Lightning Streaks the Sky

I realized why Alison had been doing this for so long. It really was relaxing. It completely refocused your mind on this one task. And she’s going to kick some hell-ass, alright. Alison cuts off another “practice dummy” head, panting. She walks away, and they all vanish as I follow after her, wondering why she stopped.

“I’m hungry,” Alison whines childishly to Kevin. I sigh with relief at that sentence, as Kevin smirks at me.

“Alright, what do you want?”

“Eggs.”

“Okay,” and he starts cooking. I stare between him and Alison oddly, as she plops down, shooting random arrows up. They always vanished into the air, and the sack on her back never seemed to empty.

“Nice aim,” I say, jumping as a bird falls on the table.

“Oops,” she says sheepishly, her cheeks a bright red. “I think that’s enough of that,” and then her eggs were in front of her, and she was shoving them down her throat.

“Slow down, you’re gonna choke!”, Kevin says, shocked that she had already finished her food.

“I eat fast when I’m hungry.”, Alison grumbles, her plate disappearing. Her gaze becomes unfocused for a moment, then focuses in a second later. “Damn.”

“What?”, I ask, shaking my head from the disbelief.

“Nothing,” Alison snaps, standing up. “Can I go down to Earth. I need to make a few calls.”

“Here,” Kevin says, tossing a cell phone at her.

“Thanks,” she says, already dialing the number and quickly running away.

“Something’s up,” Martin says immediately. “Something bad.”

I jump, as an arrow is shot my way, until I realize I heard the scream.

“Where is she?!!!”, Alison snarls, holding a dagger up to his throat. “Don’t give me some damn riddle!!! I want answers, or you can kiss your afterlife goodbye.”

“Who?”

“Sophia Grace Ochsner,” Alison snarls, the dagger changing to a sword.

“I-I don’t know!”

“Wrong answer,” and his head was off. Alison spits on him, as he dissolves into the air. “Damn demons, ain’t worth crap.”, Alison growls, walking away.

“Well, I think I won’t insult her until this is over.”, Tacey says, her eyes wide.

“I’m personally proud of her. Didn’t waste a moment with killing him.”, Kevin says, nodding in approval.

“Yeah, you keep thinking that. You could be next.”, Beatrix sneers, glowering. “She’s sparing no one.”

“Would you shut the hell up?!!!”, I growl, glowering at her.

“Oh, I’ll kill her if she makes one more fucking comment about my sanity. How would you like it if you had your heart ripped out of your chest, Beatrix? Hmm?”, Alison growls, glaring. “Because that’s what I’m feeling. Sophie’s in trial because of me. Now shut up, or I’m having cooked mind-reader for my next meal.”

“Why don’t you make me?”

“Because maybe I actually thought you were nice.”, Alison growls, walking away after that.

“Hmm, what should we do with this?”, Kevin asks, holding up the bird.

“I say we burn it over a fire, then start running around like crazy people!”, Josh says, smirking. “Or, at least the burning.”

“Hmm, the running around is very tempting, though.”

“Idiots,” I mutter, rolling my eyes and grabbing the bird, setting up a fore in the dining table, throwing the bird in it. “There, the bird is dead. Now go talk to Alison before I kill Beatrix’s sorry-ass.”

“Alright, just throw her in the fire.”, Kevin says, walking after Alison. But Beatrix was gone, I smirk, sitting down.

“Have you noticed that Kevin has been acting strange?”, Josh asks, staring after his brother oddly. “He hasn’t insulted me, or threatened to kill me all day. And he lets you and Alison boss him around.”

“He doesn’t let us boss him around. He wants me to shut up, so he’s acting like an adult to Alison.”, I say, rolling my eyes. “And all he’s done for her is cook. That’s just a natural thing whenever you’re in charge of people and the mom is either dead or too lazy. In this case, he’s her only family.”

“Still, something’s off. He actually considered acting like an idiot.”

“Yeah, I noticed that. Maybe it’s just the stress of the war. Or because he wants to know how Alison got you to agree to help us.”, I say, shrugging. “Dude, even I’m acting funny. I haven’t nagged this much since …”

“Ever. You’re not a nag-er, Mel.”, Dylan says, shrugging. “And look at Alison. She’s the leader in this war.”

“Maybe that’s it. Kevin’s used to being in charge, and so not having to deal with all of us makes him act stupid.”, I say, laughing slightly.

“We can hear you!”, Kevin says, making me jump in my seat, as Alison sits down next to me, playing with her amethyst pendant.

“Protezione di tutti gli angeli, mi sento ora.”, Alison murmurs, her eyes closed. She stands up, running to the stereo system before Kevin could catch her, plugging in a some headphones and turning up the volume. She starts humming along, making me roll my eyes.

“Figures as much.”

“What?”, Kevin asks, raising an eyebrow.

“She always goes to music to focus. Helps drown everything out, gives her concentration.”, I say, shrugging, playing with my diamond pendant, the one I had gotten after my initiation. “And she has that obsession with it — OH MY GOSH!!!!”, I yell, standing up as Alison fainted.

“Frickin’ calm down!!! Gosh, I told you she’d pass out eventually!”, Kevin growls, glaring at me.

“Ohmyfinggod!!!”, I breathe, running over to her. “Yeah, she won’t dream. Frickin’ idiot,” I grumble, listening as Alison mumbles.

“Don’t hurt her!!!”, Alison yells, jerking away, sending me flying across the cloud.

“Aww, damn,” I grumble, jumping up and running back. “Damn it, Al! Where’d that come from?”

“Trasporto me all'inferno, per salvare un angelo. Transporto me all'inferno, per salvare un angelo.”, Alison repeats, keeping her eyes closed. “DAMN IT ALL!!!!!!!”, Alison yells suddenly, making me jump.

“What?!”, Kevin yells.

“Not now!!!”, Alison growls, keeping her eyes closed, turning up the music to the point where I could clearly hear it. She was clutching her pendant, and I realized what she was doing.

“Alison, that’s not gonna work.”, I say quietly, stepping toward her. But she was gone. Off on another psychic journey. “Martin.”

“Alright,” he grumbles, grabbing Alison’s hand. “Wow! She’s in hell!! With Sophie!!! Ohmyfinggod!! Sophie’s being tortured!!!”

“Crap,” I grumble, pacing.

“Oh, no! Last time you paced, I found her on Thunder.”

“Remember when you said the only place worse is hell itself?”

“You don’t honestly think —”

“Oh, I do.”

“But how —”

“She’ll just —”

“Not if I —”

“She’ll still —”

“Unless I —”

“No, because then they’d —”

“What about —”

“Please, Kevin, that’s idiotic.”, I say, rolling my eyes. “Tying her down, really? I thought you were smarter than that.”

“Hey, keeps her in place.”

“Yeah, for like five seconds.”

“Fine, it’ll buy me time to think of a better plan! Happy?”

“Nope.”

“Whatever, I’m not in the mood.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Grouchy!”, I say sarcastically, saluting him.

“Ha ha, always with the humor.”

“I’ll be here all eternity.”, I say, bowing.

“Sadly.”

“I heard that.”

“Good.”

“Idiot.”

“Heard that!”

“You were supposed to,” I say, rolling my eyes. I walk over to Alison, thinking a moment. I lean down to her ear, and say unemotionally, “Farts.”

Alison bursts out laughing, rolling on the floor, clutching her stomach. “Farts!!”, she laughs uncontrollably, rolling around on the cloud.

“Works every time,” I say smugly.

“Oh, gosh! That was funny!!”, Alison laughs, finally gaining control over herself. “So, whatcha need?”

“Where yah goin’?”

“Not to hell. Gosh, I’m not an idiot. Although, they might be coming early …”

“How early?”, Kevin asks gravely.

“Early enough that everyone needs to get off their lazy asses. Beatrix, Colby. Get off your lazy asses if you don’t wanna die.”

“You’re gonna kill us?”, Beatrix sneers.

“No, hell is, though. Duh,” Alison says, rolling her eyes. She throws her headphones back over her ears, quietly singing along to the song. Max and Martin stare at her in awe, making me roll my eyes.

“Well, see y’all in the morning …”, I say, yawning, walking toward my house. I open the door, quickly closing it and walking into my room. I wasn’t going to bother with locking it. Alison might be going to bed late.