Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

you remember?”
    He glanced down and glared at the IV taped to his hand then back at me. He blinked slowly and shot me a deadly look. I started to feel his hostility.
    “What happened?” I said softly, as I backed away, trying not to irritate him further.
    “Nothing happened, and you should mind your own business. Did they send you in here to interrogate me?” he barked.
    “No.”
    “I really just want to be left alone,” he said, while loosening the tape on his hand.
    “Okay, I can go. But can I call your parents and let them know you’re here?”
    “No. Just go. GO!”
    Suddenly feeling afraid for my life, I stepped back, tripped over the chair leg and stumbled out of the room. Something was seriously wrong and I sensed he was on the verge of freaking out. I looked for the nurse to warn her, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found.
    In the room, the heart machine started beeping loudly. A staff person got up to investigate, but Phil, now dressed, stood in the doorway of his room. He pushed past me, not acknowledging my presence and ran down the hallway away from us.
    “Sir. SIR!” the male nurse called after him.
    Phil ignored him too.
    Instinctively, I ran after Phil, but he disappeared in a blur. Once I reached the doors to exit the hospital, he was nowhere to be seen.
    It was if he had vanished into thin air.

10 - DRAMA
    A ll I wanted to do was escape school and be alone. And if stubborn Mrs. Hinney, the school secretary, would’ve given me Phil’s address, I would’ve ditched.
    Instead, she gave me a lecture on student privacy and how she’d be breaking the law if she gave out student information without parental permission, blah, blah, blah. So, I returned to first period P.E. class, sat on the bleachers and watched the boys’ locker room door, waiting for Phil to emerge.
    With my jacket’s hood pulled over my head, elbows on my knees and my chin resting in my hands, I suddenly started feeling very sleepy. After finally falling asleep last night, I ended up reliving the same horrible nightmares again and woke at 2:20 a.m. unable to go back to sleep. Last night’s dream was particularly disturbing and involved me running from fanged creatures at the beach. I forced myself awake when one looked similar to Phil.
    The locker room door flew open. I held my breath. False alarm. It was only Jordan. Where was Phil?
    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sam staring at me with a frown. I’d been so wrapped up in waiting for Phil I didn’t notice the girls’ volleyball game. She took advantage of the moment when her team switched sides and ran over to talk to me.
    “You okay?” she said, out of breath.
    “No, actually. Something happened after you left last night,” I said quietly. “. . . with Phil.”
    “Phil?”
    A smile spread on her face. I could tell she got the wrong impression again.
    “No, it’s not like that. Something bad,” I quickly said.
    “Oh?”
    “Come on Sam, let’s go,” Coach called out. “You can socialize after class.”
    “I have to go play,” she said and made a face out of view of our teacher and moved to rejoin her team.
    The class period droned on. Sam periodically exchanged worried glances with me and I knew the wait was killing her too. After the bell rang, I paced by the locker room door. Sam was the first to exit.
    “So?” she asked half-worried, half-excited. “Tell me.”
    I took a deep breath and caught her up to speed.
    “He ran off?” she asked in astonishment.
    “I was hoping he’d come to school today, but he’s not here.”
    “Oh. My. Gosh.” Sam paled. “Where did he go?”
    “That’s just it. I don’t know. But something is wrong with him. He seriously acted almost possessed.”
    An image of Phil’s face flashed through my mind. The animalistic fire in his eyes still frightened me and it reminded me of my nightmare.
    Sam stood there, mouth open but speechless. I wanted to continue, but the second bell rang and we were now late for History.
    Quickly we rushed through the door and took our seats. A messenger from the office spoke privately to Mr. Marshall and prevented him from noticing we were tardy. I took advantage of the moment and I opened my notebook to write Sam a note.
    “Julia,” Mr. Marshall said abruptly.
    I froze.
    “Yes?” I said, my cheeks changing from pink to crimson.
    I slowly shut my notebook and tried to look inconspicuous.
    “You need to collect your things and go to the principal’s office.”
    A low