Book 1: Attack of the Giant Grasshoppers

Chapter 25: XX (Mervince)

They take their masks off. The faces behind the masks awe me. "But... aren't some of you... dead?" I see Helena, who was reported dead by Jadda; Deshay, who went missing; Sam, who also went missing; Courtnee, my "school mom"; Leeona; and Mya, Anthony's girlfriend.

"Mervince," says Markus, "if Anthony came back to life, why are surprised now?"

"Wait!" says Mya. "Anthony is here!" Tears start to flow out of her eyes, and now I feel bad. I don't think Anthony is even still alive. I don't say anything, and then the joy leaves her eyes.

"So," Clam says, "are you he only ones? Also, get us out of this cage."

Helena replies, "We'll get'cha out. And we aren't the only ones. We sent a scout team to track down all the conflict we heard back at base; that scout team is us. We have also been evacuating all the survivors. Most of them were sent to Shady Grove with their parents. I just hope it isn't the Crawl-in-Your-Friend's-Epidermis Month. That's when it gets creepy."

"Nah," says Markus, "that's in November." I was about to ask Markus how he would know this when the cage opens, and decide to ask him later.

"Follow me," says Deshay. "If you refuse to, I will jump on your back and rub your face."

"What?!?" says Clam.

"Keep walking." We walk down the hallway, enter the janitor's closet, and Deshay presses a button.

"Really?" says Lillia. "No one would suspect this." she says sarcastically.

"They won't." The button opens the janitor closet's ceiling, which reveals another button. Then that button opens up a piece of the wall, which has an electronic code lock. Then the ceiling outside opens and a rope drops down. We climb up and then the ceiling closes.

"So, Schreiberious hasn't found this yet?" asks Meg.

"Not yet." Sam says. I see her flick a strand of her black hair out of her eyes. We then walk into another door, which has a set of stairs that lead down.

"Ugh, stairs?" I grumble. Helena wacks me on the head so hard that I almost fall down.

"Walk down!" she said. We ran down the stairs and we entered a huge room filled with more girls, but no males. On the walls are painted "Double X" and "XX." Ah, I see. Two X chromosomes result in a female offspring.

"Measuring the steps' height, number, and length, we are currently thirty feet below the school." says Zach.

"No," objects Jackie. "We are thirty feet and two inches below the school."

"Oh no!" yells Zach. "I have failed my knowledge! I shall begin to disintegrate!"

"Haha! The Asian has won again!" celebrates Jackie.

In the front of the room a bell goes off. We redirect our attention to Ice who rang the bell. She bows and leaves. Gracelin replaces Ice and begins speaking.

"Our scout team bring to us new visitors. They say that they came here to stop Shreiberious's plan! But what makes us believe that they can accomplish this goal? Even the military have tried to stop her, but even that was futile. And even if they can help, why should we trust them. They have brought males!" Everyone in the room yell out boos and they hiss at us. "So, convince us. You know what happened to the last male. Eric wanted me so much, and this is what happened."

Someone walks over carrying a block of ice. Inside it is Eric's head. Meg clamps her mouth shut, but everyone else bursts into laughter.

"Now," continues Gracelin, "you have three minutes to persuade us, or you all should be executed. Start the clock!"

"What? Three minutes?" Clam says.

"Oh no." I say. "Guys, huddle up!"