• tab “Well, well, well, what have we got here?” came a female’s voice with a slight southern accent.
    tab The voice was behind us and Corey and I turned around to see a young lady, not much older than us. She had the same shade of blonde hair like Corey and the exact same blue eyes. But her tattoos weren’t anywhere close to Corey’s. She had magenta spiral tattoos covering her body.
    tab “Hello,” Corey said, “Melody.”
    tab After greetings and introductions, Melody took Corey and me to her and her parents’ place. There was a nice young man waiting for us, or more so Melody.
    tab Corey’s arm was tended to and I sat in the living room with Leo Sand, Melody’s father. Leo had the same hair and eyes like Corey and Melody. His skin was tanned like Gwen’s and that showed his yellow arrow-shaped tattoos.
    tab “So Miles,” Leo said, breaking the ten or so minute silence we were in, “what brings you and my nephew out here?”
    tab I sighed. I didn’t really want to explain Gwen’s kidnapping. Apparently Leo saw that in my expression or something.
    tab “I see.” He said. “You’re out here looking for a friend. You’ve come to the best place.”
    tab “Why’s that?” I asked.
    tab “That glass tower out there, our oldest and most priceless artifact, there’s been some odd things going on over there.” Leo said in response.
    tab “Enough with the chitter chatter.” Said a woman with a southern accent. She must have been Melody’s mother. She had a southern accent like her. “Why don’t you go show little Miles that tower in the morn?”
    tab Leo nodded. “That’s a great idea, love.”
    tab Melody came into the room with Corey. Melody looked at the woman and nodded. “Mama,” she said, “will you take Corey home? He needs better care than I can provide.”
    tab The woman nodded. Before I knew it, she left with Corey and I was brought into a guest room. I soon enough fell asleep. When morning came, the sun shone and woke me up. I tried to sleep again but I heard the sound of an engine revving. I jumped up out of the bed I was in and ran to the only window in the room.
    tab Outside, Leo was working with a motorcycle-like vehicle. It looked more like a scooter to be honest. A scooter without wheels.
    tab “Hey kiddo.” Leo called up to me. “C’mon down. I’m going to take you to that tower.”
    tab I nodded and ran through the house. Soon enough, I was outside with Leo. The odd vehicles caught my attention. I looked them over.
    tab “Yep. We’re riding these.” Leo said, basically reading my mind for a question. “Called sand dusters. They bring up lots of dust from the sand as the hover above.”
    tab It took a while to get going then to get to the tower, but we eventually made it. We stopped at the base of the tower. I looked up at it to see it was about two or more miles high.
    tab “This be our titans’ tower.” Leo said. “Used to seal them away long ago.”
    tab We were at the tower for about two hours then Leo started his vehicle up. He looked at me and grinned.
    tab “You can stay here. But be back with the other sand duster before sundown or I’ll have to give you a beating.” Leo said.
    tab I nodded and waved him good-bye. I coughed a bit as the dust from the sand choked me a bit. Once the dust was cleared, I continued looking around. Over, not too far, there was a small cave area. When Leo was with me, he didn’t let me enter. But since it was just me now…
    tab I entered the cave and looked around. It was dark, dry, and it led downward. I continued going. Like at Star Hill Manor, the scent of rotted flesh filled my nose. I started to choke and gag. As I went further, the scent got stronger.
    tab Another scent came. It was the scent of knock out gas.
    tab As soon as I came to, I was in a darkened room. I couldn’t seen anything except a few flashing lights at what had to be the center of the room.
    tab “Dreamer, you’re awake I see.”
    tab There was a man’s voice. I didn’t know where it was from. I said up and looked around. Soon, and without mercy, a very bright light turned on. It blinded me at first, but I soon got used to it.
    tab “Huh?” I questioned. “Wh-where are you?”
    tab I looked around and saw some people surrounding me. They were the same people that tried to arrest us! I jumped up in alarm and then lost balance. I fell back down to the floor.
    tab “You’ll be a bit wobbly, but that’ll all wear off.” the voice said.
    tab I looked around for the voice. I didn’t know where it came from. I then looked up a bit to see what had to be a one-way mirror. That’s where the owner of the voice had to be. Behind the one-way mirror.
    tab “Well young Dreamer,” the voice said, “you’ve come a long way. I wasn’t sure you’d get here.”
    tab “Yeah well, guess again.” I said in a weak and weary voice.
    tab “I do believe you’re here to rescue your friend and the other three?” the voice asked.
    tab How did he know? He seemed almost all knowing. It was actually creepy.
    tab “There are others. See?”
    tab It seemed like the floor either opened up or faded away. I, along with the officers, was standing on a glass floor. I looked down to see so many faces. The faces off dead people. Dead people with tattoos.
    tab “What?” I gasped out.
    tab “Don’t worry.” The voice said. “Miss Sky, Miss Fire, and Mister Mountain are still alive.”
    tab I looked up at the one-way mirror. It felt like my face was twisted into an angry and frustrated expression. I felt my face turn red with fury and my fists clenched with rage.
    tab “You stupid cowardly b*****d!” I cursed. “What do you want with them? Why the hell did you kill so many innocents?”
    tab I heard a chuckle and it had to be the unseen man. He stopped chuckling and sighed a bit. “Titans.” That was all I heard.
    tab I was struck with fear.
    tab No! I thought. He’s…he can’t! He’s going to use the three survivors to resurrect the titans!
    tab I don’t know why I thought that. It just came to me. It also seemed right. It seemed like that thought was one hundred percent correct.
    tab I tried to run off but I slipped and skidded across the glass flooring. I looked down to see a small child. She had to be not even six. Someone so young…someone dead. I felt tears well up and fall down my face. I tried to speak, but I choked on my tears.
    tab The next thing I knew, I was lying in a cellar-like area. The back of my head was completely sore for someone had to have bashed my head. I looked over to the side to see the one and only door wide opened. Either these people were stupid beyond all recognition or they thought I wouldn’t be able to do any harm.
    tab I ran out of the room and then through the halls. I followed the reeking scent of the rotted flesh and in no time, I saw the mouth of the cave. I dodged around once outside to make sure no one spotted me.
    tab Over by the tower, I saw an officer each hold one person. I saw Gwen. Gwen was limp and unconscious. Surprisingly, she looked rather pale. The worst came to my mind. But I knew she wasn’t dead. Gwen couldn’t be.
    tab “Cole,” said an officer as he or she walked over to a man with violet vine tattoos, “how does this work exactly?”
    tab “Don’t worry.” Cole said. “I have it all under control.” His voice was familiar. It was the man that was talking to me before I was knocked out. He had violet vine tattoos, not as confusing as Gwen’s, and simple light brown hair. He was also very tanned, probably from being in the desert. And his sky blue eyes were visibly seen, even from my position.
    tab “As soon as we bring our titans back, the humans will know we mean business.” Cole said.
    tab Something came to me. I remembered being told before that apparently we tried to destroy the humans. That must have almost happened! And this Cole, he must be at it.
    tab I looked around. I knew that the titans couldn’t be brought back without the tower. I knew that for sure. I saw where the sand duster was. I looked at it then grinned. I looked around to see sand dunes caused by the wind.
    tab Think like Rosie…
    tab I dashed over silently to the sand duster. I looked back over at the tower. A small prayer came to me.
    tab Dear Lord, please don’t let me regret this idiotic stunt.
    tab I tried to start up the sand duster but it wouldn’t start. Over and over again I tried, but over and over again I failed. I took a brief glance over to the tower and the officers holding Gwen and the other two. I then looked at Cole.
    tab It looked like Cole was muttering something, but I couldn’t tell what. Once he had stopped, I looked over at the officers just as they were screaming in pain and melting into the glass. Their blood spilled out and almost seemed to have climbed up the tower.
    tab “The tainted blood,” I heard Cole shout, “will awaken our titans!”
    tab I knew automatically that I had to hurry before Cole goes on with his plan. Once again I tried to start up the sand duster.
    I finally started up the sand duster and sped up quickly. The officers and Cole looked at me in alarm. It looked like some of the officers were running to stop me, but I paid them no mind none whatsoever.
    tab I sped off to a sand dune. Just as I had hoped, it made a perfect ramp. I closed my eyes as I went through the air. I felt the air and the breeze blow past my face. I then felt glass.
    tab The tower. I shattered it. I hit the tower and it was now breaking and shattering. The sand duster kept going through the air as I jumped down…in the middle of the tower. I looked up.
    tab The glass wasn’t shards. No. It was broken into fine particles. I held out my hands to catch the particles falling down.
    tab The glass fell…almost like…stars.
    tab A few days later, I was sitting in school with my friends around me. Gwen Sky. Drake Patch. Rosie Mead. Corey Field. We were talking during my current events class and laughing a bit. Corey’s arm was still busted, but it would heal soon. Drake had a few bruises from ‘bowling’ with the officers. Gwen was a bit tired and all, but no harm came to her. Rosie had some ‘static electricity’ issues because a shock gun she used against a couple of the officers backfired on her. But the doctor said that would soon pass.
    tab Me? My only harm was a bump on the back of the head from when I was in the cave and apparently an officer hit me.
    tab “Okay class.” Said our teacher. “We’ve got the news recorded from the weekend.”
    tab I heard a little bit of cheering from my classmates and friends. The teacher put in a VHS in the player and pressed play.
    tab “Here we have it,” said the newscast lady, “Cole Branch has been arrested for being an accomplice in the thirty year kidnapping. Over three hundred people were found dead. Some rotted and some still in tact. Only three survivors, Zeke Mountain, Jenny Fire, and Gwen Sky were found. They were three of the people kidnapped. They were retrieved by a brave young man, Miles Dreamer…”
    tab We continued to watch the news.
    tab The day was great. Sure it could have been better if not everyone was congratulating me and all but things happen. Classes continued and it was about my fourth hour class. One of the teachers stepped into the room.
    tab “Miles Dreamer, you’re needed at the hospital.” The teacher said.
    tab The first thing that came to my mind was that something bad had happened. But I saw the smile on the teacher’s face. I jumped up out of my seat and ran to him.
    tab “Yeah?” I asked.
    tab “Mrs. Dreamer sent for you.” He replied. “She said it’s time.”
    tab My grin grew and I turned back to Drake, Gwen, Corey, and Rosie. They say my face and apparently knew what was going on. I looked at the teacher of my class and she nodded for me to go.
    tab “I’ll call you a taxi.” Said the teacher that came for me.
    tab “No need.” I replied and then ran off.
    tab I ran through the halls of my school and out the main doors. It was going to be a bit of a long run due to the hospital being two miles away and there also being a lot of traffic. But none of that stopped me and had me call for a ride. I just kept running.
    tab I ran past the tattoo and piercing shop and saw Cody and Jake. I was running in place when Cody started to talk to me.
    tab “Hey kiddo, what’s up?” he asked.
    tab “Yeah.” Jake said. “Is something wrong? You should be in class.”
    tab “Nothing is wrong.” I said in a hyped up voice. “Nora’s…Nora’s having the baby!”
    tab I took off again, but I did hear the two men behind me. What they said ran something like this:
    tab “Congratulations!”
    tab I continued to run and soon enough I was at the hospital. I entered the doors and a nurse came up to me. She had recognized me. I have come plenty of times with Nora to check and see if the unborn infant was healthy.
    tab “Miles, are you okay?” she asked sweetly.
    tab “Nora…” I gasped out. For once, I was actually tired from running. It was most likely because that the class before I left was my P.E. class and I ran about fifteen miles when we were only supposed to run five. “What room is Nora Dreamer in?”
    tab “Room 5B.” the nurse replied.
    tab “How are they?” I asked, obviously about Nora and the infant.
    tab “Healthy as can be.” the nurse replied, happiness in her tone.
    tab I nodded then ran off. I didn’t bother using the elevator to get to the fifth floor to the room Nora was in. I was in too much of a hurry. Instead, I ran up the flights of stairs. No one really used the stairs, no one but some of the clean up crew or patients trying to regain strength or exercise.
    tab I finally got to Nora’s room and I saw her holding a small and squishy looking infant. From what I could tell, she had dark red hair. I couldn’t help but smile. I tried to speak, but nothing came out.
    tab “Her name is Tori. Tori Dreamer.” Nora said, somehow knowing what I was trying to ask.
    tab “And this one if Glen. Glen Dreamer.” came a voice.
    tab I looked over to see a man holding a young child. Floe and Glen were twins. A girl and a boy. I looked at the infants and smiled. I was happy. A little girl with dark red hair and a young boy…who had sleek black hair. I then looked up at the man holding Glen. He, I didn’t recognize at first, but I then realize I was basically looking at myself, but without the tattoos.
    tab My father came home.