Black Knight

Sitting in the back of the room, Evan watched as other students filed into the room. Most looked as if they had just woken up only a few minutes before and were not happy to be out of their beds. The chairs slowly filled up as the time drew closer to the start of class. Professor Harbaugh entered the room and began to set up his computer to start the lecture. A few students ran up to him as he arrived to ask questions about the homework due during the next class, but most just watched as if they were waiting for their death sentence. The professor started his lecture on the possible existence of other life forms on other worlds that humans had yet to discover. Evan said nothing, only listening to the professor drone on about the evolution of life on Earth and possibly other planets.

Evan’s neck prickled again. She turned her head slightly to see behind her at the back exit, nothing. Turning her head the other way, she checked the other exit; again nothing. Evan scanned the room, looking for anyone or thing out of place. There was nothing, but yet the feeling didn’t go away, no matter how many deep breaths she took. She texted Dan, warning him of her intuition and to let the others now to be extra careful. She looked at her phone, again nothing. Her phone lit up and let out a loud shrill, startling many in the room. All the students turned towards her, to glare at the person who had left his or her ringer on during class. “Shit!” Evan answered the phone as she stood up from the back row, collecting her stuff. The professor only stared at the disruptive student, unsure of what to do. “Got it…. Yes sir, they are informed and ready… Guns in the bag…. Meet at the buffalo on the plaza…. Yes sir.” As Evan turned to head down the stairs, a large guy, possibly a football player, stood in her way. “Out of my way!”

“What the hell are you talking about guns?!? You aren’t going anywhere. Someone call the cops!” he placed his hand on Evan’s shoulder, keeping her on the top step. “Get the fuck out of my way! I don’t want to hurt you.” Evan could see the smirk begin in his eyes and then form on his mouth. She knew exactly what he was thinking; she had seen it before when she would fight a new guy. They always underestimated her for her size. Those guys were always put quickly back into their place. His hand gripped her shoulder tight; without warning, she gave a quick punch to his solarplexes, not causing as much damage as she had hoped for there was more muscle on him than most she fought. He stepped back in surprise from the hit when Evan quickly delivered a kick to his upper thigh; it was close enough for him to bend over, but left him with no damage. He collapsed back into his chair, groaning. Evan ran down the stairs, racing for the door when she turned around. Some students had started to call on their phones, to whom, Evan didn’t know. But all faces showed fear of her, but now, it was too soon to explain what was happening. Most wouldn’t believe it anyways; after all they had been taught that there was no other life on other planets. It was a lie that would cost many on Earth their lives. “Stay in this room. It will be safer for you here. Trust me.” But she could tell on most of the faces, which was the last thing that many would do. She had done what she could and all she could do now was lock the doors; so that is what she did.

On her way to the buffalo statue, Evan called Dan and the others to make sure that they were meeting her and that they had gotten the warning as well. They had and were now making their way to the meeting place. When she got to the buffalo, students were milling about the nearby fountain. She watched as some students ran across the plaza screaming that someone was going to shoot up campus. “Shit, this is going to get out of control.” She thought. Evan watched as the others approached the statue. All were dressed in black and they were all men roughly the same height. Their features were taunt, eyes darting from me to both of their sides, readying themselves for any surprises. Evan could hear sirens in the background, getting closer. Students started pointing at the group of students dressed in black, grouped at the statue. The group had started to assemble their guns from there backpacks and had started to gear up as well. They removed hoodies and jackets, leaving all to be in matching uniforms or black tanks, and black pants and commando boots. Evan removed her guns, but also removed to long samurai type swords onto which she placed crossed, behind her back. Ready for what was coming, all stood in a line behind Evan, spread out and ready to move fast. This is what they had been waiting for, what they had been trained to do since they were children. The sirens no longer were quieted by distance as now the campus police had pulled up next to the black group. The cops parked the cars between the group and the students, “Throw down your weapons and get down on the ground!” yelled one officer. Evan just stared, scanning the faces of each cop. Slowly raising her gun, Evan pointed it at the cop; his eyes grew wide in shock as his orders were completely disobeyed. Evan fired. She never missed.

The cop and students screamed at the sound of the exploding gun. The cop grabbed his chest, desperately searching for the bullet wound, but there was none. No blood, no pain. He looked back at the students, searching for the one the gun hit. Again nothing; all the students were crouched behind the car or behind the brick pillars decorating the building. The cop slowly raised his head and peeking into the window of the car door saw a site that no police training or movie could have ever prepared him for. Standing still in front of him was a giant, dirty man. His hair was dreadlocked, naturally. It was matted thick with dirt, and something that had dried, looking similar to old blood. His clothes were of a similar color to his hair and they were torn in so many places that his clothes looked more like stitched together skin with all of the patches. The cop stood higher, confused on where the man had come from. The man had something in his hand, it looked like some kind of club, but the man held it more as a gun. The thing hung limply from the man’s hand. It too was dirty as the man. Evan heard the cop say something but she didn’t understand it. The cop watched as the man turned around and was shocked into a heart attack. The man had no lips or nose. His teeth shone white compared to his dirt covered face; the teeth had either been filed to sharp points or had occurred naturally; most likely the former. In place of his nose was the two holes that existed on a skeleton. It was as if the nose had never formed no cartilage, no nothing except the absence of what should have been.

But his face no longer matter when his head exploded into bloody mulch after Evan fired again, this time hitting his head. Evan closed her eyes and took a breath, clearing her sight to see more than what people choose to see. When she opened them, she quickly counted about twenty or so others similar to the dirty stranger, twenty Rockhounds.