The Clock Stopped

Everything Froze

The clock stopped, then everything froze, except for me. I didn't know what was happening, I looked around to see if anyone else was moving, but no one was. Then I saw him, no, it, for a split second out in the hallways, a black shadow floating right outside the door. I hesitated, waiting for it to get a little farther from me, then I went out and looked, nothing. I kept walking, hoping maybe I would find someone else who was still moving. Just when I started losing hope that I, and whatever that creature was from before, were the only things left, I saw movement, not like before, it was human movement.

The boy slowly began to look around just realizing he was the only one in the room who was still moving. When he saw me, he was shocked, looking again, I was still there. He got up and slowly moved towards the door, opening it, he asked, "What's going on? Why is everyone frozen?"

I tried to answer in the most honest way I possibly could, "I don't know, but so far, we're the only two humans in the school who aren't frozen."

He looked shocked, like he was hoping it was all fake, but then he realized what exactly I had just said. Now frightened, the boy asked, "What do you mean the only humans?"

"It's nothing." I said immediately after, regretting that I had told him so much.

The conversation had ended, him clearly trying to forget that last part. We head out, looking for more people, when we hear a rattling in one of the lockers. We hesitantly walk towards it, and quickly, swing it open only to reveal yet another person free of movement.

"Hey I recognise you. Aren't you Erica from Honours?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm Erica. And you're Rachel from 10th, I remember you." She remembered me.

"Who is he?" She pointed to the boy who came with me.

"I'm Randy. I'm in 11th. Now, what are we going to do? Everyone is frozen, and Rachel over here says that we're the only humans not frozen." I was really hoping that he would have forgotten or at least tried to forget what I had said before, but here we were, both of them staring at me.

"When I just started looking for others, like you two, there was a dark shadow figure floating around in the distance. I don't know what it was, but I know it wasn't human. It would be dangerous, it could be friendly, I don't know and I don't exactly want to find out." The both of them looked even more panicked now that I've told them in detail about what I had seen before. They really needed to calm down if we wanted even the slightest chance of getting out of here alive.

"Okay, great, there's a dark shadow thing floating around the school and everyone else is frozen." It seems Randy was becoming less scared and more irritated by the second, and I wasn't going to have any of it.

"Let's just get going, see if there's anyone else around here. And stay away from that thing if we run into it on the way."

"So we kept walking around the school. Level by level, room by room, everyone was frozen, no movement, not even from the leaves outside. We have not yet run into the shadow again, and I, for one, am glad for it. Something about it, even though I don't know for sure, it just made me want to run back into the safety of my room and be as frozen as the others. Maybe I'm just overreacting and freaked out from what happened before, I don't know. It's hard to tell what time it is, how long we've been here, or anything now, it seems like it's been hours but I have no way of knowing for sure, and it's killing me.

We get to the gym, students and basketballs everywhere are suspended in mid-air. Then we see it, all the way at the other side of the gym, the shadow figure, and it's looking right back at us. With the shock gone, I still feel that there is a danger in the room, and it's coming from the shadow. Then it speaks.

"You dare defy my powers and move! Children. How could children have possibly gotten free of my frozen binds! And you, I'm not surprised that you were able to get free." The shadows voice echoed in a deep voice that sounded faintly like a muted yell.

It seemed as though the shadow was pointing to Erica as it said it wasn't surprised they were able to get free. I don't know for sure why he said that but it seems neither does she.

"You do not yet know who you are and what great power you possess. I do, I can sense your hidden powers, and now I must destroy you before you are able to overpower me, Erica."

She runs. Soon after, not wanting to be in the same room as that monster for any longer, we follow her. Not realizing how far she can run, we chase after her but eventually give up. Moments later and we hear her running back and we're glad we won't have to run anymore.

"What just happened in there?" Randy was the first to break the awkward silence between us.

"I have no idea. What powers? How do we free everyone?" I wasn't panicked, I just wanted to get this over with and for everything to go back to normal.

"I know what he's talking about. I've never used my powers, but I know that I have them. I don't see how they could be of any help right now though." We both looked at Erica with an astonished look on our faces. Erica looked like she was afraid of what we might have thought but at that moment, I was just greatful there was even the slightest possibility that we could save everyone.

"What powers do you have?" I was curious. Especially when even the creature was fearful of what would happen to it if she ever reached her full power.

"Control over the five elements. Fire, water, earth, air, spirit. The first four are pretty self explanatory, but spirit is basically an ability to heal or bring others back to life, and charm people into doing anything I want them to. I never use them and I never like to talk about having them because I'm afraid of what people might think of me."

I knew she wouldn't want to use her powers but I don't think there is any other way to save everyone. She would just have to go through with it despite her fears, and she knew it.

We devised a plan. We weren't completely sure it would work, but it didn't seem horribly stupid, at the time.