Darkened Smoke

"Long ago two tribes lived in harmony". Just as Mr Tie was going to continue the history book about the two tribes the school bell rang with a loud ring. "Class dismissed we'll continue the textbook next lesson" said Mr Tie sighing in relief. As all the students were going out of the classroom Mr Tie called Jack. "Jack stay back I want to talk to you"

"Um sir I really need to go home," Jack said sweating as he went over to Mr Tie.

As Jack went over to Mr Tie only one thing was in his mind singing to him like a broken record, what could I have done wrong.

"Jack, I know you hate this class, but you can't just keep daydreaming every minute of it" said Mr Tie in a sort of bored voice and spinning his pen in his hand. "Just don't daydream anymore in my classes ok."

Jacks head was head was spinning. How could he stop doing the thing that gave him joy? The thing that made him who he is.

"Ok Mr Tie" said Jack said hardly as he ran out of the classroom to meet his friends at the park. As Jack walked to his locker, he kept noticing so many people staring at him from the classrooms and from the lockers. Jack fastened his pace to his locker and he got there. As Jack was grabbing his things he was thinking about everything that happened over the few months he's been here. So far, he's moved into a new apartment in the middle of town with a lot of noise. He's in this new school called Newten High. The thought of all this made Jack shiver. He hated new things and ever since he moved. He hasn't been able to focus clearly.

"Hey Jack," said a casual voice. As Jack turned around to see who was talking, he saw Mike behind him holding up a poster saying," Coding club". "Jack, I found this on the bulletin board, thought you might like it" said Mike in his normal persuasive voice.

"Wait what's that on the back" Jack said as he flipped over the poster and the back read. "Jackle Nerd". Jack started to cry. So that was why everyone was staring at him. "Mike let's just get to the park come on" Jack said wiping the tears from his face. As Jack grabbing his stuff as he walked off towards the exit of Newten High heaving his bag out the door. As Jack was walking out the door, he kept thinking about what Mr Tie said. How could he stop what his mind did. How could he stop daydreaming. Unfortunately, Jack was snaped back into reality by Mike.

"Jack, are you ok? You were doing your bubble head thing again?" said Mike waving his hand back and forward in front of Jack trying to snap him out of his bubble head state.

"Yeah, I'm fine Mike," said Jack trying to stop thinking about the conversation with Mr Tie and what he said. As Jack and Mike approached the park the ground began to shake extremely violently.

"WHAT THE HELL'S HAPPENING!" Mike yelled at the top of his lungs. Just as Jack was about to yell with him, an ear spitting screech was roaring above the towering buildings. He was about to cover his ears when screeching stopped.

"Where did that sound come from" asked Mike looking around to see where the sound came from.

"I think it came from the old crater, because like every superstition comes from that," said Jack chuckling but instantly stopping after Mike gave him a look of annoyance.

"Well, if it's coming from there, we should probably check it from the mountains near it, so we don't get caught by the police since it's heavily guarded" said Mike in a sort of reluctant voice.

"Ok let's go see what happened" said Jack trying to hide his fear and anger in his head. As the two boys were going to the mountains Jack had a feeling this was wrong. Why would an ear-splitting screech be screeched if the animal was, ok?

"Mike, I don't think this is a good idea" said Jack trying to pull his friend's arm so that he could pull him away from the peak of the mountain.

"Jack let go of me" said Mike annoyed trying to pry Jack's hand off. Jack immediately let go of Mike. Jack knows how Mike is when he's angry and it's not pleasant.

"Um Mike this isn't good if the creature that made that noise is still there wouldn't it have screeched for a reason" said Jack objecting against Mike.

"Jack just come on we have to see what made that sound" Mike said sounding annoyed

"Oh fine" Jack finally said giving up. As the two of them climbed the mountain to see the crater. The Smokey Crater of Newten was the only thing keeping the town having visitors. The crater had been there since the town was founded in like sometime in the nineteen hundreds. The only thing that made it unique was that there was always a superstition about the crater like where it came from, what's in it and what lives there.

"Hey Jack, what's that in the middle of the crater" Mike asked Jack. As Jack Looked into the middle of the crater there was well nothing just ash.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked Mike confused.

"What I mean is the thing in the middle of the crater look" Mike said pointing to something in the distance. As Jack looked closer, he finally saw it a little bird with no feathers rolling around in the ash. It looked like a bird with no feathers, no parents and no sense of direction as it had just bashed its head against the ground.

"What is it?" Jack asked Mike peaking over Mike's shoulder trying to get a better look at the thing.

"I don't know but it's been there for a while" said Mike in a somewhat calm voice.

Jack blinked at him confused. "YOU MEAN YOU'VE KNOW ABOUT THIS AND DIDN'T BOTHER TELLING ME" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Jack calm down" Mike said trying to reassure Jack.

'Should we try and get it?" asked Jack hopefully.

"No, that would be way to dangerous there are armed guards down there and were just kids" objected Mike. "Hey, where are you going?" Mike said sternly.

"I'm going to go get whatever we saw," said Jack as he ran down the mountain trying to avoid tripping. As Jack reached to gate surrounding the crater e looked for a way in. "How could I get in?" Jack said as he looked around for a hole in the fence or a hole in the ground. Just as Jack was about to give up a giant burst of flames hit the fence melting the wire to a hole big enough for Jack to get in. "What the fuck" said Jack jumping from the big surprise.

Just as Jack calmed down the creature there saw from the mountain walked toward Jack and snuggled against his leg. "Hey little guy" said Jack trying not to scare off the creature. Jack put his hand out and the creature went onto his hand. As the creature went on to Jack hand it felt warm like fire, but it wasn't hurting him. It was king of soothing. "Aww you're really cute" Jack said in a calming voice. The creature sneezed two spouts of fire came out of its nose. "AHH" Jack scream dropping the creature.

"HEY, WHO'S THERE?" screamed a guard.

"Shit" whispered Jack as he picked up the creature stuffed it into his pocket and hid behind a pile of rubble. As the guard looked around, he kept yelling the same thing. Suddenly the guard thought he saw something, so he went up to it.

"Got ya" he cried but he just shot a bag of fertilizer.

"Hey, is everything ok there Huston" said another guard coming over.

"Yeah, thought I heard someone running around. Probably just a mouse" sighed the guard in annoyance. As the guards left Jack felt a kind of relief come over him.

"Few" sighed Jack as he put the creature out of his pocket. "That was a close one buddy wasn't it" said Jack sighing. The creature snorted fire. "I'll take that as your happy too," said Jack. As he got up, he looked back at the crater and wondered was there any other creature there. Jack shook his head. It couldn't be there can't be more down there or could there? as Jack sneaked up the mountain and as he got to the top, he saw Mike sleeping on his bags. Jack rolled his eyes. "YO MIKE WAKE UP" screamed Jack. Mike jerked awake and got up.

"Why did you have to wake me up Jack, wait did you find something in the crater?" asked Mike. Jack hesitated. Could he tell Mike about what he found?. Jack nodded.

"Yeah, I found this little guy. I Almost got killed" Jack said showing Mike the little creature and shivering at the same time.

"What the hell is that" asked Mike trying to look at the crater again.

"I don't know but it came to me after it melted the fence" said Jack like it was something that happened every day.

"Um ok, well let's go back to my house to figure out what it is," said Mike. The creature snorted in anger at Mike. "Hey, why does it hate me so much". Jack shrugged and the two boys walked to Mike's having no idea what they had done.