Chapter 2 - Snapped

“Score,” whispered Rai as he held up the blue-velvet covered book. It had ‘Journal’ splayed across the top, and it was in Author’s room. This was what he’d been waiting for. Author, fortunately, had only brought this journal with him, so he was in town with Dojo (who’d taken a liking to him) picking out 'necessities'. He shoved the journal in a black bag he’d brought and ran to the garden, where Kimiko, Omi, and Clay were still enjoying their time off (Master Fung extended it to two weeks, except for a bit of training and Shen Gong Wu alerts, since the holidays were coming and they had a guest), mostly talking about Author. “You guys,” he panted, holding up the bag. “I found his journal.”

“Really?” asked Kimiko.

“Should we?” asked Clay.

Rai nodded. “Have you already forgotten the bucket of water? And who knows what he’ll do to you!” he said looking at Kimiko. “The back flips?” he asked Omi.
Omi shook his head. “It is not right. You do what you will, but I will not partake.” He walked away, muttering to himself.

“Whatever,” said Rai. “We need to know what he’s planning.” He pulled out the book and flipped to December 13th, a week before he’d joined them.

Dec. 13

Stuck. Stuck at my dad’s house for the holidays. I have no desire to sit in some stuffy Baptist church and listen to the preacher talk about Jesus dying, when we’re celebrating his birth, then sing hymns about Jesus dying. Whatever. Too depressed to write now.

Dec. 15

Went Christmas shopping today. My father is forcing me to dress like a boy, in macho outfits, when he knows very well I have no desire to do. He just wants me to be a little him, even IF I’m gay. I want to be at mom’s house for the holidays! I want to hang out with her boyfriend, George, I want to have my own Christmas party instead of just the company Christmas party. I don’t want to hang out with my psychotic stepmother who insists that Will’s gay and I’m a fatty who will develop adult diabetes. Will might like purple and musical theater, but so did dad when he was a kid, and look at him! True, I don’t want my brother to turn out to be my dad, God no, but Dad’s straight. And I’m pretty sure Will is too.

Earlier today, that’s what the psychotic woman told me and Will. That we’d grow up to have adult type two diabetes. I’m freaking 13! It scared me out of my wits! She told us we’d lose all our limbs and die. I can’t write right now. My hand is shaking. I’ll go take a shower.

Dec. 17

Company Christmas party at our house today. Totally boring, I watched the baby. She cried, and pooped her pants, but eventually settled down to watch Frosty with me. I’m glad she’s got me, Will, heck, even Sarah to watch over her. Who knows what crazy thing Haley might grow up to be with just Dad and Belli? Craziness.

Dec. 19

Wrote a song today. Called it Depth Perception. Kind of emo/goth hardcore rock,
but not metal. Depressing, yeah, but that's how I'm feeling right now.
This is hard to write, but I have to get it out. I was told basically, screw my dreams. Told my writing and drawing weren’t going anywhere, told my movie has no point. I just feel like telling myself to screw it.
Why can you not accept me for who I am? I like me. Why can't you like me? Why do you persist in making me feel like a piece of crap, unworthy to be scraped off the bottom of your shoe?
Screw it. Just…screw it.
I feel like if I died, right now, no one would notice. And if they noticed, they wouldn't care. I'd be left to decay on the end of a noose hanging from the ceiling. Again, screw it.
Interpret this entry however you like. I don't care anymore. I really don't. I finally figured out the failure I really am. I'm just wondering why I didn't figure it out earlier.
Screw. It. I quit.

Dec. 20

This page was splotched with tear drops. Through the drops that smudged the ink, they could see some lyrics.

I guess that my depth perception

Isn’t what it used to be.

‘Cause I always thought

That you were deeper then me.

But now I can see

You’re not as deep as the sea.

Not as deep

As I thought

You would be.

Here goes nothing. I only hope it works, so I can get out of this nightmare.

There was no more after that. Raimundo closed it softly. “He just wanted to escape…” he whispered.

“Yeah…” said Kim, shaking her head. “Something must have gotten real bad for him to want to escape all the way to China.”

Clay was processing something completely different. This journal said Author was gay…just like him…

“See?” whispered a little voice to the left. Turning, they saw Author, shaking, his face turning white, then red, then white again. Omi was hiding behind his legs. He’d obviously brought him here.

“D-d-d-did you…” he sputtered, “read it?”

The three dragons reluctantly nodded.

“Since what date?” he asked, deathly quiet.

“December 13th,” muttered Rai. Clay pulled his hat over his eyes, obviously ashamed. Kimiko suddenly found a strand of hair very interesting. Rai looked at his shoes.

“Since I went to my dad’s house,” he whispered. He walked forward and snatched the book out of Rai’s hand. He handed it to Omi, then yelled, “I TRUSTED YOU!” He flew at Rai, trying to punch him and getting a few knocks in. Kimiko rounded him and tried to keep him off. Author just tried to kill her as well. Clay then went and picked him up, holding his arms to his sides. He looked at him. “I trusted you the most.” He struggled a bit, then just went limp. “Let me down,” he whispered. Clay put him down, and he sank to his knees. He looked up, his eyes full of tears, then ran off to his room.

“Author!” cried Omi.

He turned around. “My name is Elijah! I never want to be an Author again!” He proceeded to run again.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” said a voice above them. They looked up to see Jack hovering over them. “I thought I was bad.” He brought his heli-bot down and deactivated it.

The dragons got into fighting positions. “Don’t make us cry on you!” said Omi.

“Wail on you,” said Rai.

“That too!”

Jack sighed. “Relax, cue ball. I just came to check on this new dude that’s all over the Xiaolin message boards. See if he was hot, see if he was strong, all that. Well, I couldn’t really tell if he was hot, because his hair was all in his face, and he wasn’t strong enough to overpower the cowboy, but few are. Looks like he got you, though,” he said, pointing to Rai. Rai wiped the blood coming from his nose, then looked back at Jack. Jack smirked. “That was a nasty thing to do, stealing a gentleman’s diary.” Suddenly, one of Jack’s Jack-bots exploded. “What the hell…?”

Another one exploded, then another. “What’s going on?” asked Omi.

Dojo smirked. “Elijah. He can control machinery.”

“I’m through being sad!” thundered a voice from across the courtyard. They turned around and saw Elijah standing in a black cape. He had a tear-streaked face and fiery, furious eyes. He looked downright scary. He extended a hand from beneath his cape and fixed his eyes on Clay. He pulled his hand toward himself, and he came with it, his feet scraping the ground as he tried to get away. He knocked the cowboy hat off his head and grabbed his hair. He looked right into his eyes and he screamed, but he couldn’t break away. His scream was cut off abruptly, and he crumpled to the ground. Elijah lifted a rock off the ground and hurled it into the air with his mind.

“He stole Clay’s powers,” whispered Kimiko.

"And made them stronger," said Dojo, his voice shaking. He ran off to hide in some bushes.

“You…” said Rai, shaking. He ran at him and he gripped his hand, gripping him as well. He took him the same way he took Clay, but Rai didn’t scream. He just gave him a cold, angry look. The sky began to take on a blood-red color, and the plants began to wilt.

Kimiko was next. She wasn’t about to take it lying down, but Elijah just played with her like a mouse in a trap. Eventually, Kimiko went down the way Clay did, screaming, and Elijah chuckled as he tossed a ball of fire around in his hands. Elijah turned to Omi.

“Omi, you are the only one that didn’t betray me, besides Dojo. Join me, Omi!” he commanded in a raspy voice that was very unlike his own.

“No,” said Omi coldly. “You hurt my friends. I will never join you.”

Elijah smiled. It was a dark, creepy, psychopathic smile, but a smile nonetheless. “They are not dead, Omi. I will release them if you’ll join me.”

“Never.”

“Then pay for it!” he rasped. He took his powers as well. As they all lay crumpled on the ground, he turned to Jack. “You have nothing I want, but I could still use you.”

“Wh-whatever you want!” he squealed. "You're amazing!" This was like Chase, but better. Much, much better.

“Carry them with you and follow me,” said Elijah in a commanding tone. He created flows of air that flew him over to a hill, where, as they watched, a huge castle came up, very gothica, and he flew into it, cackling, as Jack followed behind, very excited.

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