Digimon: Horizons

by Alban

Chapter 1

"A beautiful May afternoon. Birds chirping, the leaves fluttering in the warm breeze... SO WHY did we stay afterschool!!!" The boy who said this, no more than 12, was staring out the open window towards the school athletic fields. The breeze blew into the brightly lit room, filled with computers and outdated software, and rustled the boy's short brown hair. His blue eyes and freckles were well visible under the lights, and he wrapped the fabric of his blue t-shirt around his index finger impatiently.

            "What are you complaining about Chris!? All you're doing is sitting in that chair whining.", replied the second kid in the room, who had a slight British accent. He rushed from computers to printers and back again, a bead of sweat glistening on his deep tan skin. His soft brown eyes twitched nervously under his thick eyebrows and short matted brown hair.

            "Well, excuse me Marron! Why didn't you finish the project earlier! and I don't wanna hear that 'I don't have the Internet at home' BS!" Chris stood up and took the stack of printed papers. "These are due tomorrow morning. How come you were so late getting to class. YOU, Mr. I'm-never-tardy, were so late we couldn't get it done!" Suddenly, Marron looked up at him with an angry glance.

            "So why'd you stay after? To rub it in? I was at the nurse's office. I wasn't feeling so good. I didn't sleep so well last night." Marron's face softened to a frown. "You know, I had the same vivid dream all night. Not that I'm going to tell you about it."

            Chris's eyebrows furrowed, as if he was staring down Marron. "Well...at least I wasn't the only one." He whispered softly to himself. "Oh well, at least I made it to class on time." As Chris was reviewing his own vivid dreams silently, two girls appeared at the computer lab doorway.

            "See, Julie, I told you they stayed after like us!" exclaimed a short girl with dirty blond hair to her shoulders and soft facial features that made her look like a child's doll. The other girl, somewhat taller, with brown hair in a short ponytail and blue eyes, broke out into a grin. "Well, it appears the other late group has their work cut out for them... except Chris in his chair!" "Screw you, Julie. Did you and Alexx finish your project?"

            "OF COURSE we did!" Hey, Ben looked pretty sick in class today. You should be helping him." Julie nodded in assent. Suddenly, Marron looked up. "You know, you're the only one who calls me by my first name. Sometimes I wonder if Chris even remembers it!" This he said indignantly, shooting a sharp look at Chris. "Just because I was late does not give you a-"     

            SHOOOOOOOOOO! A whistling sound suddenly formed from one of the unused computer screens, and a blinding rainbow of light filled the room.

"Good lord, what did you do!" Chris bolted from his seat and yanked out the computer plug. "It's not stopping! Run!" But they were frozen, unable to move or even breathe.