Asylum

Co-Captains of the Benchwarmers

Leo Hernandez

We travelled all...freakin'...day. This potholed road seemed to wield us with nothing until, alas, a rundown neighborhood! Man, it's been so long since I've seen anyone outside of the Asylum nuthouse. There's more minds to read, too. You know, listening to the thoughts of the same people get tiring after a while. It's like when Sarah was happy about Ren's arrival for a new face to paint.

"Oh, baby!" I shout, jumping and pumping my fist in the air. "I've never felt to alive!"

Elektra punches me in the gut, the air escaping my lungs. "Shut up, will you? We don't want to attract attention."

"How would we attract attention? We look normal, right?"

"Kya is covered in mud, Ren has glowing eyes, Sarah has cream-colored hair and lavender eyes, I have blue in my hair and lightning markings, and you have on suspenders. We don't need any more attention than we'll only be getting. In fact, we should all lose the dog skins. We can steal some clothes from a shop."

We all ditch the skins. Tiny, delicate hands grab my twiggy arm. "Can you believe it?" she excitedly whispers, eyes sparkling. "We made it. Normal people who lead normal lives are doing normal things in a normal place...and we get the chance to be in the middle of it."

"Did you doubt we would get this far?" I ask, fingering my suspenders. "And are these really that bad?"

"I did, honestly," Sarah admits with a frown. "And no," she says, grabbing my suspender straps and using them to pull me into a hug. "I love them."

I rest my chin on top of her head. "And I love you," I mumble.

"Hm?" she sounds. "I couldn't hear you. What did you say?"

"I said..." Crazy energy starts to stir around a street corner. There are two guys surveying a girl who, frankly, looks like a prostitute. "Hey, get a load of those horn-dogs. Man, those testosterone-fueled thoughts are crazy! Someone douse them with estrogen or something." For once, my sporadic mind saves me from looking like a blushing idiot. Now, I'm just a blushing mind reader.

"Now what so we do?" Kya asks.

"We should split up," Elektra suggests. "We need food and water, clothes, and information on where we are."

"I say we pick team captains," I suggest.

"You're on Asylum's Most Wanted list, Leo," Elektra lectures. "Not an elementary school playground."

I scoff at her and roll her eyes. "You're just against the idea because you wouldn't get any votes to be a captain. You're not exactly people friendly...and stop imagining that you're shooting me with lightning, now you're definitely not getting my support."

"I don't think it's such a bad idea," Sarah chirps, coming to my rescue. "Even aside from getting food and clothes, I think we do need leaders. It would be good to have someone decisive make choices for our better interest."

"In that case," Kya speaks up, picking out dried mud from her hair. "My vote actually would go to Elektra. She's the most objective one here."

Grunting, I roll my eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

"I agree with Kya," Sarah sides. "What about you, Ren? Should Elektra be a leader?"

He gives us a half-shrug. "I mean, she is leader material, but she's so apathetic that she wouldn't have a problem leaving us behind."

"Well, Leo, Kya, and I elect Elektra," Sarah admits. "Sorry, Ren. But majority wins."