I'm running through the trees. There's a hatch I need to find.
"Hey."
Something is chasing me. The cabin, I need to find the cabin.
"Elliott!"
The hatch in the cabin will keep him away. The sigil, the necklace if I could only...
A hand grasped my arm, "Elliott buddy, anyone home?" Enid shook me awake.
"Enid! Didn't see you there. Where are we?"
Enid looked me up and down, "in class? Where else?" She frowned, "you alright Elliott, you look kind of tired."
"Probably just the nerves from the first day in class. I also think I missed breakfast, when's lunch?"
"Not for awhile." She looked around seeming out of place. "We need to form teams for tug of war, remember? The teacher instructed. And the other packs-I mean teams are full or won't let me in. So I thought we could form one since your new here and normally the leftovers-I mean my team are always down a hand or two."
"Leftovers? That's what they call you?"
"No but it's not, just will you join or not? I get its not pleasing to be laughed at but its better to have people then go through it alone."
I tried to understand what happened for her to be this low in self-esteem, then I remembered why.
"Is cheating..."
'Ahem' I pulled Enid close to whisper in her ear, "can I use my power to win?"
"No of course not. That's something you can only use in your respective class for your kind. Either way the teachers have a knack for seeing when powers are used, telekinesis included."
"So it's fair game if we're not caught, perfect."
"Cheating in tug of war is, its just not worth it."
"Hey now, I'm not the adult in charge who decided to place all the wolves on one side of the rope and set up the rest to face dive in the dirt. Come on Enid, don't you wanna destroy those wolves and show them those claws of yours?"
I could tell she was thinking it over so I decided to grab her hand and take the blame for the idea, not like I'd be caught. "Show me the team squad leader."
It took a bit for her to gather her bearings but at least she didn't stop me, "fine. This way." We reached the outskirts of the area where our class was gathered and I saw two other kids.
"Enid your back. Who's the guy your holding hands with?"
Enid quickly let go of my hand, "sorry I didn't realize. Um Ajax this is Elliott, Elliott meet Ajax and Eugene."
Ajax folded his arms in a sort of confrontational pose, "the new hunchback, heard they placed you in the basement."
I kinda wanted to slap him, "I haven't heard a single think about you, guess you haven't had an impact on Nevermore."
He was about to respond when Eugene spoke while extending a hand, "Eugene Ottinger, glad to have a heavyweight on the team."
"I'm not fat!"
"Apologies, I meant your reputation proceeds you. Tell me you got an ace up your sleeve for tug of war. I'm tired of being looked over."
I shook his hand after hearing that, "I'm glad I got a like minded person on the team." Although in all honesty this is far from being an athletic team.
"So what's the plan genius?" Said Ajax.
"I ain't spilling my secrets, I'll be at the front. I don't wanna have you taking care of my back so Eugene you'll be right behind me and Ajax will be behind you. Enid think you're good enough to be the anchor at the back?"
"You're putting the girl as the one to 'anchor' the team?"
"Unless one of the guys here have a talent for pulling, I thought you'd have better endurance then anyone on the team considering your genes. Or am I wrong?"
"We better fucken win Elliott." She muttered.
The teacher started to set up the matches. Most of the students were werewolves and as expected we were paired with a full team of them. They had six, three guys and two girls. "Hey Enid, are we missing people perchance?"
"Ya I told you remember? Never mind you were half asleep. They probably ditched class knowing the activity the teacher planned today. Frankly I would have too but I got two strikes for, um other mishaps so I can't afford to ditch."
I looked at the teacher who just threw the rope between our two teams and left. He didn't even bother with giving one of their members to our team for just this match. At least remove a couple.
"Elliott, when are you going to do, you know your thing."
"Shhh Eugene, you'll give me away." The plan I had was more of a hail Mary. I hadn't tried this yet but I was planing to root myself with my sand like a tree. It would stem from my legs and go down through the dirt. After getting a good bearing on the rope, I would try to trip one of the wolves through the ground. It all sounded pretty easy in my head at least.
We settled ourselves together holding the rope. The other team had smirks knowing it was an easy win on paper. While the teacher instructed and preached the usual play fair speech; I planted my 'roots' behind my feet out of view from the wolves gaze and under the eyes of my team.
"And...start!" Yelled the teacher.
"Fuck." The starting pull from the other side nearly made us lose instantly if it weren't for my sand holding me in place.
"Just hold on until I say pull."
"What the fuck does it look like I'm doing smart-ass?" Remarked Ajax.
"I thought you let go with those noodles you called arms after the initial tug."
"Would you two weaklings shut up! I'm pulling all the weight here." Screamed Enid.
"We love women in power don't we Eugene?"
"Shut up and do something, I'm losing my grip!" Yelled Eugene
"I'm almost done." I could feel my sand wiggling through the dirt just below three of the enemy team's shoes.
"Pull!" I yelled as I yanked the werewolves feet from underneath. We just barely managed to trip them all in a domino effect bringing them all down together securing the win.
My team took a breathe of air before celebrating. We were all exhausted from the win. Luckily the enemy blamed each other for picking 'uneven' ground to compete on.
"Alright I think we should sit out the rest of the matches, one win cleared our name as losers I think." Said Eugene
We all dragged him through another six matches until we lost the seven due to a lack in man power. In reality I stopped cheating after sensing the teacher eyeing me for any signs of telekinesis. I would have dragged everyone to the finals otherwise.
Class ended with a surprisingly who could have guessed match between wolf packs.
"What class do you have again Elliott?" Asked Enid.
"Telekinesis lll The Force, shouldn't be too hard I hope. You?"
Enid was the only one ecstatic from the whole ordeal. Ajax, Eugene and even me were tired, me due to the back lash of using my power without a goodnight's sleep.
"Oh I can just see myself gaining the recognition from the pack. With Elliott here we can definitely have some fun right guys?" Said Enid forgetting my question.
"Ya, he's our lucky star." Blurted out Ajax who's only thought was finding a seat to relax on.
Eugene on the other hand left for his class waving his hand goodbye nearly running into a pole on the way.
"Alright my class is this way I think. See you later for, science and applied combustion? Who names these?"
"It's to get attention from students to attend them in their class schedule. Think of it as click-bait. Well toodles, I got class with Wednesday and I'll try to tell her how great of a henchmen you are." Said Enid
"Hahaha very original Enid, next time I'll leave your face in the dirt."
"Don't be spiteful Elliott, it'll ruin your chances if you want to change your nicknames, see yah."
The rest of the day was a boredom and endless death stare of students who wanted to call me Igor. Even though I heard a couple mention our victories in physical education, they chalked it up to beginners luck. The telekinesis class was easy enough to pass unseen. I lifted small objects that the teacher instructed using a few specks of sand that the untrained eye would miss. Morticia made me learn how for this very occasion although I can't lift anything over 50lbs without using a significant amount of sand. I made it to science class were a empty seat was next to Enid and her two friends, Yoko and Divina.
We said our introductions and I finished taking out my text book when Enid spoke, "hey did you hear Wednesday nearly got sent to the afterlife. A gargoyle from the roof or something nearly smashed her to pieces. Oof, even though she gets on my nerves I'm glad she's-where are you going?"
"To the nurse's office. Need to make sure she's still ticking, least I could do for her parents." I said getting up from my chair.
"But you'll get a strike!"
"Ya, a strike from an axe if she thinks I'm sleeping on the job as her so called 'henchmen'. See you later, probably, oh and send me the homework thanks Enid."