Carebear

18 december

“What happened to my dad?” The old man was interrupted by a little girl. He turned around to look at her. “Don’t you worry carebear, he’ll be just fine.” He said and smiled at her. “But before I tell you that story let’s get back to Danny and Riley…”

                “How old is it? It looks ancient…” Danny asked and took some crackers and a soda.

“It’s from the same year as the first tournament, which was held not long after the school was founded. And that was in 1584.” He said and popped open the other soda can.  

“Really… If I don’t misremember the camera hadn’t been invented in 1584.” She took a closer look at one of the pictures in the book, and it certainly looked like a photograph.

“It’s not an actual photograph, one of the students at the time made those. What I’ve heard is that the camera was invented as an experiment; it was supposed to mimic the power that created those pictures.” Danny looked up from the book and stared at him in surprise.

“You are telling me that this school was responsible for the camera?”

Riley laughed at that. “Didn’t you do your research before coming here? People like us have always been behind the technological progress in the world. Telephones, internet, airplanes were all inspired by people like us.”

“I guess I’m a little behind on the research…” She ate another cracker and continued to flicker through the scrap book. “This tournament, what is it all about? What does the winner get?”

“Since you’re new here, I won’t tell you.” He said with a big grin. “Speaking of the tournament… Tell me Dawson’s offer and I’ll do my best to top it.”

They were then interrupted by a girl who suddenly came running out from one of the locked rooms screaming. Something was on fire and embarrassingly, Danny’s first reaction was to lie down on the floor. “Josh! What are you doing?!” She heard Riley yell. “Sonya! Get close to him and knock him out!” Danny peeked up from behind the couch and saw the blond little girl run up to a cloud of fire flailing a big book, and then it suddenly stopped. I guess she knocked him out, Danny thought.

“Jeez! What the hell happened?” Riley asked the girl.

“I don’t know! I don’t even know where he came from. Suddenly he was there and the next thing I knew my bed was on fire!” And then she rushed into her room to, presumably, put out the fire.

“Watch him.” Riley said to Danny while he ran to the kitchen to fetch a fire extinguisher. Danny sat down next to the guy and checked if he was still breathing. Luckily he was. She decided to use her powers if he woke up, she could make his powers useless or make him fall asleep if needed.

                “How did uncle Josh get there?” Alex asked. “Wasn’t he with aunt Caroline and uncle León?” Similar questions were asked and the old man raised his arms to quiet them down. “I’ll tell you after dinner.” He said and walked out the room.