Page 35 of Light Leech

Boyband looked the same, but as old as Kuni, the only one who retained stern determination as we all looked up at the giant robotic spider centaur and her joyous face. A royal warrior rode on her back with a jeweled crown and a staff she pointed to call a charge.

The glorious creature galloped towards Boyband, who ran laughing with hands in the air. He looked back, pointed a taunting finger, but was tossed across the room before he could say anything.

His body hit the wall and confetti shot out of his mouth upon impact. Rainbow drool dripped out of his wide smile.

Naoma and I looked at each other, laughed, then saw Boyband was laughing harder than the both of us.

“Focus!” Kuni shouted.

What was his problem? Didn’t he want to play?

“Frail mind.” The image of a stupid pig was stuck in my head

“Shut up!” I yelled. The stupid bossy pig was bothering me.

“Ascend and you shall overcome such cognitive assaults.”

“I don’t know what your saaaaying, so shut up?”

“What did you say?” The warrior queen walked closer to me on her big spider friend. I liked the big thing, but she kind of scared me.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean nothing to–”

“That does not excuse your punishment.” She was getting closer and didn’t look like she wanted to play.

“But I’m just a kid!”

Boyband still coughed confetti and looked like he was tired because he was sitting.

“I don’t get this game!’ Naoma said and stomped her feet. “Why are you just playing with the boys?”

“Stop!” Kuni shouted. “This isn’t a game!”

Sanna laughed. It wasn’t the good kind of laugh that made me want to laugh too. I was confused. Why was she laughing?

“You want to play, girl?” Sanna moved her giant spider to walk up to Naoma.

“Hey!” I shouted. I stomped my feet like Naoma. “Are you going to tell her the rules without me?”

Sanna looked over her shoulder, whispered something that I couldn’t hear into the spider robot’s ear, then the spider lady kicked me.

It ticked. It tickled a lot and my head felt funny when I bounced off the wall. The wall looked bouncy but didn’t really feel like it. I coughed out confetti just like Boyband and my head felt fuzzy. Still, I could see one of the legs grab Naoma like a snake.

“Owie!” Naoma whined. “That tickles too much! Please!” she laughed. “Please it really tickles!”

“Stop!” Kuni grabbed the leg with both hands, really strong, then his eyes lit up. He turned gray like a snake but he kinda looked like a fish. Was something wrong with him? Yellow flashes shot out from his arms and the spider lady’s leg exploded.

She screamed and ran back as the leg that was holding Naoma broke into pieces like building blocks.

“Let’s make her confetti, too!” I said, wiping away the rainbow running out of my nose.

“Yeah!” Naoma laughed.

“No!” Sanna said, then made her spider lady run at us, but she moved weirdly without one of her legs.

“Use me,” the pig man said.

“What?”