INTO

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Hey."

"Oh, hi, Petal," Gwen replied Petal watching her seat next to her. "Hey."

"Why do you look so surprised?" Petal asked, turning to face her. "The other kids can look surprised but you shouldn't. We're friends now. We are a team."

She smiled revealing fangs at the corner of her teeth. Was she the only one without fangs? She was beginning to wonder.

"Of course," Gwen wanted to smile but suppressed it. "Mind me not."

"Sure," Gwen wasn't sure if the look on Petal's face screamed sarcasm or not. "So do you have plans for today? Or no, what are your plans today?"

"Today?" Gwen repeated, her eyes travelling towards Miranda and Adam's seat as she mentally browsed through her non-existent schedule calendar. "Depends? Nothing much. Why?"

"Do you plans after school?" Petal asked Gwen, Gwen still staring at Miranda and Adam at intervals hoping to catch their gazes. "Even if you do, cancel it. All of you."

"What? Okay. Why?"

"We are going to Clover's."

"Clover's? Where's that?"

"The oldest immortal around here. They say he witnessed everything that happened between us and humans. Every single thing so he knows well about it all. He's still alive."

"Of course, he's still alive," Gwen muttered loud enough for Petal to hear. "He's immortal."

"Of course, you know what I mean," she replied. "He's still in this dimension. Alive here."

Gwen had no idea what she meant but still, "Sure, of course."

"Yup," Petal popped the 'p' rather loudly. "We're going to see him. Anyone who witnessed the whole drama must hate humans as much as we do so we're gonna ask him for help. On how to open the portal. He should know at least that much. I'm sure of it."

Gwen's eyes widened. Could it be...

"So tell your friends. Immediately after school. No delays."

"Eh? Okay... sure," Gwen stuttered but luckily, Petal didn't notice.

Immediately Petal stood up from her seat to go to Stefan's, Gwen got up to go to Miranda's.

"Hey, Miranda-"

"Good morning my little monsters!" The voice of a teacher entering the class interrupted her. "Take your seats. What's all the excitement about? We're about to have a class not a meeting on how to get rid of humans."

Gwen felt her stomach churn. She couldn't live like that.

She glanced at Miranda who flashed an unapologetic smile. "Go to your seat, ma'am."

She mentally groaned as she stood from leaning on Miranda's desk. "Alright, during recess then. It's important."

"Okay, Miss Patterson."

The teacher's loud voice took over the class in less than a minute. "So, where did we stop last class?"

A few students replied but Gwen could barely process the English that sounded like gibberish, her mind fixed on what Petal said.

---

"So, everyone's here. What's the important thing?"

Gwen looked around for Petal and her gang, a slight wave of relief rushing through her as they were nowhere to be found.

"Earlier this morning, Petal spoke to me," Gwen began. "She asked me if we had any plans cause we all have to go somewhere after school."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Gwen continued. "Was it Clove's or Clover's? Apparently, he is the oldest immortal in this dimension. According to her, he witnessed everything that happened with humans and mo...you guys so he knows pretty much everything."

"That's crazy," Tina said. "This suddenly feels like a movie."

"So why are we going to meet him?" Adam asked.

"To ask on how to open the portal. Petal's positive he'll know how and honestly, even I think so."

"Okayyy," Miranda sat up. "We'll go then. What's the fuss about?"

"He knows everything? Isn't that..."

"Yes. Exactly what I'm thinking," Gwen joined Tina. "Bernard's taking us to a man who supposedly knows it all. What if it's the same person?"

"Ah," Miranda said like she was just understanding the issue. "It'll be risky. Uncle Bernard doesn't know we're joining a group of kids here to try to get rid of humans."

"And if he does, he's really going to get mad," Adam completed. "Real mad."

"But what if it's not the same man?"

"And what if it is?" Gwen asked Tina in reply. "We can never tell."

"But we can't just tell them we're not going," Miranda seemed like her mind was made up. "We'll just have to. It's going to be a risk, but we're going to have to take it."

They were all silent for a while.

"Think about the good side," Miranda placed a hand on Adam's shoulder but they all knew she was referring to them all. "You want to go home, don't you? It's worth the risk."

They nodded one after the other like it was planned. They wanted to go home and that was what mattered the most.

---

Just as planned, they headed over to Clover's immediately after school. The gang, as they were now called by Gwen, Miranda, Tina and Adam, were waiting at the back of the school and left for Clover's immediately they all arrived.

The walk to Clover's wasn't as close as Gwen expected and at the same time not as far as Adam expected. The road wasn't the most straightforward with twists and turns every 10 minutes. When they finally got to where Petal called 'half of the road', the weather began to change. With every step they took, the tears formed in the cloud's eyes got heavier. Gwen wasn't sure if what littered the ground was green frogs or just fallen green leaves with the intention to scare her.

Clover's haven looked like it was straight out of a fantasy movie. It was a bungalow decorated with twigs all over. The ground was a different type of sandy with wet clay mixed with dry loam creating a nameless type of soil. If Movillster was a city, they would be at end of it.

"I'm not the only one who was expecting him to live in a rock, am i?" Stefan asked as they walked closer towards his house.

"Nahh, me too," Miranda replied him. "You know like in those fantasy mo- Nothing. I just expected a kinda cave too."

Petal shook her head. "Of course not. He's not an animal. He's just another monster that prefers to live in isolation prolly because of how long he has lived. I guess he realized most of y'all are trashy."

"I would have taken offense but I know what you said makes sense so I'll pass."

Petal shrugged at Elena's comment.

"Is he also a Drezpire?" Tina asked.

"Nope. Of course, not."

"Then what?"

"I don't know. I never bothered to figure out. That's a by the way. Let's go in."

They pushed the gate made out of wood open and got in. The compound was empty and it got bigger with every step they took.

"Knock?"

"I'll do it," Petal volunteered knocking the wooden door in front of them. "Clover? Hello?"

"Who is it?" a voice came from inside. Knowing they had no familiar means of identification, they remained silent waiting for him to open up.

In barely a minute, he opened the door to reveal his old self. He was short- either due to very old age or cause he had just been always short. He had no hair on his head, his skin having fewer wrinkles than a 70 year old man from the human world.

"Hello?"

"Hi!" Petal spoke up.

"Hi. How may I help you?"

"We came to see you," Petal replied, signifying with her hands. "We. We have something to talk to you about. Something to ask you."

"Oh," he eyed them suspiciously. "How did you even find me? How do you know me."

"You're Clover," Petal smiled. "Is there anyone who doesn't know you in Movillster?"

"Maybe," he replied, his hardened gaze not softening. "But I see no reason why a bunch of kids should come all the way here to see me."

"We're not just a bunch of kids, trust me," Petal flashed him a very unusual wink. "How 'bout we sit and talk."

After a mental scan of them, he opened the door and led the way to a small room that could as well be called the living room. "Sit."

"Thank you."

He took his seat after they were evenly distributed around his chairs. "So, what is this about?"

They exchanged nervous glances, Petal signalling to Stefan to talk. He took the cue and began.

"So, we've heard a lot about you..."

"Very obviously."

"Okay. We'll just go straight to the point," Petal raised her voice a little. "You hate humans, don't you?"

"What?"

"You do, right?"

"What are you even talking about?" Clover asked, also raising his voice.

Petal sighed before continuing. "All of us here, have one thing in common."

"And that is?"

"Our strong hatred for humans."

Needless to say whose, stomachs churned.

Clover's expression was unreadable.

"So, we formed a group," Petal continued. "We plan on getting rid of the human race permanently."

"You're just a group of delusional kids," Clover got up. "Just go back home."

"We plan on opening the portal," Petal said, Clover stopping in his tracks. "Yes."

"You plan on opening the portal?" Clover repeated, in obvious disbelief. "And just how do you plan on doing that?"

"That's why we're here," Petal replied. "You've been around for long enough. The portal can be opened right? Your expression says it all. So, tell us. How?"

Clover sat. "Do you kids even know what you're trying to do?"

"Yes, we do," Stefan spoke up. "And cut the crap, we're not just a bunch of kids. I'm a Drezpire and the rest of us are. Don't try to hide it, we know you also hate humans. So why don't you just tell us what we need to know and join us?"

"I don't know anything," Clover looked away. "The portal can't be opened. Don't even try."

"It can," Tina spoke up, surprising everyone. "We know and you also know it can be opened. So, just tell us everything you know."

Clover turned, his eyes meeting Tina's. "No. It can't be opened. And even if it could, I would never tell you guys. Don't stir up trouble by starting what you won't be able to end."

It was hopeless, Petal knew. He was just another grumpy adult that thought they were just another 'bunch of kids'.

"He's not spilling," Tyler spoke up. "Should I?"

Should I? Gwen knew exactly what that meant. Should he? She recognized the look in his eyes and knew exactly what it meant. He was going to erase Clover's memory of them coming over.

"No," Petal replied, glancing at Tyler before returning her gaze to Clover. "Leave it. I believe he'll think about it and get back to us."

Clover shook his head.

"Do get back to us after you're done thinking," Petal said, getting up and smiling as she extended her hand for a handshake. "I'm Petal."

"Just go back home," Clover ignored her hand. "And don't stir trouble."