Game Changer

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

Where is everyone? The usually crowded school parking lot is empty as Brooke pulls up 20 minutes past the bell. She sits in her stuffy white Mercedes, windows down, radio blasting and the AC up for five minutes until Darcio drives up. Darcio pulls in next to her in his blue Jeep. He rolls down the window and shouts across his car for her to turn off the radio before he opens the door and walks over to slide into the seat next to Brooke.

"If this is some kind of sick joke, it's not funny." Darcio grinds his teeth and hits the dashboard of Brooke's car. Brooke sits there, fear written all over her face. Darcio is known for his anger issues and outbursts of violence. Brooke has never actually seen him hurt someone, but she has seen people come to school the next day bruised and bandaged after getting into a heated argument with him. Maybe if I don't move, he won't notice me. Darcio's hands shake. He holds them in such light fists that his veins throb. He clenches his jaw, and he continues. Fear holds Brooke in an icy grip. The more she tries to shake it off, the stronger the hold gets. A thousand needles of fear prickle her skin as she tries to regain self-control. If he does something, I don't know if I'll be able to control it.

"Darcio?" Brooke takes hold of herself and places a trembling hand on top of his thrashing clenched fist to try and calm him down. Darcio closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths before taking back his hand and leaning back into the black leather seat with a long sigh. "Let's take a drive and see if we can find someone to tell us what's going on." Brooke tries to relax as she side-eyes him warily.

"Okay, whatever." Darcio closes his eyes again, trying to regain control over his emotions. Brooke puts the car in reverse and starts to back out of the car park. They drive for hours but can't find a single person. It's as if everyone has disappeared. Maybe this is just some kind of twisted dream. Brooke pinches herself to double-check.

"Ouch," Brooke winces. Darcio looks over at her with a puzzled look before cosying back into the seat. Nope. Not a dream.

After having driven down every road, nook, and cranny of Beverly Hills, they make it back to the school by 3 pm, and Darcio gets back into his car.

"Well, that was a bust," Brooke tries to lighten the mood. Darcio looks over at her, unamused. He rolls his eyes and is about to drive off when Brooke asks shyly, "Can I sleep over? I don't know what is going on, and it is really freaking me out." She looks down and fidgets with her hands while she waits for him to respond.

Darcio hesitates for a moment before mumbling just loud enough for Brooke to hear, "Sure, follow me home."

Brooke drives behind Darcio into his driveway and gets out, closing the door behind her and locking it just in case. When she looks up again, she sees Darcio standing on his front porch, pulling a piece of paper off his front door. Brooke runs up to read it over his shoulder.

You made it safe and sound. Congrats.

Now here is where the real games begin.

Find the treasure,

Locked in the hill,

Hidden from sight,

Stand under the light,

One tear should do the trick,

You're all alone, and this is your only way to escape.

I blame you both, learn and grow

Good luck, and let the games begin.

Brooke starts to feel something tingling inside her. No, please, no. It grows and grows, and she tries to push it down. Slowly, she backs away from Darcio, digging her nails into her palms. Fear and anger start to grow and expand inside of her like a balloon.

"Brooke?" Darcio takes a step towards her, but she thrusts out a hand motioning for him to stop. She looks away, clenching her face as she tries to control it, focusing all her strength on keeping it locked away. "Brooke! Are you okay?" Darcio stays put, but the fear in his voice makes Brooke look up for a second. Seeing the fear and concern in Darcio's hard blue eyes blurs her concentration for a second. She can't hold it in for much longer. The house starts to spin as the power overwhelms her. It stabs her from the inside. If she doesn't get it out soon, it'll kill her.

"RUN!" Brooke's ear-splitting scream shatters the windows of Darcio's luxurious villa. Darcio covers his ears, terror coating his whole being. He runs to his Jeep and backs out of the driveway, stopping a few metres away from her. The last of Brooke's control collapses. Her eyes turn pitch black, and she lets it all out. A bright beam of light explodes from her and right into Darcio's villa. The house crumbles, dust and brick flying every this way and that. The power and the darkness are gone. Brooke grabs tufts of her hair as she screams, a happy and a sad scream of pain and relief. She drops to the ground and passes out from exhaustion.

___

Brooke wakes up on a white sofa in a large white room, looking up at a high white ceiling. She rolls over and sits up, groaning. Everything spins, and her head hurts.

"What was that?" Brooke jumps as she looks over to the corner of the room to where Darcio is staring at her, a dark look shadowing his face. It all comes back in a rush. Crap.

"I ..." Brooke is at a loss for words. How do you explain to someone that you are a descendant of the famous Kingston witch family? Darcio's piercing looks deepen as he stares at her. They sit there in silence, staring at each other. Brooke awkwardly fidgets with her hands while she thinks of what to say. The magic is gone, and she feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. "I'm a Kingston witch."

"What?" Darcio stands up and paces the small corner of the room that he has claimed. "Well, I don't need you to prove it, obviously." Brooke looks surprised by this response, having expected him to be more shocked. Not knowing what to say, she just sits there and looks at him.