Counting Symbols (A Transformers Story)

Chapter 5

Amanda's POV

My guardian. I looked up at Optimus, still unaware of what to do. I didn't feel all that comfortable around the Autobots just yet, especially Ratchet. He scared me a little. I'll just have to accept fact that aliens were real.  Well, I was going to have one watching over me for some time now.

"Optimus! I need to talk to you about this Guardian/Charge relationship!" Ratchet called, gesturing to his berth room. Optimus hesitated, peering down at me. I smiled. "I'll be fine," I convinced him. He seemed reluctant to leave me, but he just shrugged and followed Ratchet into the berth room.

Now that he was gone, I felt utterly exposed. I was uncomfortable underneath Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead's stare. Instead, I focused on remembering what happen when I encountered the Prime.

I didn't really know what happen, to be honest. I was scared and surprised to know that a 28 feet tall robot was peering around a tree in the shadows. I mean, admit it, you would probably freak out, too. But while looking at him, my crazy symbols just floating up into my vision like they didn't care that I was facing a giant robot.

The symbols were moving slower then usual, and a handful of them came floating up closer than the others. They bunched together to make up what looked like a sentence, or a name. Below them, in English spelling, were the words Optimus Prime.

And for some other reason, I felt like I already knew him; like he was my brother or close friend or something. Deep in these thoughts, I didn't feel someone poking me hard in the shoulder. "AMANDA!" Miko screamed in my ear. I perked up, eyes widened.

"Where's the danger?" I asked, quickly scanning the room. Everything seemed like it was when I zoned out. Miko rolled her eyes.

"Does anyone listen to me around here?" She muttered. Then she spoke up. "I said, I'm happy you came here!" She crossed her arms, frustration clearly showing up in her face. "Sorry," I mumbled, then added a "Thanks," to be nice.

Miko nodded and gestured for me to follow her. "There's not a lot to show you around here," Miko said. "The Autobots won't let us anywhere near their berth rooms, and I know there's a training area and a couple of other empty rooms. But us kids just hang out up there." Miko nodded toward the "Human Area", where Raf was sitting by himself reading a book and Jack was playing a video game by himself. I smiled.

Miko showed me the stairs leading to the human area. I walked up them and headed over to Jack. He groaned as I approached. "Hey! Don't like me?" I joked, sitting down on the couch beside him. Jack shook his head and gestured with his hand toward the TV.

"I just can't beat my high score," Jack said, placing his controller on the table. I smiled. "I'm sure you'll get it," I said politely, when Ratchet's voice cut me off. "Amanda, over here please!"

I turned to see him by his computer, Optimus lingering at his shoulder. I walked over to them, glancing over my shoulder at Jack, eye-brow raised. He shrugged.

"Is there...something you want?" I was reluctant to talk to him. Ratchet may be the medic, but he's one of the grumpiest people-er, Autobot-I met.

Ratchet rolled his optics and snapped, "There's a reason I called you over!" Optimus tensed slightly. I didn't know why, but I bite back on my tongue to keep myself from arguing with Ratchet.

"I know," I said cooly. "But what do you want?" Ratchet sighed and said, "I need to check out that eye-sight of yours." I cocked my head, Ratchet saying, "Ok, stand still so I can scan you."

I stood as still as I could. I also tried to focus my eyes on Ratchet's so I could look straight, but I flinched as Ratchet's scanners' green light passed over my face. Ratchet muttered something under his breath and turned to his computer, typing fast on his keyboard. I recognized the symbols I seen on his monitor.

"Any of this look familiar?" He asked. I leaned over the railing to get a closer look, wrinkling my nose when my glasses slid down my face. I nodded.

"Point to it," Ratchet commanded. I pointed to the weird looking symbol that looked like a box with a dot in it. Ratchet narrowed his optics. "What does it say?" He asked again. I shrugged. "Dunno."

Huffing, Ratchet typed something quick on his computer. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see that it was 7:36. "Uhh, hate to interrupt, but I need to be home by 8:30, and it's already 7:36," I said. Ratchet raised an optic ridge and glanced at Optimus.

He stood there, confusion dancing in his optics. Ratchet sighed and leaned in, whispering something to the Prime. He nodded and turned to me.

"I'll drive you home," he offered politely to me. I smiled. Guessing that since he was my guardian, he was suppose to do that kind of stuff for me.

I walked down the stairs, giving time for Optimus to transform. He opened his passenger door for me, and I climbed in. Ratchet stood with his back to us. I called out a good-bye, but I didn't know if he heard me.

As we sped away, I sighed. Optimus turned his review mirror in my direction. "Why does Ratchet have to be so grumpy all the time?" I asked.

If Optimus was in his regular form, he would've shrugged. "Dunno," he replied simply. Then he added quickly, "That's just the way he is." "I still feel bad for him," I muttered as Prime turned a sharp corner. I quickly spied my two-story house.

"Thanks for the ride, Optimus," I said as he pulled up in front of my house. I grabbed my backpack and hopped out. Then I hesitated before shutting his door.

"Is there something else you need?" Optimus asked, his front wheels turning to me. I shook my head.

"You're going to pick me up from school, right?" I asked. Optimus sounded confused when he replied, "Am I not suppose to? Because yes, I am." "See, that's the problem..." I said, feeling awkward. "A semi truck picking me up...er, well..."

"What's wrong with that?" He asked. "Optimus, it just doesn't seem normal for a large semi truck to pick up a twelve year old girl...at a school...with no, uh, driver..." I said, rubbing the back of my head. Optimus was quiet.

"I can park down the block from the school," he finally suggest. I smiled and nodded. "'Night, Prime. See you tomorrow," I said, patting his hood. He replied with a good night. Then he drove away. I watched him drive before going inside my home.

I walked into the kitchen and looked at my watch. 8:01. Time sure does fly by. I glanced around the house. It seemed deserted, the moon's light shining through the living room window. I shivered.

"Grace?" I called, climbing slowly up the stairs. Something about the eerie silence of the house didn't seem right. "Grace?" I reached the top of the stairs and knocked on the bathroom door. No answer. I opened the room. Grace wasn't in the bathroom.

I began to panic. Where was Grace? I took a deep breath. Maybe she was just sleeping in her bedroom. I walked down the hallway till I reached Grace's bedroom. I knocked hard on the door. No answer.

"Grace? Are you sleeping?" I called. If Grace was in there, she wasn't answering. I began to panic. Where in Narnia was she?

I slowly calmed down and spoke again. "Grace! This isn't funny! Open this door right now!" Still no response. I glanced at the door handle and open the the bedroom door. I gasped.

Grace wasn't in there, but the window was open. The white curtains fluttered. I slowly walked in.

Grace's bed was still made, so she wasn't sleeping, or hasn't slept in it yet. I scanned the room. Everything seemed neat and tidy. I walked to the window.

I stifled back a gasp. The windows still fluttered slowly in the night breeze, but there, on the curtain, was a trace of blood. I froze, my fingertips grazing the curtains. Grace was gone. And she was in serious trouble.

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Dun dun duun! Grace is gone! Where did she go? What happen to her? Is she still alive? I just sounded so corny right there :-:

~Buddymykitty