Danny Phantom Fan Fiction ❯ Stupid ❯ Instinct ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Now that Dash thought about it, they might aswell have expelled him. How was he, Dash Baxter, the `slowest' kid in the school, supposed to catch up after two weeks of missing school? He wouldn't even be able to make it up in summer school. He knew grade nine would be hell. For the second time in a row.

He wished over and over just to drop out. He even asked his mother what she thought. She had said no, and sent him to his room. Of course, she was so steamed at him he could barely look at her without getting in trouble.

So Dash just tried to look on the upside. He took up his old hobby, from when he was a kid and didn't have to spend all his time buried in a book, or out on the football field. Photography.

In grade five, when Dash had started, he'd taken pictures of stuff that he thought was deep. The moon. Cheery blossom trees. Things like that. Now he knew those things were just emo. He took pictures of fun stuff now.

He didn't like spending time at home. His mom had tried very hard not to go at him with a butter knife this morning. So now he was just roaming around downtown, trying to ignore the pain in his gut that had stayed with him since his meeting with Principal Ishiyama.

It was growing worse. Constantly. He knew he should visit the doctor.

He had his camera around his neck. It was a foggy but fairly bright morning. Dash decided to go to the arcade. He didn't have much money, what he did have he was saving up for collage. But it was fun to watch people play.

He wandered in. One guy was playing a dancing game while juggling three bowling pins, he had a small crowd around him. Dash snapped a picture.

He got to the air hockey table. Two little boys were playing. They were awful players. Just abysmal. But Dash stopped to watch, he wanted to know which was less awful. The game ended and the two boys ran off to go play something else. Dash fished around in his pocket to see if he had any spare change. One game wouldn't cost too much.

There was a scrap of paper in his pocket, he pulled it out. It was a couple for a javelin lesson down at the Sport Depot. He read the back. It didn't expire for a few months. That seemed like a good way to waste time.

* * *

There were two men having an angry discussion up at the desk when Dash walked in. His mood was growing steadily worse since he found out the Sport Depot was on the other side of town. But he was bored and needed something to help fill all this free time.

He took his spot behind the man in line and waited. After a moment, the man looked over his shoulder at Dash. “Shouldn't you be at school?”

“Shouldn't you be at work?”, snapped back. He didnt feel like taking shit.

The man looked angry for a moment before turning away. A minute or two later, he moved away and Dash moved up. This guy was nicer. He smiled a friendly smile and asked him how he could help.

“I have this coupon here,”, said Dash, “for a free javelin lesson. Is there one coming up anytime soon?”

The man read the coupon and struck a few keys on the keyboard. “Yes, one just started a few minutes ago. You aren't too late. Just walk down the hall to the last door on the right and out the door. The instructor will help you from there.”

* * *

Turns out Dash was great at javelin. He had the right muscles built up because throwing a football was much like throwing a spear. You had to throw with your whole body.

But a little voice inside my head was whispering to me. I knew something was wrong, there was static in the air...

And then he was hit by.... something. Large and green.

He raged to the ground, fell back first. The pain made spots in his eyes. His mind started to fog. He wanted to sleep. His eyes drooped. No. Something was out there. Couldn't sleep.

The smell of fear was in the air. That little voice in the back of his mind was talking to him. He couldn't put his finger on it. But it told him to stay low, he peered around carefully. Slowly Dash creapt across the open grass. No cover. And no sign of what had attacked. Accept for a long trail of flat grass. And all the people were missing.

Something disappeared into the building. Just a flash of it, it was gone before he could focus on it.

Dash's fight or flight mechanism sprang to life. He knew he had to run if he wanted to stay alive, even if he didn't know what he was running from. But the only way out was through the building.

And everyone else, assuming they were alive, needed his help. He chose to fight.

Quietly he tore two javelins from the ground and stalked his way to the door. He heard whimpering in side. And a sliding noise across the worn concete. If intuition told him anything, it was a snake. But no snake was big enough to knock him down like that...

A monstrous, fanged mouth came into view, with a forked tongue, and the whole thing was glowing Florissant green. He knew at once it was one of the ghosts that had been plaguing Amidy Park for the last few months. He also knew that if anyone was coming to help, they would be here by now.

The snake, or ghost snake, slithered around a group of people huddled together. Good, safety in numbers, it was less likely to attack now. Dash took one step inside, tried to be silent. the snakes head jerk to face him. Damnit. It lunged, Dash sprang out of the way in flash and turned to stab the beast. He hit it, but on an awkward angle and it didn't sink in, only went to enrage the monster even more.

He faked a left, jumped to the right, jumped back and fourth and jabbed at it. It started to pull back, he raised his arms and started to shout. Making himself as big as possible. He knew the best way to frighten an animal was to seem threatening.

“Hiya!”, called Dash. The snake pulled back a bit. “Back! Back!”, just making noises it tried to slither away, Dash stabbed it again, it screamed and reared him, knocking him down with its tail.

He fell the the ground, stayed perfectly still. Drops of goupy saliva dripped from its mouth, burning through the ground. Dash heard more than saw it move towards him. Cautiously at first. Then faster. He knew how it would attack. Wait for it... Now! The snake hit the concrete and in a second it was all over. Dash had stabbed down so hard that it went through its nose and mouth and pinned it to the ground. Dash thrust the other one down beside it, just to be safe.

He realized that he was sore. And he was infact scared beyond reason. His legs gave out.

Dash just became aware of the nine or ten people huddled behind him. He turned and smiled at them, telling them it was alright.

They started to calm. Still looking apprehensively at the snake, they untensed alit- Dash screamed and fell to the ground, writhing in agony. Something was burning through his skin, burning everything, every nerve, it felt like he was dying. He craned his back, flailing every which way. People were running around him, his vision was growing increasingly blurry, his mind more and more chaotic and unconcentrated.

Dimly he realized what was happening. The snake had spat at him.

He passed out. And knew that he was going to die.