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CHAPTER SIX

Thanks to a Missing Watch

We sat down at the “Rainbow” and ordered three sundaes.

“Dana, we have news about Mr Stone!”

I said.

“Yes, although it’s a very long story,” Paul added.

We told her everything: the news on the comet and the intergalactic meetings; our plan to spy on Mr Stone; finally, the teacher’s sad story.

Dana’s expression went from surprised, to worried, to ashamed, during our tale. “Our class must be much nicer to him” she said. “But this comet, maybe aliens will come to Earth!”

“Dana, please, I don’t even want to hear the word ‘alien’” I exclaimed.

“Let’s keep our eyes open for people in need, not for aliens” Paul added.

“OK, OK, sorry” said Dana.

From the window of the ice-cream parlor, I noticed that it was already dark. I looked at the time, my watch wasn’t on my wrist!

“Oh no, My watch,” I exclaimed. Then I remembered. “I left it in the gym! I took it off at recess, to play volleyball. I must go and get it!”

“But, Jenny, I’m sure that the janitor will find it and put it in a safe place,” said Paul.

“I don’t trust him. That watch is so important to me. It was a gift from my grandfather. He’s dead now, and it’s the only thing I have of him. I must go to school immediately!”

“But the school’s closed now” Dana commented.

“No, not today. Mrs Ching is at school all evening, because she’s preparing some math tests. I know because I heard her talking to Miss Smith.”

“OK. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then. I have to go home and start my homework,” Paul said.

“Me too,” Dana added.

We left the “Rainbow” and I went towards Jefferson High. The back door was open. I went in. Our gym is on the ground floor, but I didn’t go there directly. Something stopped me. I felt a strange sensation. I didn’t know what it was. Something wanted me to climb the stairs and go up to the classrooms.

I felt afraid. The school was dark and silent. I shivered. “Where am I going, Why am I climbing these stairs,” I thought. My heart beat faster and faster. Something terrible was at the top of the stairs - I sensed it - but what? I desperately wanted to run away and return home, but I couldn’t. The mysterious force inside me made me go on.

On the third floor I heard a noise.

Someone was moaning! As I passed by the janitor’s closet, the sound became louder. Someone needed help! I opened the closet. It was Mrs Ching! The old teacher was on a chair with her hands and feet tied. She was gagged and her eyes were open in terror.

“Mrs Ching,” I whispered. I took the cloth from her mouth.

“Help,” she said. “Someone is doing something wrong, and he, or she, is here now! The person is in disguise!”

“OK, Mrs Ching, stay here. Whoever it is mustn’t suspect anything.” I put the cloth back in the teacher’s mouth and left the closet.

I looked around the second floor. I was terrified. Everything was silent. The long, dark hall was very frightening.

Then I noticed something: a light was on in the computer room!

I crept to the door. Someone inside was working on a computer. I could hear fingers clicking on the keys. Slowly, very slowly, I opened the door. Just a crack. It was Mr Adams! He was typing a kind of code on the screen. Was it a password? Then he took a small, plastic object from his pocket. It looked like a key. He inserted it in the diskette slot. The screen blacked out. It flickered. Then something appeared: it was the face of an alien!!!!

The alien had a green head and big, red eyes. It didn’t have hair and it didn’t have a nose. Its mouth and ears were very small.

Then Mr Adams put his hands on his head. He was pulling at his hair. It started to come apart! He was taking off his hair, and his face! A green, bald head surfaced: I realised that he was identical to the alien on the screen! He put his “face” on the computer table.

Then the false Mr Adams started talking.

“Klyreg calls base. Klyreg here. Klyreg calls base.”

“ALTANK PILLEX, Klyreg, How is your mission proceeding,” said the alien on the screen with a mechanical voice.

“For now everything is OK. But I’m already tired of this mask, and I hate speaking this barbarian language!”

“English is not a barbarian language” I thought angrily.

“I’m sorry, but your voice implant must stay inside you until the mission has finished. Then we can remove it. Tell me, does anyone suspect you” said the alien.

“No, I don’t think so. I had a small problem with an old math teacher, but I was in disguise, and I tied her up in a closet. So, everything’s fine.”

“Ha ha, you’re wrong, I’m here now” I thought.

“I hope you’re right. Our mission can’t fail. The spaceship must come this Friday. We’ll land in the old, abandoned airfield. We’ll wait for you there. By 9:30 p.m. you must be ready. You must have the two students to take to Mitrax. We can’t be late.

When the comet leaves the Virgo constellation, we won’t be able to travel anymore. The intergalactic doors close on Friday, at midnight,” said the alien on the screen.

“I know, I know, Don’t worry. I must still choose the two students, but I think I know who I want.”

“How will you capture the students? You can’t touch them because you’re electric.”

“Aha, So the story of his prosthesis was a big, fat lie” I thought.

“On Friday evening there is a family-teachers’ meeting, During the meeting I’ll leave the other teachers.

While the parents are listening to the teachers, I’ll ask the students to come with me. I’ll invent an excuse. Then I’ll take them to the science lab and I’ll spray them with my hypnotizing spray.

Once they’re hypnotized, they’ll do everything I say. They won’t be able to think, or rebel. We’ll go out of the building by the fire-escape exit and walk to the airfield,” said Mr Adams/Klyreg.

“I’m sure he wants me” I said to myself.

“Be at the airfield by 9:30 p.m. then, Klyreg. Good luck. ALTANK PILLEX.”

“ALTANK PILLEX, Gortz,” said Mr Adams/Klyreg to the alien on the screen. Then he took the key out and the computer screen returned to normal. I silently closed the door and quickly went back to Mrs Ching.

“I can’t tell you anything; it’s for your own safety. Just act normally, and no one will hurt you,” I said.

“Who” Mrs Ching started to ask, but I escaped down the stairs and ran out of the building.

I stopped running when I was far from the school. My watch was still in the gym, but at that point I didn’t care.

I had a lot of difficulty sleeping that night. I decided to tell Paul and Dana, but no one else: no one would believe me.