When Time Stops | Teen Ink

When Time Stops

September 24, 2011
By BookOwl PLATINUM, Bristol, Tennessee
BookOwl PLATINUM, Bristol, Tennessee
32 articles 5 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." Theodore Roosevelt


I sat there with my book, glancing up at the clock every few minutes. It continued to tick, but it seemed to take longer and longer to get to twelve.

I looked around the library, it was dead, like always. No matter how much I explained this to them, they wouldn’t let me leave until my time was up.

I watched the little hand, struggling to keep up with the big hand. I leaned forward in anticipation, as it struck twelve. I let out a cheer, but it quickly died when I looked around.

Everything had just froze, as if it was all stuck in that second. I looked up at the clock in confusion, and realized it had stopped moving. Time was literately standing still.

Then the lights came alive, flickering for a minute before blacking out altogether. Laughter bounced off the walls, and the floor moved, making me fall to the ground, my book flying across the room.

I looked around desperately for a flashlight, but all I managed to find was a few gum wrappers. The laugh echoed again, seemingly closer this time. My mind spun in panic, what was going on?

I started crawling across the floor, racking my mind for the exit doors location. I finally spotted them and stood up in a rush, running towards them. I was too scared to pay attention, so I didn’t notice him until he was in front of me.

I let out a scream, falling back onto the floor. He seemed mildly bemused by my look of horror, but his onyx black eyes remained hard.

“How did you escape my freeze?” He demanded through his teeth.

“Your what?” I stuttered, skittering back away from him.

He laughed. “So you’re human.”

“Aren’t you?” I squeak, utterly terrified.

“Ah,” He said, his eyes flashing. “For your sake, I’m afraid not. It’s too bad I have to dispose of you, in other circumstances I think we would’ve gotten along.”

I didn’t wait to see what he was doing, I just ran. My feet pounded against the floor, as I searched for another exit. I wasn’t really worried about how loud I was being, I had a feeling he could find me either way.

I ran to the other exit, only to find the doors frozen solid. I backed away slowly, not sure of how to make sense to any of this. The smell of rotting flesh wafted through the air, and low moans surrounded me as figures approached.

Victus Mortuus…… My mind whispered. Zombies……

They were disfigured, more like clay creations than people. The guy appeared again, materializing in front of me. I grabbed a book off the shelf, holding it in front of me like a weapon.

“You ran,” He said slowly, studying me as if I was some unique creature. “What are you? A witch? Or just annoying?”

“Last one,” I said, not really sure. I thought about my red hair, and realized that he had probably noticed it too.

“I thought so. Well then, you should be easy to dispose of.” He snapped his fingers, disappearing before the zombies attacked.

They came at me slowly, but I knew they’d reach me soon. I tried to fend them off with my book, managing to get in a few hits. They quickly started anticipating my moves, and soon they overpowered me.

Two of them pinned my arms behind me, and the other one stood in front of me, his hands pressed to my temples. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to my forehead.

I went ridged, as he slowly sucked out my mind. It was slow at first then it picked up, memories racing through my brain as they were ripped from my head.

I’m going to die…. I thought, when suddenly, something clicked.

My eyes snapped open, and I kicked the zombie in the stomach, sending him flying. I lifted my hands into the air, and suddenly, the other two were floating. I let them hang there for a second, not sure how I knew what to do, before I threw them into the doors.

They shattered the ice, leaving me free to leave, but I wasn’t done yet. I was lifted off the ground, wind swirling around me, incasing me in a tornado. I let it lead me to him, finally realizing what I could do.

I dropped down in front of him, he didn’t even look up from his book. I looked closer and realized it was my book, the one I’d been reading before time stopped. Was that what he was looking for?

“I thought you said you weren’t a witch.” He said simply, not looking at me.

“I’m not,” I answered, letting the book fly over to me. “I’ve just got a way with the wind.”

“Give me back my book,” He said calmly, not bothering to conceal the threat behind his words.

“First of all; it’s my book. And if you want it, come get it.” I said.

He flew at me, but I was expecting it, and he hit a wall of wind.

He smiled at me. “Well if that’s how you want this to go.” He snapped his fingers again, and zombies rose from the ground, answering his call.

I frowned. “What exactly are you?”

He let his fangs slide out. “Nosferatu.”

Vampire…..

The zombies came at me, and I fended them off, but more rose in their place. The wind wouldn’t do anything but delay them. So with a flash of anger I threw them at the vampire.

The ground shook, and without warning light shot into the air, blinding me. I was thrown back from the power of the freeze, and within moments, everything was black.








~~~






My eyes flashed open, only to find smoke. The library was in pieces, no longer standing. For some reason that I could not fathom, the ground was covered with a thin layer of ice, slowly melting with the heat.

I looked down at the wreckage only seeing the occasional book, there was almost nothing left. I tried to remember what had happened last night, but my mind drew a blank.

The sound of sirens penetrated my thoughts, breaking through the silence. A bat flew over my head for a moment, landing in front of me.

I looked at it in fascination, what was it doing out in the day? A cold chill crept up my arms, and a guy appeared in front of me. He looked familiar, but I still couldn’t place him. I watched his dark hair move slightly in the wind, and something in my mind struggled to be heard.

“Come along,” He said, turning to walk away, but stopping when he realized I wasn’t following. The book he was holding caught my attention, and for a moment I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

“I don’t know you.” I said, looking back up at him with a frown.

“You don’t remember?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. I shake my head sadly, and he can’t quite control his smile. “We go way back, you trust me.”

“Oh ok,” I start to follow, but stop suddenly. “Just one problem.”

The piece of wood is in my hand before he knows what’s happening. His face turns ashy, as he stares at the stake protruding from his chest.

“I remember that.” I said, watching him turn to dust.



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This article has 1 comment.


Squeaks BRONZE said...
on Oct. 29 2011 at 9:48 am
Squeaks BRONZE, Glen Allen, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Some people just don't know when to quit." --from the back of my XC team's 200 summer mile club T-shirt

Wow. I'm not really one for zombies, but seeing as how the main point is the main character and the vampire, I don't really mind. I love how the action just starts. We don't need to know anything about anyone, and it leaves room for so many possibilities for a mind to wander and wonder what in the world (or, more likely, out of the world) is happening.

Great piece!

~Squeaks