SWNOVELS Chapter Questions and Answers
I followed Mark out of the empty classroom and back out of the creepy cobweb infested building. Outside it was freakishly hot, and the parking lot was almost empty— except for a blue mini, which Mark headed towards.
“Woah— where exactly are we heading? I never agreed to getting in a car with you!”
Mark turned and grinned. “Isn’t it a glorious day?”
Wow. Great diversion tactic— didn’t work though. “Yes, and we’re going, where?”
He kept walking towards the car and I followed him. “You’re one smart cookie, eh?” He chuckled.
“People like to tell me I am.”
“Well look— I meant what I said back in the classroom. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot and I do want to fix that. There is this wickedly awesome diner, Gusto’s, just a few minutes from here that serves the best cuppa joe you’ve ever had. Plus it’s a tad more— inconspicuous of a place for me to explain myself.”
We were at the blue mini now. I stared at my reflection in the window. I had never been one to back away from a challenge… But mostly that had been challenging myself to learn more— not go somewhere with a random stranger who hadn’t proven to be the nicest guy I’d ever met.
“This is the turning point, Miss Pirot.” Mark’s voice purred. “Come with me and have all the answers you’ve been craving— or walk away and always be haunted by not knowing what is going on in that pretty little head of yours.”
I wanted to ask questions and I wanted answers to those questions. When Mark opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat I followed suit with very little hesitation; opening my door and plummeting into the passenger seat. I mean it wasn’t like my day could get any weirder. Right?
Mark started the car— country music and air conditioning blasted at us. “My apologies again it seems.” Mark adjusted both settings quickly before pulling us out of the lot, down the drive and off the school property. “My brother usually takes the car.”
“Your brother?”
Mark turned down a tiny road offshooting the main road we’d been driving on for only a few minutes— this road looked more like an alleyway than a road. “Yes.” He glanced at me before pulling the car off to the side of the narrow lane and putting it into park. “I have several brothers.”
“Oh?”
We got out of the car. This area felt sketchy. I looked both ways before crossing the alley and following Mark.
“Yeah.”
We walked down a cobwebby, dusty covered sidewalk.
“Actually— I have one in particular that you should know about.”
“Oh?”
I almost tripped on a pile of rags… It started to move and I wanted to freak out, scream and start running as fast as I could. It was probably what I feared most… A rat. WHY had I come?
Mark grabbed my arm and steadied me. “Watch out— it’s bad luck to wake a watcher.”
“I’m sorry, a what?”
We’d gone as far as the covered walk had allowed, and stood facing a huge wooden door that led somewhere… Hopefully somewhere non-sketchy, but I was starting to have my doubts.
Mark threw a glance over his shoulder. “A watcher, um— a soothsayer??”
I shook my head.
“Hmmm… a seer?”
“I’m sorry, are you speaking another language, and if so— is it code for nerd talk? Cause I definitely don’t do that sort of thing… Video gaming and such not me— I’m the library loving A+ student...”
“Look I’m trying to explain to you who and what he is in the way I know how— which by the way I don’t usually have to do… At least not this century.”
“HUH? I think you lost me.”
“All you need to know is he’s the guy who tells you mysterious things about your past and future— Like a prophet.”
“Ahhhhh, now we’re getting somewhere! I know what a prophet is.”
“Great. Glad to know I can still be ‘current.’”
“You do know that prophets are human beings, not piles of rags lying on the ground. I mean that-” I pointed over my shoulder. “Wasn’t a human.”
Mark raised his fist and knocked on the door, it swung inward at his touch. “But Cassandra— of course he isn’t human.”
I wanted to argue but as the door opened I found myself facing a bizarre sight and I felt oddly faint.
“None of them are.”
In front of me a sight too crazy to behold— it was like one of those scenes from a fantasy movie where vampires and fairies and werewolves and everything that goes ‘bump’ in the night appears and you want to scream but you’re caught up in the, ‘how is this possible?’ I had to be seeing things right? Maybe Mark had put a hallucinogen—in my green tea when I had run to the bathroom during our last break— but wouldn’t that mean Violet was in on it? No! Violet was too kind to do something like that. Right?
Mark grabbed me by the elbow and steered me toward a booth at the back. Everything stilled as we entered the diner, as if our presence was unwelcome, unwanted, and aggravating. “Nothing to see here folks. Go back to your business— we mean no harm to anyone.”
“I’m sure you don’t!” A blonde boy stood up from the booth in the back and waved us over. He was tall, broad shouldered and every bit as handsome as Mark, in fact they almost looked like the same person— it was freaky. It was like they were— TWINS! “What in the heavens were you thinking!” The boy snapped.
“Now, Toph. Don’t get mad…”
“DON’T GET MAD! Oh, I am beyond that! Do you know how many council rules you are breaking right now?”
“Look.”
Mark shoved me at his shadow self— who caught me with ease. “She’s marked.” He murmured as he slid onto a blue plastic bench.
Toph— or whatever his name was, shoved me into the blue bench beside him and also sat. “By who?” Toph spat.
“Okay— look… I don’t know what’s going on here or who you are or even who you think I am, but I am sick of people talking about being ‘marked’ or whatever. Look at my skin!” I thrust my arm in front of Toph. “There is nothing there!”
“Cass… You might not be able to see it, but we can— and that means so can everyone else.” Mark muttered.
“Great. Just what we need.”
“Topher, come on— she needs our help just as much as anyone from our world. We have a duty to-”
“Yeah, yeah— protect those in need.” Topher spat.
“Cassandra.”
“Yes, Mark?”
“This is my brother, Christopher. I would say he was my better half but I would be lying.”
“Are you two twins?” I managed to squeak.
“Yes.” They both muttered in unison.
“You know what they say about the power of two?”
I shook my head.
“It means Mark and I can do anything if we are in it together— on our own we are only half as strong. Which is why they don’t let both of us attend Acroft at the same time… there’s also a lot of other things about the power of two, I mean twins, that are alluded to act-”
“Look.” Mark interrupted. “Cass, I know I said I would answer your questions.”
“Really, Mark? You promised her that?”
“Yes, Toph. She needs to know what she is getting into.”
“I want to know.” I tried to interject.
“Okay— so long as it only pertains to what she needs to know and no more.” Hissed Christopher. “Otherwise, I’ll take this to our father.”
“Unless it is Father who-”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Why would he come out of hiding after so long?”
“You never know. It is possible, there is so much he doesn’t tell us.”
I felt chills run down my spine. I just wished someone would tell me what was going on. To be honest I hated this herebie-jeebie feeling, and maybe it would go away if some of my questions about the weirdness of Acroft was answered.
“Cassandra— when was the first time you had the dream?”
I felt my jaw drop. How had Mark known about my nightmare?
“Look Cass?” Christopher glared at me. “It’s very important that you tell me-I mean us— the truth. Every detail you can give us will help us track down your-”
A look from Mark silenced Christopher. “Too much. Too soon.” Mark muttered.
“I don’t remember the exact date, but I remember where I was before I had the nightmare. If that helps.”
“Nightmare?” Mark looked confused, Christopher however didn’t, he grimaced, and turned away.
“Well, yes. I would call it a nightmare.”
“Soooo-”
“Right. It was after my mother and I visited my great grandmother’s grave at Saint Mary’s Cemetery, you know the one— it’s super old and the cathedral there is falling to pieces… It’s kind of sad really— it looks like it was once a beautiful please and if it had been kept up-”
“Saint Mary’s? Are you sure?” Christopher and Mark shared a strange look and remained quiet for a very long time.
“But that means…” Sputtered Mark.
“Oh don’t get your wings in a knot.” Snapped Christopher. “I guess, I can’t say that I’m super surprised.”
“But you just said-”
“Well, perhaps I hoped I was wrong.”
“Too much. Too soon. Isn’t that what you said earlier?”
I scowled as the brothers squabbled. I was getting such a headache and if I hadn’t had the creepy nightmares over and over or experienced that weird trance or vision or whatever in the shower I might have already walked away. I rubbed my temples and felt the room blur. Gross. I must be getting a migraine. My vision was getting even worse, so I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths.
“Hey Cass— you alright?”
I tried to nod. “Stupid headache that’s all.” I opened my eyes but instead of Mark I was looking at a being with glowing red eyes and black wings. I screamed.
“The hallucinations have started.” Christopher’s sarcastic voice cut through my panic.
I blinked and found I was looking at Mark’s concerned face, and that everyone in the diner was also staring at me.
“Toph— she’s so young.”
“No— it’s just you’ve never seen the game up close. I have. Trust me, I have, and it’s not pretty.”
“Then why?”
“Survival.” Christopher paused and for a brief moment I saw concern and sadness on his face. “And we must survive. No matter the consequences.”
What was this insanity?
“Toph?”
“Take her home brother. I’ll go talk to Father. There is nothing we can do once it is set in motion.”
I slouched on the blue plastic bench, my head pounding. I needed a nap to wake up from this day-mare. That’s all this was, right?
“And what if the ’marked’ evade?”
“They die.”
“And if they succumb?”
“They die.”
“Then the game is broken. No one wins.”
“Oh contraire, we win.” Christopher stood. “I’m sorry my brother said he could help you Miss Cassandra. Unfortunately you are a pawn in a game that only my father can move— and if I’m not mistaken, you just made your move.”
“What?”
Christopher turned on his heels and left, the patrons parting before him like he had the plague— and maybe he did, with the attitude and manners he had.
“Let’s get you home.” Mark stood and stretched.
I stared at him, he had been so rude to me in class all day and now he was decidedly nice… It felt strange, less strange than the day but still very strange.
“Or maybe you need that cuppa joe first? You look as tired as I feel… Hang on— I’ll be right back. Two cups to go!” As Mark darted through the patrons to the diner counter I worked up the energy to push myself up off the blue plastic seat. What the heck was going on? I would try and call Mel when I got home— I would keep calling until she answered. “And here we go!” Mark passed me a steaming to-go cup full of liquid energy, and hooked his arm through mine. “Let’s get you home.”