CHAPTER SEVEN: THE CALL
2044 Words
"You called for me, coach," Jarek said.
Jarek stood inches away from the coach. The coach's back was turned to Jarek.
"Hey Simeon! Why are you traveling!?" The coach shouted at one of the boys trying to lay up to make the basket.
The coach sometimes suffers from ear problems, so Jarek was not really angry about that, and he called out to the coach again.
"You called for me Coach,"
This time the coach heard a small, little voice from behind. He looked back to see Jarek staring at him vividly.
"Yes, Jarek, something bad came up, and I think we need your help," The Coach said.
"You know if the board of directors or the disciplinary committee hears about this, I will really be grounded this time," Jarek reminded the Coach.
Jarek had been convicted of a crime he was well guilty of. During the game with the higher student, he kicked this student in his groin, and landed in the hospital for about a month. And also when he tried to protect Simeon from getting beaten by Zed - He showed Zed who was really in control, but Zed made a claim that he allowed Jarek to beat him to pulp because he doesn't want to face The Pentagon. The humans always question the rule of The Pentagon when they can just have a Governor ruling over them. Years ago, the humans rioted about this, but The Pentagon managed to keep them at ease that it was for their own good.
"There is no need to bring up the past now," The Coach said as he brought out a file from the cross bag hanging on his shoulder. "See? I wrote a letter to the board of directors. It took me days to get this approved, so please, don't cause problems before, during, and after the game," The coach pleaded.
Jarek and The Coach stared at each other for a couple of seconds, during the silent period, a child can finish a bunch of doughnuts, drink water to it, and still wear a smile to thank his benefactor.
"What's your say?" The Coach broke the silence.
"I don't know, Coach"
"Perhaps, have you lost your touch of basketball,"
"I don't think so,"
"Please, don't -- you were the ace back then remember!" The coach smiled at Jarek, and called out to the rest of the team.
Zed stared at Jarek with contempt. Jarek always finds ways to outshine Zed in every game. They once lost a game because Zed would not pass to Jarek to make the last shot. And in the long run of the last dying minute, he got blocked, and they lost the match.
"Zed, I want you and Jarek to work together. You are a good point guard, and Jarek is a good three point shooter," The Coach told both of them.
They were distracted by the overflowing of students -- mostly girls. They flooded the seats in a few minutes.
"Nice one Jarek," Zed muttered, and left their presence.
Jarek watched as Zed left, and turned to the spectators' seats. He hurriedly went to the front seat when he saw some students wanting to sit down.
"Sorry, sorry, these seats are for some people," He exclaimed politely.
Being girls, they didn't fight their way to sit down, they just obeyed, and went to find another place to sit.
"Who is going to watch the game?" Angelo spoke out, staring at Sasha, and Max.
"I almost forgot why the coach would send for Jarek," Sasha said.
"He is always a trouble maker. I'm sure he'd cause a problem this time again," Max said assuringly like it had happened.
Yes, it is unlike Jarek not to cause problems wherever he goes. His facial look doesn't really support anything violent, but he had scored more points for violence than peaceful living. Regardless, he is loved amongst the students, and nothing matters more.
"Wanna go?" Sasha asked Cassy.
"Do I have a choice?" Cassy responded, standing up, and arranging her books into the locker.
Angelo went over to Max. "Let us have a bet," Angelo said.
"About?"
"Jarek would have booked seats for us,"
"I have known Jarek all this while, it is surely like him to do that everytime our class have a basketball game,"
Angelo laughed out loud, and Max smiled sheepishly. They all exited the class with some other students alongside Sasha and Cassy. Max stopped.
"What is it?" Angelo asked suspiciously.
"Nothing, I just need to carry water along,"
"Okay"
Max went back into the classroom, took his bottle of water from his locker, and joined them.
"Took it" He showed them, and they all left for the court.
Jarek saw his friends coming into the basketball arena, and he cried out to them, "Hey!" He attracted people's attention until Cassy noticed him.
Cassy pointed at Jarek, and others soon saw him. He went over to meet them. "Sit there," He said.
"I said it. He would have booked us some seats," Angelo exclaimed.
"I sure feel like a VIP right now," Cassy thought out loud.
"We are used to this already," Sasha faced Cassy as they all went over to take their seats.
Karen was busy attending to some of the jobs she gave some of her subordinates until her phone started ringing. She looked at the screen, and saw "One Calling," she picked up the call, and placed the phone on her ear without talking, then the caller spoke out.
"Your attention is needed here,"
Hurriedly, Karen took her coat, and notified some of her subordinates about her sudden departure.
Dylan sat comfortably on the office chair as he watched the news at 10. His phone lying on the table started beeping.
"Someone is calling," He whispered. He stared at the screen, and saw the numeric figure 1.
He picked up the phone, "Hello One,"
"Dylan, I need your presence,"
"You sound urgent,"
"That's why you need to come over right now,"
"Okay* He hung up.
One wants to see us...amazing, Dylan thought. He sprang up, used the remote control to turn off the TV, looked himself in the mirror hanging adjacent the television, and he exited his office. He tapped the screen on his phone, dialled a number, and pinned the phones to his ear using his shoulders as he locked the door.
"Figo, Start the car, I'm going out,"
"To where?"
"Pentagon,"
"Okay" He hung up.
He walked away as he thought about how he had caught Boaz turning humans into vampires. "I hope words had not gotten to One, if it has I will kill Boaz the instant I see him,"
Max's stepmother stared at Edward who was seemingly gentle. "Edward,"
"Yes?"
"You have been acting all weird since morning. Are you okay?"
"Sure, I am"
She stared at Edward again, and left for the room. Seconds later, his phone beeped twice, and the screen showed, "new text message,"
He opened it up, and read the message.
"Edward, I seek your attention right now," Edward read the message, and flinged his phone on the nearest sofa chair. "He knows how to order people around," He thought.
The Pentagon building is pentagonal shaped, maybe The Pentagon serves as an edge to construct a pentagonal shaped building, or the building was the inspiration to call themselves The Pentagon or there are some other reasons behind them calling themselves The Pentagon.
Two minutes interval, three cars entered through The Pentagon gate. The guards bowed down to each car as they made their way into the giant building.
Dylan jumped out of the car first, then Karen, and lastly Edward.
"I thought I was the only one One called," Edward said.
"I wish I had the slightest reason why we are summoned on a Thursday morning," Dylan said. "Hi Karen, it has been a while," Dylan greeted.
Karen waved her hands, "Yeah, Dylan". She turned to Edward, "You are getting bigger by the day," Karen told Edward.
"Since Askarvard has been peaceful, I don't see the need to stay awake all night or doing some mind provoking task," Edward replied.
They all went into the building. Dylan placed his card on a machine hanging on the wall beside the door. The machine turned green, and the door opened up.
"Thank goodness they called us all," Edward said.
"Why?"
"Because, I didn't bring my pass,"
"Ooh"
"If you had you would have used the guards card,"
"The guards card to enter 'The Five' room?" Edward reasoned, they all reasoned with him, and the remaining journey into the building was silent.
Everyone was screaming on the basketball court, and the spectators' space. "Go Jarek!" You can hear the screams of Angelo, Sasha, and some other students.
As usual Zed is feeling a little bit disgusted. He got hold of the ball, looked for Jarek, and used his power beyond human strength to pass the ball to Jarek. Jarek couldn't hold the ball, the ball hit him, but he was lucky he pushed the ball away with his hands before it hit his chest. Jarek flew back, and everyone exclaimed, standing up to see if he was alright.
The meds came over to where Jarek was lying, and checked if he was alright, and he nodded. The Coach knew what Zed did, so he substituted Jarek for someone else. Jarek waved off his hands, and went to where his friends were.
"Who brought water?" Jarek asked.
Max bent down, and picked his bottle almost filled with water, and handed it over to Jarek. "I know it will come in handy," Max said.
Jarek gulped down the contents in the bottle, "Thanks," He handed the remaining to Max.
"You welcome," Max replied
Jarek felt his mouth with his tongue. "Max, are you sure this is water?" He asked Max.
"Sure it is. Doesn't it taste like water?"
"It doesn't… At all," Jarek responded.
*It sure does look like water," Max said as he drank out of the water, and he copied the technique Jarek used to guess it wasn't water. "Where did Dad see this?" Max whispered as he looked closely at the content in the bottle.
Hugo, Sasha's Father was sitting on a kingly chair, Kyla was a few feets to where he was seated, and the remaining three stood facing Hugo.
"You called for us," Dylan spoke out.
"Yes, I did." Hugo replied. "Four came to me early this morning to explain her dream to me," Hugo told everyone.
Edward stared at Kyla. "Five, I know Four would have told you," Hugo said.
"Yes, she did," Edward replied.
Dylan and Karen looked terribly lost. "Was the dream all about?" Dylan asked.
"Tell them Four," Hugo said.
"I had a terrible dream, and I saw the killings that happened 8 years ago happening again here in Askarvard, I really don't want to tell anyone anything until when confirmed, but I feel it would be far worse than 8 years ago," Kyla explained.
Karen began to sneeze, and cough. Everyone stared at Karen "Are you okay Three," Hugo asked.
"Yes, I am One" She replied.
Dylan felt a bit relieved that it was not the matter about Boaz, but now he was more petrified about the dream Kyla dreamt. Kyla dreams always come to pass, but she rarely dreams. Dylan is scared, maybe the person to start this killing isn't the terrible, big beast from 8 years ago, maybe the person that would start this killing is actually Boaz. "Boaz Boaz Boaz, please don't do anything stupid," He silently cried out.
"What's the next step now?" Edward asked.
Now, everyone looked at Hugo for a well prepared answer. They hate doing the thinking themselves, and everyone would like if Hugo has a plan to stop what had not come yet. What happened 8 years ago really shook The Pentagon to the extent the humans cried out to dissolve The Pentagon. Now, their world is about to crumble, and they look upon Hugo to solve the misery as he had always done.
"The best thing is to wait," Hugo said. "I hope things go right," Hugo added, and silence existed between them all as they were all lost in thoughts.
- Writer
