Paige Fisher's Story

Bryce and Spencer continued their walk home. It was somewhat funny really, whenever Spencer wasn't around, he was finishing his last year for his Computer science degree, and they had originally decided to room together so they could learn from one another. Now, the funny part was that the college student was getting tutored by Bryce, the high school kid. Rarely did Spencer ever teach anything new to Bryce, but it didn't stop them from laughing and having fun with one another like they were just ordinary people. Bryce would joke, Spencer would joke, then they'd laugh - Pretty normal for a college student and a genius.

As Bryce and Spencer approached their apartment (which was actually a Duplex, but because they shared the duplex, they called it an apartment), he glanced back up at the satellite dish again.

"Dude, why don't we just get cable. Satellite sucks." he muttered, Spencer's only response to Bryce's question being to shrug and keep walking. They passed the cars in the driveway (Hyundai Sonata which was Bryce's, and an Oldsmobile Alero which was Spencer's) and made their way to the door. Spencer reached about in his pockets for a moment until his fingers traced the familiar shape of the house keys.

"Open sesame!" Spencer laughed as he pushed the door open. Bryce laughed and playfully shoved Spencer, although the college student stumbled into the wall. "What, you know i'm fuckin' hilarious." Spencer added as he followed Bryce inside. As always, the house smelled faintly like weed and strongly like lemons and/or limes. They were both responsible for the strangely pleasant smell in the house, the weed was just there, and Bryce greatly enjoyed eating lemons and limes. There was a barking and Bryce chuckled, kneeling down as a small border collie puppy dashed at him from where it had been hiding behind the sofa. Picking up the small pup, he made his way upstairs to his room.

Closing the door, he set the puppy on the floor. After all, he knew Fluffy Destroyer of Worlds wouldn't break anything in the room, ironically. Setting his backpack on the floor, he looked around the room. The room was a disaster. His bed was a mattress set on the floor in the corner of the room, he had two chests of drawers, on against the wall at the foot of his bed and the other next to the computer desk, which was covered in wires and circuit boards. Random books about technology and advanced mathematics and sciences lay all around the floor of his room between the various pieces of notebook paper with hand drawn equations and diagrams that littered the floor until you couldn't see what color the carpet was (It was a light gray if anyone cared to know, though). Looking over to above his bed, where a small alcove was, he made his way over and stepped up, opening the window and looking outside.

Oh yeah, that meteor shower was supposed to be tonight! Wasn't it supposed to come soon, too? Well, he might as well fix the satellite with a view! Taking a quick detour to the drawers next to the computer desk, he fished out a small box of tools before pulling himself out of the window and going out on the roof. As he made his way to the satellite, he could see the shower starting. With a small smile, he began working. He began to open the dish up and mess with the writing, able to see the reflection of the flashes in the sky in the wires.

Just a moment later, he glanced up and as particularly bright flash caught his eye. Suddenly, Bryce blinked. The flash kept catching his eye... but there wasn't any flashing anymore in the sky! At least, not like the big one! He stared at nothing, realizing the glow in his vision began to grow larger and brighter. Starting to become worried, he looked back at the dish, eyes wide. Yet there is remained. Then, a blast a blinding light whited out every bit of his vision. With a gasp, he reached up to his eyes and tried to rub it out, but realizing that all that happened was that a terrible pain began to throb inside his skull. He pressed his hands over his ears and pressed hard, eyes wide and his green eyes glowing a very subtle emerald color as he cringed.

Suddenly, more flashes. There was the school, there was the lake just outside town, there was his broken metal sculpture peeking out of the pocket of his bag, a flash of Paige writhing in what seemed to be pain, then Virgel gazing up at the sky - Flash after flash after flash, picture after picture, image after image. Abruptly, he stood and let out cry of surprised, panic, and a bit of pain. What the hell was happening!? He struggled to keep his balance on the roof as he made random, flailing movements in attempt to find something to relieve the agony and terror running through him. Oh god, he hoped it wasn't that crazy genius syndrome he'd head about! Someone becomes a genius abruptly and then suddenly they die just as randomly - Oh dear lord! With another thrash, he fell back onto the roof, barely managing to not roll down, but having to remain careful.

What was happening to him!?

Paige came in and out of consciousness. Images flashed through her mind as she lay where ever she was, panting. It hurts . . . she thought and tried to pry her eyes open. Her brother Derek stood over the bed looking annoyed while she could hear Zeke's worried voice.
"Is sissy okay?" Zeke asked.
"She's just faking." came a deep voice. Ted. Her mind retched to slap him but someone else did. She could hear it.
"She has a fever of 105*F, she's been puking up anything we give her and she can't even move! How dare you accuse my DAUGHTER of faking!" screeched a womans voice. Mom? Paige thought trying to sit up.
"Mommy?" she called as she got an image of Virgel Bryce and Malcolm. She let out a cry and fell back on the bed starting to cry. I don't want to be sick. She thought refusing to move.
"I'm here, Paige. I'm here. Mommy's here." she assured Paige. The white haired girl felt something freezing grab her hand as she gasped.
"Cold . . ." she rasped and her mother kissed her hand. Everyone is so cold. She thought and could feel her heart suddenly match pace. She whimpered in pain as more images flashed through her head. My picture . . . she thought trying to reach for the window. I need to finish my picture. She closed her eyes. I need to finish my picture for Zeke. More images and she slipped back into unconscious.

* * *

She wasn't sure what day it was when she woke up again. Slowly opening her eyes Paige blinked at her surroundings and looked around. Zeke had somehow gotten her easel inside again and her throat was nearly wasted away.
"hello?" she called, her voice so raspy it was nearly inaudible. "Anyone?" She looked around to see a card.
Get Better Sissy! said the scribbles. Some of the letters were comically backwards and she smiled. Even when Derek was being sweet he tried to hide it. Below was a picture of Zeke Derek and herself, all eating what seemed to be spaghetti. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and grabbed her phone. It was tuesday. She had been sick for 4 days. She rubbed her throat and pushed herself off the bed, trying desperately to find some sort of water. She trudged down the hall, stumbling carelessly and knocking a picture off the wall.
"Crap!" she shouted but to her surprise she naturally caught it like nothing. She frowned at the picture before putting it back on the wall. "That was weird." she murmured and continued down the stairs. She glanced back at the picture, making sure she had really caught it, but while she was she tripped on her own feet. "No!" she shouted but as she fell forward her feet kicked her farther out and she twisted through the air landing quietly on her feet. She sat down panting as her heartbeat sped up.
"What's going on?"

About an hour after she could force herself to stand up, eat, drink and go to the bathroom Paige sat down at her desk glancing at the clock. About 4 hours until anyone got home. She sighed and started to draw. I have to draw that ipod for Sarah. She thought bitterly then smirked. It wouldn't have Sarah's songs but Paige's instead, and it would be a different model, the teacher would then ask her to draw something else when Paige could say no. She didn't need to do what Sarah asked her . . . She slumped back in her seat, heaving a sigh.
"Who am I kidding?" she mumbled and started to draw. In the end Paige drew both. On the page were 2 ipods. One to give Paige the satisfaction of going against Sarah and the other for Sarah's homework.
She touched the picture of her ipod circling her finger where you would usually to scroll and there was a clicking sound. She froze looking at her finger. The songs she originally drew on the ipod were replaced by other songs she loved more. Her eyes widened and she reached her hand forward more. There was a strange sensation as her arm went inside the picture and she pulled out the ipod. It was green, like her eyes, and the headphones were dragon design buds. She turned the ipod over and ran her hand over it. Her eyes widened. "What the hell?"
"PAIGE?!?!?" Boomed a voice from downstairs and she dropped the ipod and it vanished back inside the paper. She was left feeling weak and like she was going to be sick again.

((Thundergod . . . might want to make your posts a little bit longer than that.))

Paige didn't mention what had happened to her when she got sick. She noticed her mother was being kinder and didn't go out that saturday.
"I think I'll be good enough to go to school." Paige said finally. She wanted to meet with the guys again and tell them about what happened. "I feel much better." she said and her mother checked her forehead.
"Well, I suppose. But I don't want you staying out to long." her mother insisted. "There have been people cursed by the meteor shower!" Paige froze at these words and looked at her mom.
"Wh-what happened?"
"Well, Jim Randolph went into his son, Erick's, room and found Erick had been possessed by a demon and could change form! Other parents found out THEIR children could do the same things and . . ." she stopped then sighed. "I don't quite approve of their methods but . . . Jim shot his own son." Paige gaped at her mother.
"Shot him?"
"He's leading a band of watchers to go hunt down the rest, some have hidden in the forest." She exclaimed, "But I'm glad all the cursed are gone, I couldn't stand to have one around. It gives me the shivers!" She shuddered for effect and Paige stared blankly at her mother. "Ted said he wanted to protect us from them and he's off during the night watch." Paige felt her stomach drop and winced.
"W-well . . . Nothing weird has happened to me so I'm fine." she muttered and her mother smiled.
"I know sweety. No one in THIS house is going to be Star cursed." she opened the fridge and sighed. "I've got to go to the store, be sure to rest and I'll let you go back to school on monday." she nodded curtly and opened to the door enough for Paige to see a boy who used to bully her. He lay on the ground with a look of terror on his face. She stepped closer but her mom closed the door behind her. There was no shot, no scream, but that image was seared into her brain. She ran upstairs and drew the scene on a sheet of paper. Suddenly, like a movie, the picture moved. She could see him, shaking a little, the people pointed their guns at him. He said something and the leader said something back. He started shaking his head again then started to beg. The crowd seemed suspicious but nodded and he stood. Someone punched him in the gut. The boy doubled over but did nothing. Everyone nodded then started to disperse. The boy was crying now. He wept and rubbed his eyes. Paige felt a little sorry for him, she pressed her face to the paper and suddenly was over the scene. She could see and hear everything. A girl approached the boy.
"Are you alright?" She asked but he shook her off.
"It's your fault they think I'm a starcursed." he choked and turned to storm away. She sighed and sat on the curb, her hair was golden and her eyes blue.
"I just wanted you to love me." she muttered and started to cry herself. Paige frowned and pulled her head out of the picture. Everything about this made her feel uneasy. She had to talk to someone she could trust. But she couldn't even trust her family. Who was left? She closed her eyes and an image of the guys flashed into her head. She gaped and pulled out a phone. Maybe Bryce would know what to do. She flipped through her directory and found his number at last. Bryce Riggs. She dialed and pressed talk.
"Please pick up." she whispered and after afew rings it did.
"Yellow!" said the unfamiliar voice and she froze. "Hello?" It asked again.
"Um . . . hi." she whispered, "Can you put Bryce on the phone? I need to talk to him." she said very urgently. The guy chuckled, as though she had said something funny.
"Lady, if he got you prego-"
"NO!" she shouted. there was silence. "Tell him It's Paige and it's absolutely crucial I talk to him!" she said forcefully and the guy sighed.
"Fine. But if he doesn't want to talk I'm hanging up." he went away and she waited in fear. What if he didn't want to talk? Do I call the others? What do I do? she awaited, paranoid and afraid and worst of all, alone.