They gathered outside the stall door. I wrapped my arms around my legs as tightly as I could and leaned toward the back of the toilet. I needed them to go away.
"Don't hide, fight!" the voice from my dream screamed in my head as Eddie shook the door again.
At the sound of its voice, the pain in my stomach hit me again. I squeezed my eyes shut and doubled over. This situation was beyond bad. I had let Eddie's little remarks and unnecessary touches go so that I wouldn't give in to my urges to hurt him. I needed a way out of this that wouldn't cause me to do something I couldn't take back.
"Hey Mike, lie down and peek under the door," Eddie directed.
Mike was huge. There was no way he would fit in the small space under the door. But what would happen once he looked in and saw me? Thoughts of what would happen if I were seen started racing through my head. My eyes darted around the tiny, beige, graffiti-covered stall with every thought.
"If they see you, they die," the voice said matter-of-factly.
I shook my head in silent disagreement. I couldn't do that just because they saw me. Was I capable of killing them at all? The morbid curiosity that followed that question chilled me to my core.
"I'm not lying on that nasty-ass floor. You do it, Eddie!" Mike answered.
Relief loosened my stomach. Then, a bigger worry replaced it. Eddie was thin enough to fit in the small space. If he attempted it, I would have to strike first. The image of crimson blood spurting out of Eddie's purple, swollen nose made me smile.
"Hell no," Eddie responded.
Boom! The stall rattled as someone slammed into it again.
"That's not gonna work, Mike," Eddie said, sounding disappointed.
Maybe this wouldn't end in violence. I could just wait them out until the bell rang for the start of the next class.
"The storm does not swerve to avoid the shack," the voice said.
Right, it just destroys it and kills the poor family inside. I thought with disgust as the bell rang.
"Shit, we gotta go. Okay, you won this round, Snakeface," Eddie said as they walked away from the stall door.
I felt my shoulders relax as the bathroom closed behind them. Stepping off the toilet, I took a deep breath and started for the stall door.
I rushed out of the bathroom and headed to my next class. The hall was crowded with other students moving between classes. I ran through the throng of people, narrowly avoiding colliding with several of them.
"Watch out, Snakeface, damn!" A girl said as I ran past her. I didn't look back at her.
"They all need to know who you truly are. Show them!" The voice demanded. The pain inside me flared up as the voice spoke.
I stumbled for half a step, gripping my abdomen before I continued running.
"There he is! Get him!" I heard Eddie yell from somewhere behind me.
Shit, not again. I bolted, running as fast as I could toward the stairs. The pain seemed to get stronger with every step I took.
"No, no, no," I said aloud as I moved.
The pain folded me in half. Sweat poured off my face as I dragged my heavy legs. I made it to the main hallway in front of the school trophy case. A powerful hand gripped my shirt collar and snatched me backward into the balcony railing. The blur of color I saw as I unwillingly reversed course made whatever was in my gut boil up. The three boys surrounded me.
"Now is your chance. Slay them all at once!" the monstrous voice yelled.
"What was with that stare down in the class? You think you can take me, Snakeface?" Eddie asked and poked me in the forehead.
I jerked my head away, getting a good glimpse behind me. An open-air drop leading to the main entrance.
I should throw Eddie over this railing while his friends watch. I relished the image of Eddie splattering all over the floor below. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.
"Guys, I don't feel so good," I said and tried to pull away from them.
"You should've thought about that before you looked at me like you wanted to fight," Eddie said and full-on smacked me this time.
The sudden pain in my face was the spark on the wick of a stick of dynamite. It traveled from my face down into my gut, and the explosion followed. A churning in my stomach blocked out everything around me. Like a rushing wind, a tornado moved across the plains. The sound overpowered me, and I doubled over dry heaving.
Eddie pushed me back against the railing just before I let out a loud burp. Green smoke wafted into the air between us. This time we all saw it.
"Eww, that's fucking nasty!" Mike said and punched me in the stomach at the same time thunder banged so heavily it felt like an earthquake.
"No more hiding. The storm has awakened!" The deep voice rumbled in my head.
The sick feeling moved from my gut to my throat as my head rocked to the side. Now I was looking at Mike. I spewed sizzling green vomit all over his face. He clutched his hands over his eyes and screamed. Smoke wafted from under his hands as his skin fell off in pink, fatty clumps. My mouth tasted like what I imagined the inside of a garbage can would.
"It burns!" he screamed and stumbled forward.
Eddie and Kris both dove out of the way to avoid him as he slammed into me. We toppled over the edge, heading straight for the lobby. My heart boomed louder than any of the thunder. I was going to die, flattened by Mike. Nix's face suddenly flashed in my mind, and I wished I had said goodbye. Mike held onto me, screaming like a banshee, as we rapidly approached the lobby floor. I had a sudden idea. If I could land on top of him, I might not die. I clawed at his baseball mitt-sized hand and tried to position myself properly on top of him.
He was too strong. All I could do was struggle against his grip. Just before we slammed into the picture of the school mascot, my entire body started vibrating. Gusts of wind came out of small holes all over my arms and legs. They were so powerful that they punched tiny holes through my shirt and pants. A pillow of invisible air formed beneath me in time to catch me. I landed gently and safely. Mike slammed directly onto the hardwood floor with bone-crunching force. He lay face down and motionless as his blood pooled beneath him. As I stared at the growing puddle of scarlet, I couldn't help feeling satisfied. I bet he won't punch me again. I thought just before all the strength left my body. Darkness enveloped me like a long-lost relative and wrapped me in its icy embrace.