Chapter 55: Chapter 38 – When Plans Collide

I had been so busy catching up that Saturday came in the blink of an eye. Because I didn’t practice for most of the week, I got to watch the football game in detail. And as I watched, violence and blood were the two words that came to mind. The football uniform might look the same but its only true function was to make sure the students didn’t kill each other. Injuries were commonplace and when I saw a limb go flying, I thought the game was over. Instead, I got to see the students with healing powers practicing their skills. More shocking, at least for me, was the game went on as if nothing happened and I got to see a variety of students battling it out.

The game was exciting, but soon my thoughts changed from football fan to woman looking for power. That’s right, I was more interested in their spells than who scored what. My interest wasn't sexual, but more like I was picking out a steak. Their spells seemed too useful. For example, one guy could form shields that hovered around him, another could phase for short periods of time, while others had nasty attacks. If I could get those spells my power would increase exponentially. Even the healers had a variety of spells I hadn’t seen before. One could enchant water and make it into a healing potion, another grew plants that would wrap around the wound and then transfer its health into the player as it withered away, and even one that could reconnect limbs that had been cut off. The field was a smorgasbord of spells I wanted. Unfortunately, power is attractive in this world and everybody I noticed met up with their girlfriends after the game.

After I finished cleaning up the supplies the cheerleaders had used, Victoria and I tried sneaking away to meet the director Aife had introduced. But as we went to leave, Ann appeared. She had been clingy lately and always seemed to appear when I least expected, like now. We hadn’t told the others about running into Aife that night or the job offer. It mainly had to do with how Janet acted toward others who succeeded in getting roles when she didn’t. I wasn’t even going to call but Victoria had insisted that I use the business card as soon as we got home that night, and everything happened naturally after that.

The movie turned out to be a costume drama about ancient monks who lived at the end of the world. Their constant struggle keeping the demonic invaders at bay and their environment had made the monks incredibly strong. The main story revolves around the fall of a long-lost daughter of the patriarch who was found and brought back. Due to her lack of training and living in a normal town she only had a tenth of the strength of even the youngest disciple.

My role is to showcase this discrepancy which will later fuel her shame, anger, and greed for power. My death at her hands will also show her descent into madness before she flees and joins the demons. But as for what happened next, and how the movie ended, I didn't know. The couple of pages I got only outlined the overall story and my scenes. Once I died my story ended. In total, there were only a few scenes I needed to appear in, and no lines I needed to say. At most, I’d needed to show disbelief at her betrayal if I got the part.

Unlike what Aife first said, the director wasn't exactly cheap. Instead, he cut corners on staffing and horded the money and saved it in case of emergencies and special effects. But there were serval scenes of children lifting statues, boulders, and so on in his movie. His options were to either find a kid that could do it, but size and age became an issue, use fake props made of foam but the director wanted everything to look as realistic as possible, or hire a mage that could do it off camera. There were also special effects and illusion but because I was willing to work at a “group” actor’s salary at a level one spell rating, he was willing to meet me.

While I could have argued for more money, I wanted to see a real movie set more. It was because I was unsure of my future. I was getting stronger the more I practiced, and my options weren't as dreary as I once thought. But the flattened town I just came from made me realize that even if I could get work, I made not be able to survive without constantly struggling to get stronger. Because of that, I was trying to plan the easiest path to do that. The entertainment industry seemed like the best way to achieve that goal. One of the first things I learned when I got here was that top singers and actors weren't weak, so what better place to hunt for spells?

Our meeting was in twenty minutes, behind a supermarket near the school. When the director mentioned it, I was surprised and doubtful, but his explanation made sense. Knowing he didn't want to spend money and that I had to lift super heavy objects, of course an outside venue would work best. One that happened to be free, was even better in his opinion. It’s just that Ann was like sticky gum that I couldn’t shake loose, and I didn’t have time to.

The reason why I didn’t want to take Ann was because she’d tell Janet. It wasn’t like I had acting skills. So, for a role I probably wasn’t going to get, it wasn’t worth the hassle of dealing with a jealous teen. But Victoria didn’t want to cause strife between us. So instead of telling her to get lost like I planned, Ann ended up joining us.

I saw Aife as our cab pulled up. She was standing in front of a dumpster and bales of cardboard. The man next to her had a receding hairline. What remained was pulled into a long ponytail that went halfway down his back. His clothes were plain but neat and his skin was weathered, probably from being outside filming for most of the year. My guess was based off his cheap nature. It wouldn’t allow him to shoot outdoor scenes inside using illusion magic.

They stood there as we got out of the car and went over. “Which one is she?” His voice was higher pitched than I expected. He was looking at Ann and me when he asked and held a bit of excitement.

“Stephanie is the one on the right.” The director nodded and started looking me over.

“Her height is okay, but we’d need to reduce her breast size to make her look younger. The robes will hide the rest of her curves. I want to see how much she can lift before deciding.” He pointed to the industrial sized garbage bin and said, “Lift that.”

“Okay.” I started chanting and cast ‘Herculean Strength’ as I walked over to it. One of the lids was opened so I could see it was filled with unsold landscaping material and garbage bags. I found a spot I thought would work the best, and once the chant ended grabbed the steel bar that wrapped around the center and lifted. My muscles tensed because I was expecting more resistance. The container wobbled as the bar bent under my grip and I quickly put it down.

“Not bad. How long can you maintain it?”

I answered honestly, “Probably for a couple of hours.”

His eyes narrowed and his voice became deeper with displeasure, “Little girl, it’s fine if you can hold it for a few minutes; you don’t have to lie. Whatever, whatever, let me see you show shock at being stabbed and then a little anger as you realize your sect has been betrayed.” I listened to him and made a face of shock only to hear him saying, “Do you not own a mirror? What kind of look is that? No, no, no… Aife show her.”

I watched as Aife’s eyes widened, her mouth parted as if to ask why, and then her eyebrows moved, her eyes firmed, and she looked like she was ready to unleash hell upon some unseen person. But her anger didn’t last, it was replaced by unwillingness and her face slowly softened. It was as if her vitality was ebbing away.

Clap, Clap. “That’s what I want to see. Not whatever you did. Try again.”

“Okay,” I said as I tried thinking on how to move my face the way Aife did.

But ten seconds later I heard, “Ugh, stop, stop, you’re hurting my eyes. Lift those bales, they’re twice as heavy as the garbage bin. If you can lift them, I won’t have to hollow out the statue.”

I did what he asked. I was definitely stronger than when I first got this spell. But I was curious as to how strong I was. The sign ‘Careful: Each bale weigh ~ 660LB’ was plastered on the wall behind the stacks. They went as high as four, but I went to the one he pointed at and dug my fingers into the cardboard. With a heave, the stack of three bales lifted a few inches before my makeshift grip ripped apart and slammed back down, right onto my toes. I felt the impact and I sucked in a breath as the pain shot through me.

They throbbed as I looked down and saw the pallet sitting firmly on the tips of my toes. I quickly grabbed, lifted and pulled my feet free, as if my toes would be cut off if I let them stay there another second. Once out, I let go and wiggled my toes; testing to see if they were broken.

“Are you okay?” Victoria must have rushed over to check on me as soon it fell.

“Yes, nothing broken.” I tried to give her a smile to reassure her.

The director waited a little as Victoria and Ann checked on me, but finally chimed in, “Good, that’ll do. Now all you need is to buy a mirror, go home and practice acting. We’ll start shooting next weekend.” He seemed to think about it and then added, “But at half of your salary since I’ll probably have to get somebody to work with you and waste more film.”

'What a cheapskate,' I thought but he didn’t wait for me to agree on the pay reduction. Instead, he turned to look at Ann. She was texting on her phone until he asked, “Can you cast any powerful spells?”

She looked at him with excitement in her eyes. That was until she processed what he asked, and I watched her shoulders slump. It looked like she wanted to prevaricate, but she finally said, “No.”

He nodded, seemed to think about it and then in a tone of trying to entice children with free candy, said, “You willing to work for free? I could use some extra background kids.”

Ann’s voice was a mixture of shock and excitement as she shouted, “YES!”

He glanced at me and as if thinking I was going to bring up pay, quickly said, “Ok, next Saturday at six a.m. be at this address. You can sign the contracts and start. Come on Aife time is money.”

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He motioned for her to get in the car that was hidden behind the carboard bales and rushed away. Aife looked at me, shrugged, and followed. As they drove away, I realized he probably knew I could maintain the spell longer, because Aife knew and was just using it to argue. I shook my head and smiled as I thought, ‘What a weird man.’ I thought about it and finally asked, “Were my facial expressions really that bad?”

They didn’t answer but that, and their expressions, were enough. I let out a sigh. It was what I was afraid of. I didn’t have any drama training and acting wasn’t as easy as it looked. Before I could question my choice too much, Victoria changed the subject by asking, “So, does anybody need anything from the store while we’re here, or should we order a car?”

Still deep in thought, I heard Ann say, “Let’s go home, I need to practice.”

"I agree." I also planned on practicing. My thoughts about how easy acting had been replaced by how acting wasn’t going to be the easy road to power that I envisioned.

When the car showed up, we got in still talking about what had just happened. Even Victoria, who wasn’t involved, was a little excited so we were in full chat mode as the car drove away. Ann kept sending texts as we talked. As we got close all our phones began blaring that damn air siren warning. I glanced over at Ann’s because she had already had it out and saw,

*WARNING: UNKNOWN GRADE B BEAST DETECTED NEAR SHAW AVENUE & DARLINGTON ROAD. THOSE WITH “A” GRADE ABILITIES OR ABOVE ARE REQUIRED TO INVESTIGATE AND REPORT ANY SIGN OF INTRUDERS*

That message kept repeating on her phone as I fished mine out of my purse. “Isn’t Shaw Avenue near your house?” Victoria asked.

“It’s connected to Beechwood, but my house is a few blocks away. We should be fine.”

But while the driver couldn’t look at his phone, he must have heard her and knew this area. His car slowed down and we watched as he made an illegal U-turn. He didn’t stop when Ann yelled, “Wait, you’re almost there.”

It was the first time I really looked at our driver. He was young, in his early twenties. From the way he moved his head, he had obviously heard Ann, he just didn’t listen. Instead of turning around, he gunned it and said, “Ladies, I’m sorry but this is my mom’s car, and she doesn’t know I borrowed it. I’ll take you back and won’t charge you. It’s better to be safe, right?”

I thought so and didn’t say anything. But Ann yelled, “No! Drop us off. We’ll walk.” But he didn't listen and headed back to the store. I was looking out the front, so I didn't see the truck that hit us. I just heard the screech of tires, and then the impact. It hit near the trunk, spinning the car around. The world outside spun and I saw the stopped truck, a house, the truck, the ground bulge, some parked cars, and men in hoods coming towards the car once it finally stopped.

It was probably only a few seconds but felt longer. My head felt wet but before I could figure out why, the door was opened, and I was yanked out. The hand that grabbed me sparked and I felt my body stiffen as electricity coursed through me. I briefly saw a teenager wearing a mask and hood. The others weren’t any different and had their faces covered. The only detail I could get was from their clothes. Their old, tattered leather jackets looked familiar but lower-class thugs in my area seemed to prefer the look and protection leather offered.

A muffled voice ordered, "Let's go". I was slung over the man's shoulder, the steel rivets sewn into his jacket jabbing into my flesh uncomfortably. My head was facing the ground and swayed as he carried me towards the truck. So, I got a firsthand perspective of the insects that popped out of the bulging asphalt and looked around as if they were scouting the area. The men didn't notice any of this until the earth shook.

There was a cracking noise as the road split apart and the man carrying me turned so I missed seeing whatever was causing the asphalt to split and bulge. The earth moved as whatever was below us forced its way out. But I just heard their shouts of, “Get her into the truck”, “What’s that?”, “RUN!!!”, and the last one of “NO! ARGGGggg!”

I saw a purple haired head roll by as the man carrying me decided he needed to lighten the load. With a grunt, he turned, and I was tossed back toward whatever came out of the ground. For a second, I saw that the mask had fallen off the head, revealing the face of Janet’s brother's friend. It all happened so quickly that it was almost a blur, but the pale flesh, the mouth opened in horror, and the splatter of blood etched into my mind so that I would forget it easily.

It was less than a minute from the crash to being tossed and my limbs still tingled as I hit the ground and finally saw the monster. A huge black centipede was coiled around three cars. It was as wide as a bus and as long as three. But it was squat, like a cockroach.

“Well Fuck,” I softly said as I picked myself up. I looked for weaknesses as I started casting. I had thought of running but one of the cars it had coiled around was the one I was pulled from. Some of its pale-yellow legs were trying to pry away the protective shell and get to the people inside. So, leaving wasn’t an option. Instead, I cast accelerate and then used my increased speed to hastily put-up Herculean Strength, Stone Skin, and Cloud dagger.

I wanted to put up more, but the car’s defensive shield sparked, and the sound of metal twisting could be heard from a couple of others it had grabbed up into its coils. Desperate to save Victoria and the others I darted to a coiled mass near the center of this beast and slammed the cloud dagger into its softer underside. It sank in with little resistance, but the blade was only six inches. I didn’t even react to the tiny wound I left. Well, not in pain anyway. It flexed its long body and four of its spears like legs stabbed in my direction. I let go of the dagger spell as I ran to the side. The damn thing was fast, and I was sure that without the Accelerate spell it would have connected with at least one. With my hands free, I ran around to a blind spot, grabbed a leg, and yanked as hard as I could.

There was a squelching noise as the leg began to tear away from its body. It felt that. A chittering sound from where its head was and the legs, other than the one that I was trying to rip off, pierced into the ground with a click. Then its whole body snapped backward; its upped body bent in half and an upside open maw surged toward me. Its leg was attached to long bands that stretched as I pulled and its attack came too quickly. I briefly saw a glint of silver on its antennas and the drool that glistened around its mouth, but I had already let go of the leg and moved away.

I looked around because while I was fast enough to dodge, I lacked a good way of hurting this thing. I also noticed that while it attacked me it never stopped trying to break into the cars to get to the people inside. The damn thing was multitasking as a few of the people in the cars were casting, and I saw some spells come out of the cars' windows and impact against the things hard shell leaving tiny traces but no damage. I needed to think of something because it was just a matter of time before they all died. But I was on an upscale road. There were nice homes with lawns, cars parked in the driveways, but little else.

Desperate, I continued to cast as I ran around the monster pulling at its legs. Black chains shot out and circled around its head trying to grab onto its antenna as I used ‘Create Water’ to douse its carapace. It wasn’t just once, and I had to keep moving around as large ruts and sapling sized holes appeared on the road as it kept trying to bite and stab me. I kept focusing on the area that was holding the car that I had been pulled from. But the water hit its hard, sleek shell and flowed off and onto the street to form puddles. Like a dance, the mutated beast and I were constantly moving. Still, it took some maneuvering to get it back to that section, but once its soft underside touched the puddles I was using for my trap; I cast 'Boil'.

The water in that area went from room temperature to over two hundred in seconds and sizzled against its thinner belly armor. It reared up with a loud, deep roar. The noise filled the air and was so loud that I didn’t hear the cars crashing to the ground as it let them go. Unburdened, its upper body towered over me. As it stopped roaring, there was a crackling noise as whiffs of smoke floated above the creature’s head.

Then… Then the fucking thing grew. It swelled as it crashed back down and with a boom the earth rolled like water throwing me into the air. It felt very similar to when I was tossed during cheerleading practice except, I didn’t have an angry monster staring at me during practice. I used my arms and stomach muscles to position myself for a quick getaway as it opened mandibles and gave a whistling hiss in my direction.

It planted its legs and dashed toward me as I landed, rolled, and got back onto my feet in one motion. I just didn’t have time to get out of its way. It was much quicker and before I could react, its gapping maw was bearing down on me. All I had time to do was to lower my center of gravity.

The two claws attached to its face snapped as if to cut me in half. In desperation, I grabbed at the two death scythes. My stone "body" cracked on impact and began to flake away revealing the pink flesh below as it continued to try to close them. My giddiness for still being alive was short lived as my arms shook under its force. It was stronger than I was, but that wasn't my only problem. It hadn't stopped moving. I briefly wondered if 'Puppeteer' could immobilize something longer than a city block but gave up the thought. I couldn't prevent it, and it started knotting and coiling in on itself, bringing its sharp legs ever closer to where I was.

As if it got bored with the wait, it pushed me into the center of the thorny center and my vision went dark as its massive size blocked out the sun. There was just enough light to see its many legs, that were as thick as my arm, moving around me and I felt one piercing into my stomach. Pain became my world, as I struggled to breathe. I wheezed as I tried to cast ‘Shadow Step’ but lacked the oxygen to form the words. It felt like I was dying. I kept thinking as if I had all the time in the world, was I going to leave my mom alone? I still hadn't become rich and given her the life she deserved. But it wasn't just that!

I was unwilling to be eaten by a giant bug! CRACK! Unwilling to leave my friends at this thing’s mercy. CRACK! I WAS UNWILLING! Something within me seemed to snap and the darkness receded as something golden started to shine around me. There was another sickening crack as my golden fingers dug through the hard shell like it was paper and broke its poisonous fangs off. I reversed my grip on the two makeshift weapons, these hooked blades, I found in my hands, and stabbed them into its underbelly. It hissed, tried to uncoil and the leg still inside me ripped out leaving a gaping hole. Golden blood gushed out but there wasn't any pain.

The blades were left in it as I fell to the ground. I looked up to see it smashing it’s body down like a huge weapon that would leave me flattened. A shadowy chain shot out of nowhere and with a snap, clamped onto one of the antennas. But unlike what I thought, my ‘Black Chains’ spell didn’t stop it. Instead, the pure black antenna was torn from its head. It didn’t even change direction but I saw it coming. “Move! Get up,’ I thought and suddenly found myself standing; my hands just seemed to be holding the closest leg. The wind from my movement still blowing my hair around me. I didn't stop to think. I just snapped it off and speared it into its incoming body before stepping away, as if it was an everyday occurrence.

I moved, snapped of a leg, and pierced it into its body; move, snap, pierce, move, snap, pierce. I was like a golden blur as the wounds on the mutated beast kept adding up. But the magic energy that was always abundant inside my body was rapidly depleting and I was getting weaker with every move. Our gold and green blood mixed on the asphalt as we both bled out. My legs felt weak as I charged to the next leg. Most of them were gone and the thing was barely moving, but it was still alive.

I never made it and fell like a puppet who’s strings were cut. My vision went dark as the pain returned. The next thing I knew, EMTs were placing me on a gurney. Behind the ambulances, a giant centipede laid dead. The flashing lights reflecting off its pitch black shell and the dozen legs that had been ripped off and rammed into its chest. Its green fluorescence blood was still oozing out. A female EMT chanted, said “stasis” …

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