shaped room with walkways circling the upper floors, connecting the wings. Now however, the room was a mix of the rest of the building. Web covered part of the room, ice covered another, mist drifted in, and a few people could be seen frozen in place. David looked around for a way to ascend to the upper floor. The stairs had been turned into ice slides; they couldn't get up that way. They could climb the webs, but thoughts of the spiders that filled them made him shake his head. The choice was made for him. Spiders the size of cats approached out of the web. A cry from Janelle warned of zombies from the mist. A pack of undead animals walked from the hallway. "Oh, great," David thought, " All we need now is a bunch crazy cultists!" The thought came to soon the cultists George and Matt had met in the woods walked out of the ice caverns. "OK, when I yell I want both of you to run for the web and get out of here." "No way!" the twins answered as one before turning to meet their attackers. They stood backs to each other; if one of them fell the rest wouldn't be far behind. David stood thinking that he wished he had trained with the spear more, be familiar with a weapon is different then being trained in it, like Scott had been. Janelle wondered why they had come through so much only to die here. Jenni was simply wondering what the gleam in the doorway a floor above them was.
The cultists attacked first, they walked up to the three friends arrogantly, waiting for their black robes and evil smiles to rack the defenders with fear. The cultists were not disappointed, the shear evil of these men. Afraid or not they stood, steady with the knowledge that there was nowhere to run. The eyes of the cultists promised things to fell to think of. David could take it no longer, he leaped to attack, his spear caching the light as swept it on a deadly path toward the lead attacker. His target simply held up his hands and David seemed to strike something and fell, his spear falling from nerveless fingers. "Fool!" spat his opponent "The Orb gives us power you can only dream of!" He raised his foot to finish David when his chest seemed to sprout an arrow.
The cultists milled about in uncertainty, then their thinking was broken yells above them. David staggered to his feet uncertain on where to believe his eyes. Scott came leaping from the walkway above them, the long two handed sword in his hands flashing. Matt plunged off, a glittering battleaxe in his hands; he landed heavily, using a zombie to brake his fall. George continued to fire a barrage of arrows in to the living attackers; he knew they would have little affect on the undead. George fired his last arrow and leaped off the walkway as well, he landed lightly next to Janelle kicking an attacking spider at the same time. Throwing a handgun to each of the twins he barked out some brief instructions "Point these at what ever you want to kill and pull the trigger. Don't point it at me." Then he turned drew the police issue shotgun off his back and laid down covering fire for Scott and Matt.
The attack was going very well because the elements of surprise on their side, but the sheer numbers were taking their toll on the fighters. George had drawn a short sword and with a newly recovered David joined the fight. During a lull in the battle George, Matt and Scott looked at each other, silent understanding passed between them and Matt nodded in acceptance. George pulled a rope with a hook off his belt, calling to David and the girls he tossed it up to the floor above them. Seeing their prey escaping the monsters leapt to stop them, these were held back by Scott and Matt's sparkling blades. George was hurrying Jenni, Janelle, and David up the rope then mounted it himself. Scott and Matt held for a moment longer then Scott broke away and climbed the rope as Matt single handedly covered Scott's retreat. With his friends safe Matt hefted his axe and fell upon his attackers like an enraged bear.
Scott and David watched as their friend raged below them, then turning sadly followed the rest of their friends into a hallway. Before disappearing Scott turned one last time and whispered "Farewell my friend, you will not be forgotten." Matt's battle cries rang out as he thrust his enemies from him. Matt hacked and hewed until the floor became slick and finally he fell, and his enemies swarmed over him.
The lab wasn't far from the center room, in the ice cavern section. They moved slowly, each feeling a terrible menace in the darkness ahead. Suddenly, Scott collapsed! He clutched his shoulder and shook for a moment, his friends gathered around him in concern. Finally, the spell passed, he looked up at them and as an explanation pulled his shirt back from his shoulder. There was a bite mark from his first battle, but now it was fringed with frost. "I'm poisoned." He said simply and rose to his feet "I used to much energy in the last battle. The chill has spread though my body. II don't know if I can fight the next battle." They didn't know what to say. Scott had spoken in a matter of fact tone of voice, as if only to tell them he had a sore throat, but all of them could see the shame he felt at being weak. He brought an end to their thinking by leading the way down the hall again. They found the doorway to the lab frozen into a block of ice. George decided to enter the room next to the lab and try to gain access from there. Not to mention the fact that a disturbing moaning that echoed down the hall. Scott's strength had given out again and he walked with the support Jenni and Janelle on each side. They entered the classroom on the far side of the lab. George picked a portion of wall they would break through, but before he and David began, he turned to Scott, Jenni, and Janelle, and said, "Alright, David and I will cut though the wall and destroy the orb, you three stay here as rear guard." "Rear guard, right" said Scott "In other words George you want to protect us by keeping us out of the fight? George, we stand a better chance with you two then by ourselves. 'A cord of three strands isn't easily broken' even if they're thin strands." Jenni and Janelle nodded. They did not want to be left behind this time. David looked at George then shrugged, "I don't think we have a choice. Well let's go give dieing a try." David turned and began hacking at the wall with Scott's sword.
David broke through the drywall and stepped into the lab, what he saw froze him as cold as the ice beneath his feet. Across the room hung Miss B and Patrick, halfway frozen in a wall of ice. Between them embedded in the wall like an eye was the orb. Patrick saw David and began yelling "Help! Help! Don't leave me here!" A hideous laugh filled the air. The plaster skeleton was laughing at them. George moved over to David's side and whispered, "I'll take the funny bone, you take out the orb!" George lifted his sword to smash laughing horror in front them, when a ray of darkness shot forth from the orb and stuck his blade. The sword began to disintegrate in his hand. "Well, I guess we do this the old fashion way." Said George casting the handle away. The skeleton stopped its insane laugh and turning its empty eye sockets to look at George. It began to speak with seemingly a thousand voices speaking at once "You think you can defeat me? I will crush you and drag your soul to hell!" Then it did something George would never expect, not in a hundred years; it did not leap, it dropped into a low fighting stance. George took a stance as well. George attacked first with a powerful sidekick meant to break its leg at the knee, but his opponent sidestepped and brought his elbow into George's face.
David couldn't wait to help George; instead he concentrated on the orb. As he approached it ice spikes began to lance out of the floor and ceiling. David could deal with this, had it not been that the orb began to emit rays of darkness like the one that struck George's sword, only this time seeking to strike him.
Scott knelt on the frozen floor; beside him Jenni and Janelle stood, handguns smoking. They would have liked to help George in his mortal fight or David try to break the orb, however Scott had fallen into a trance like state and wouldn't move. The spiders that had plagued them on the first floor followed them. Never before trained with any weapon, but the spiders were so close they couldn't miss. "How many rounds do you have left?" Janelle asked her twin "Only six." Jenni replied calmly, there was no reason to be frantic, death wasn't far away she had accepted this. The only feeling she had left was sadness, sad that life had been so unfair; however she would defend her fallen friend, even though she wasn't sure there was much left of him to defend.
Scott was locked in a world of cold and pain. He heard nothing, saw nothing, but the chill that knifed his body. Then his mind cleared he still was unable to see, but a vision of second sight punched its way into his mind. David was in a breath of the orb his face lit in victory, he pulled his spear back to smash it when a spike leaped out of the wall the orb was sitting, it pierced his chest. Then the orb fired another beam slam in to his chest. Scott's eyes shot open. He leapt to his feet, much to the shock of Jenni and Janelle, and ran towards David.
David dodged left, twisted to the right, and threw himself under yet another spike that came thrusting at him. He had to get within striking range soon or there would be no one left to save! He began to feel his strength ebb from all the events that night; he knew he had to do something before his strength failed him. He thought of Scott laying somewhere behind him, hoping this would bring the battle rage he had felt earlier that night, but all he felt was a sense envy wishing all the responsibility he had was to lay still. Then he saw his chance, the orb had turned to look at the George vs. the undead fight. David sprang up, forgetting in his hast about the iced flood! David's feet slipped and he found himself falling on to a spike that grew up with the purpose of impaling him. Scott struck David with explosive force, knocking him away from the spike. David turned to see his rescuer still sanding where he had struck. Something was wrong, Scott's eyes were open wide in surprise and he was bent over slightly. "No" David thought, with the force of Scott's mad charge he had impaled himself.
Blood streamed from George's nose and mouth, pausing, he wiped his hand across his face. "Alright," he said calmly, "My turn!" George threw a jump kick at the thing's head, laughing it grabbed his leg, only to be smashed by George's other leg. George didn't stop; a sweeping kick broke the leg it connected with, a fist snapped through rib bones. He finally stopped when all that remained was a pile of bones. A shout of victory died in his throat, the bones began to rebuild themselves. A bone arm grew out of the pile and grasped him around the throat dragging him down to where the skull had reconnected to the spine. It brought him to eye level and hissed at him "You see you can not win! Beg me for a swift death."
Scott's drawn sword fell from his grasp, "Take it use it" Scott gasped. David didn't think, he simply obeyed. Snatching the weapon from the floor David fought his way up to where the orb rested between its prisoners. As he closed on it began to pulse, charging to emit another ray. David didn't hesitate; raising the sword above his head he struck. He struck for his fallen friend behind him, he struck for Matt in the room below him, he struck for the two girls defending his back, and for George locked in combat, but most of all he struck for himself and all the pain he had felt that night. The Orb shattered, and from its core power exploded forth. The explosion swept around him and enveloped the room in its gray light, but it didn't stop there, it streamed down the halls and finally consumed the whole college. The heat struck David and he felt his legs buckle under him, "And so it ends." He thought as his mind plunged it to darkness.
David opened his eyes; everything was a bright blur. A face loomed before him, "Well, I'll finally get to see an angel." David thought. Reaching up he extended his hand, "Hi, I'm David." The face began to laugh, "David," said a familiar voice, "Where do you think you are?" "In heaven." David answered. More voices began to laugh. The blur began to grow clearer; David looked around, then flushed. He was in his room. Around his bed were George, Matt, Jenni, Janelle, Patrick and even Miss B. "Aright," said David, "What happened?" "Well," said Matt, "I went down while I was fighting in the main room, but I killed so many monsters that were clinging to me that very few could get to me. Then this gray explosion ripped through the room, melting all the ice and turning all the monsters to dust! I ran up to the lab and found all of you guys knocked out on the floor." "Where's Scott?" David interrupted "He'll be ok. I found him in a pool of blood near you; he's in the hospital right now. Anyway, I found you and even though you were so near the blast, the only thing wrong was your clothes were charred." "The blast also thawed everyone who had been frozen." Janelle put in. "Each of you woke in order of which was closest to the orb when it exploded." Finished Matt, "To think all that happened in one night. It almost seems like it was just a bad dream." "Just a bad dream." David echoed. He looked out the window at the rising sun; the darkness was lifted, a new day dawned, the nightmare was overhe hoped.
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