Chapter 1-A Tolu Invades

My last week of Highschool till I'm thrown out into the real world. Actually I still got the rest of baseball season so theirs that. but still, can't believe I'm almost done.

" Yo, Cash."

" Huh."

I was sitting at a group of bunched up desks with my friends Luke and Nick who I've been friends with sense elementary school. Nick had noticed me starring into nothing and called out my name.

" You with us dude." Nick said holding out a new baseball glove placing it in the center of the table. Nick was a simple looking guy with brown hair that laid flat on his head.

" Uh. What were you saying."

" This is the new glove I bought. What you think." I picked it up and examined it.

" It's nice. How much was it."

" !80 bucks." 

" What!" Luke let out a shocked scream as he snatched the glove from my hand it took a look at it as well. He seemed to be much more thorough with his examination, running his hand along the stitches on the glove.

"For this?"

"What? Is their something wrong with it." Nick snatched it back shoving it back in his bag.

" No but it's not 180 dollars worth, . . I don't think It will make you any better." Luke shot him an antagonizing smile while putting his hands on the back of his head and leaning back into his chair. .

Luke was a plane looking guy with jet black hair that he had sticking up like spikes but letting the sides rest down by his ears. He to was on the baseball team with me and Nick.

" Shut up. Who plays shortstop and who doesn't."

" I play centerfield. That's way cooler."

" No it's not. We all no the ladies love shortstops."

" Nah. They love pitchers."

" Uh. . .Yea your right."

I tuned out their voices as they continued to argue about who was better and who gets more girls.

I turned to another group of desks which were occupied all by girls. One of the desks was empty, the person who was missing was a girl named Liza, a childhood friend.

" Did you here about the Tolu attack just south of here." I over heard some of the girls speaking on a rather disturbing topic.

Tolu, creatures that are created from the fear of unknown creatures. . . They take the shape of hideous monsters and destroy anything that they want. 

" Yea. It's scary to think one could just appear like that."

" Yeah. But I also heard the Tolu hunters eliminated it in just seconds."

" Really!"

" Yea. They might look scary but apparently their rather weak right now."

" Isn't that because people have begun to fear them less." 

Tolu strength is determined by peoples fear of them. the fear of the unknown is what lead to their creation, but fear of Tolu alone is what leads to their strength. The world politicians have urged for people to not fear these monsters in hopes to weaken them so the hunters will have a easy time dispersing them.

" Yo Cash." I heard Nicks voice again. " What you doin starring at those girls." I quickly turned around a little embarrassed as he definitely said it loud enough for said girls to hear.

" Shut up."

" . . .Dude. Go talk to them if you interested."

" I'm not." At least not any of them. I was only looking that way to se If Liza was here yet.

"Dude, it's the last weak of Highschool. You really goanna chicken out." I avoided eye contact with him as he leaned in grabbing my shoulder from the other side of the table. " Dude. I'm a guy and can tell your easily one of the best looking dudes in the school. your six foot four. you've got blonde hair and your the star pitcher for our baseball team."

" Give it up." Luke interrupted Nicks rant about my good looks. I was glad because it was starting to weird me out. " First off Nick you've never had a girlfriend so you don't have room to speak on this subject matter."

" Hey!" Nick turned sharply to face Luke letting go of my shoulder. I heard the door to the class open but as I turned to see who it was Luke was the one now grabbing my shoulder. For some reason that's the spot the grab to get my attention.

" We all know your only interested Liza."

" Uhh. . . Sh-Shut up." I felt my face turn red

"Ha. Stuttering means it's true. . . Hey, don't worry man I understand."

" Huh?"

" Like she's cute, and her hair is a weird but beautiful bright red color." Luke let go of my shoulder and leaned back into his chair again. The room was full of noise from the other students. A wind was coming from an open window. A cool summer wind.

" `Yea but she's lacking in the important areas." 

" Shut up Nick. That's why you never had a girl like you."

" Hey!" Nick had a aggravated look on his face. He turned away from Luke and stared at me. Then his eyes darted up behind me and his upset face turned into one of amusement.. . . At that same time. Luke suddenly shut up and I felt a presence behind me.

I turned my head slowly to find a girl with bright red hair and pale delicate skin standing behind me. Liza, in her red top that stopped just below her shoulders and red girls sport shorts with white leggings. . . . I felt my heart skip a beat as I had no idea what she had heard and what she was thinking but currently. . . She was giving the same smile she always does.'

" Hey Cash." Her voice was the same soft tone she always had. Looking into her soft blue eyes gave me a sense of warmth and comfort.

" Uh. . . Hey Liza. How long were you standing their?" 

" I just got here." Maybe she was the person I heard walk through the door. I looked over to her desk was and saw her bags confirming that. I let out a sigh of relief. If she would of heard I would of jumped out the window, were on the third floor of the building by the way.

" Can I borrow you for a second." She reached down grabbing my wrist pulling me from my chair to my feet.

" Uh wai-"

" It won't take long."

She pulled me towards the door exiting the class room. I saw the whole classroom starring as she practically dragged me out the class. I wouldn't expect her to have this much strength. She's crushing my wrist. I looked back to Luke and Nick as I was being pulled. Nick had a jealous look on his face and Luke gave me a smile and thumbs up.

Liza opened up the door and forced me out. My heart was beating faster than I could think. I have known Liza all my life and I've had a crush since middle school. I have never worked up the courage to tell her but maybe today. . .

" We need to move. Follow." She spoke with urgency. She walked ahead of me and I followed.

" Move? Where are we going-" Suddenly an alarm blared. The one specified for Tolu attacks was blaring throughout the school. I heard screams of fear from inside classrooms I was passing with Liza,

" Shit." Liza had a much more serious look to her face one I had never seen. She reached back and grabbed my wrist and began to run. My mind was racing trying to figure out exactly what she was doing. 

Her eyes narrowed as we climbed down the steps to the bottom floor. Reaching the bottom hall we heard a crash from down the hall followed by dust blocking our line of sight. Still I felt Liza pulling me forward. . . We broke threw the dust as I emptied my lungs of the dust that had infiltrated.

Looking ahead I saw a massive creature with long arms stomping on top of rubble. My heart was still racing but no longer due to Liza, but fear. I attempted to stop my feet but Liza still pulled me forward. . . Were heading for that thing!

Liza then let go of my wrist causing me to slide to a stop.. She turned her red hair obstructing her left eye as she did. She waved her palm in front of my eyes . . . A smell of roses entered my nose along with rose peddles falling blocking my view of Liza.

I pushed the rose peddles out of my way to find Liza standing starring directly at the Tolu. Her red top had turned into a type of armor and her shorts were now a skirt and her white leggings working as the armor for her legs.

" Liza. . ." She turned her head and looked at me with that same smile. . . I finally figured out what was going on. Liza was a Tolu hunter. . . The Tolu let out a blood curdling roar as it locked onto Liza. It reared back and launched one of it's arms in our direction. LIza stood with zero fear.

" I need this!" A flash of light blinded my eyes for a moment. Once it was gone I saw Liza holding a bright shiny new sword that she didn't have before. . . Then in a moment I felt my sleeve go limp. . . My arms gone! 

The creatures hand shot down the hall for Liza. She dashed forward meeting it closing half the distance in a single step, she cut through it's entire arm with one slash. Rose pedals fell from her blade as she did. The second arm came shooting as the Tolu let out a scream.

Liza didn't cut this one. Instead she jumped on it and ran down it like a path to victory. The Tolu let out a screech as it retracted it's arm. Liza launched up in the air smashing through the roof into the second floor.

"LIZA-" At first I though she had gotten hit. My worries were then extinguished as I saw her shoot through the opening above the Tolu cutting it down the middle followed by rose pedals.

Liza landed elegantly on the floor as the Tolu slowly turned to dust and blew away leaving Liza surrounded by slow falling Rose pedals.

The shined brightly through the hole in the building created from the Tolu. The angle of the suns light shined directly through the opening onto Liza. . . In that moment.

" So Beautiful."