Valmont Sharp: Monster Hunter Read online

  The first half of Chris's day was pretty uneventful. He never really has trouble at school and is a B student. Because of this he figured it would be fine if he spent this day focused on something else. He looked around him class rooms carefully so that the teacher would not notice and tried to see if anyone was watching him, if anyone had that same weird gaze that Ed McCannon had. Twice the teacher told him to focus on his work and not to “Stargaze” but for the most part he though he did a good job staying unnoticed.

  Every once in a while it looked like one of the students was staring at him but when he took a closer look at them the look in their eyes was not the same. One of the security guards seemed to have his attention focused on Chris but the man was wearing sun glasses and Chris could not know. Those guards always focus on people that seem suspicious and Chris would not be surprised if his behavior today is doing just that.

  So he made it though the first half of the day with no real luck. He really wanted to find someone watching him so he could question them. Chris made his way into the cafeteria where he found his usual seat next to his best friends Ricardo Lancel, and Jason Alberts who were already arguing about last nights show just like Chris expected.

  Ricardo who is a bit pudgy and darker skinned with black hair and dark down eyes wearing a shirt with a shadowed creature with six eyes. “That was by far the worst show of 2005. It was way below the Sharp standard of quality in every regard. The effects were weaker, the action was weaker, the threat was non existent. Really a ghost? Ghosts were so 2002 in Sharp standards and 'The living house' was so much better.”

  Jason is very thin, almost too thin, and tall nearly six feel, with thick glasses covering his sky clue eyes and a mess of dirty blond hair. If he worked out and put some effort into his appearance he could be seen as attractive “Come on Ric they can't all be the 'Vanishing horror of Chuix'.”

  Chuix was one of Valmont Sharp's best shows in the eyes of many of his fans and the best show by far of 2005. It was a three month long show where Sharp and his team visited three abandoned towns, found a cult worshiping a creature called Chuix consisting of people from all three towns. Over the course of the event about a third of the audience joined the cult and helped it attempting to bring the creature to our world, even members of Sharp's own team were suddenly under Chuix's control. If there was ever a time it looked like Sharp's shows were real and that his failure meant the end of humanity the Chuix show was it.

  Ric shakes his head and takes a bite of his pizza, “I'm not asking for that ether. All I'm saying is we have came to expect more from Valmont Sharp and he can't expect his fans to be satisfied with a simple ghost story in the same year as an Outer God. It's disappointing.”

  Jason nods in agreement as he takes a sip of his soda, Ric has a point but he won't end it there. “But that's just it they can't all be seat of your pants masterpieces like that. Sharp and his team need a breather to do something simpler. It makes sense they would follow up Chuix with something like thus. Besides even the most mundane Sharp show is amazing if you have seen them in person, oh wait.” Jason knew that was a low blow but one that always gets to the co vice president.

  “I had tickets set for the Vampire of Orleans but, the show was over before we even got on the plane. I will go to one some day.” The Vampire of Orleans was two years ago and Ric has been saying that ever since.

  Chris just smiles and sighs, the two vice Presidents of the Sharp Monster experience fan club of Woodridge high are always like this. They tend to forget that anyone else is there even their best friend and president of the club, “Hi Ric, hi Jason, I take it the show disappointed you guys.”

  Ric looks at Chris pretending his did not know he's there until just now, “Whoa where did you come from?”

  Jason who is more the more serous of the two frowns, “He was sitting there for ten minutes looking for a break in our conversation.”

  Chris takes a bite of his tuna sandwich, “Hey Ric, did you get anyone from the club to show up at your midnight viewing of show last night? Or was it a bust again.” Ric keeps setting up viewings at his house for the night shows, mainly inviting the female club members who never show. He tends to ether end up alone or with a few guys.

  Ric raises his hands in defiance, “Hey I have learned those never work.” he then mumbles, “Besides that show was not scary so none of the girls would jump in my arms anyway.”

  The three share a laugh and then Chris scans the cafeteria, he does not see anything strange so he turns to his two best friends, “I was wondering have you noticed people staring at me? Maybe with a zoned out gaze?”

  Ric Laughs thinking it's a joke “You mean like someone under an evil spell? Hahaha, can't say I have.”

  Jason closes his eyes for a second as if thinking about it, “Wait five minutes then look behind Ric, at the Goth table. She seems normal now but in five minutes she will stare at you. She has done it for the last four days. At first I thought she had a crush on you then I realized two things, she's human so she can't have a crush on you and she does not blink. She stares at you pretty much without looking away or blinking for ten minutes and then returns to normal like nothing happened.”

  Chris looks at his friend in wonder, “How do you know this?”

  “It's Sam 'Ebony Star' Lutz.” Jason has had a crush on the sixteen year old blond with black streaks in her hair for three years even before she went goth and became the lead singer of the Punk bank 'Ebony Lights.' Jason has gone to all of her shows, and knows pretty much everything there is to know about her, he has just never been able to talk to her.

  Chris looks over at the goth table, Sam is talking to the other two members in her band like nothing is wrong with her. While she is not his type the blond goth in the Black and red ripped skirt with a pink skull in the center is quite attractive. He turns away from her since there are still a few minutes before she goes into a trance, if Jason is right.

  “See.” Jason Whispered at Chris a few minutes later. Chris turns around and yeah Sam was looking right at him with out blinking. Her friends seem to be involved in their own conversations so they are not noticing anything. Besides Sam tends to have her moments where she seems lost in thought so this is nothing new to them. “Is that what you were talking about?”

  “Yeah that's how Mr. McCannon looked. So you say it lasts ten minutes?” Chris asks.

  “Roughly I never timed it to be honest, I could never stare at someone none stop without blinking.” Jason glares at Ric so that he does not say what was surely on his mind.

  Rather then his rude comment Ric stands, “We should talk to her.”

  “Ric that's not wise.” Jason says but Ric has already walking toward Sam and the Goth table. He looks at Chris who nods and the three of them head over to the table. “Sam?” Ric asks. While Sam's attention has not shifted from staring blankly at Chris the other goths at the table look at all three of them.

  “What do you want with Sam?” A male goth kid asks. “Can't you see she's deep in thought.”

  “Deep in thought?” Ric asks angerly, “Chris walk over to the other side of the table please.” Chris does as his friend says, Sam's head and eyes follow Chris closely, her foggy glance seemingly ignoring everything else in the room. “Does that look like deep in thought? Seems mindless to me, like a Zombie.”

  Erik is tall (but not as tall as Jason) kid in all black, with skull earrings and a pale face stands, “This is not one of Sharp's made up shows.” While probably half the Goth’s at the table are fans of Valmont Sharp and his shows, Erik Albright is one of the more outspoken critics against it. “Tell him to leave Sam alone.”

  “Ur?” Sam tries to form words but can't, in her trance like state she truly does seem mindless. Her friends never bothered her never tried to talk to her in this state.

  Ric moves closer to Erik, “This doesn't seem weird to you? Come on you are her band mate you should know when Sam is acting out of character.”

  “I...” Erik back
s away as he is not a fighter. “Maybe we should take her to the nurse?”

  “No need.” Jason says holding Ric back, “She should be fine soon.”

  “How do you know that?” Erik finds that strange but he would not press the matter further if he does not have to.

  “I pay attention to things and I have a photographic memory.” He does not want Erik to know he has a crush on Sam as Erik has feelings for her as well. “I have noticed Sam looking over at my friend the past couple days and it seemed weird. It always ended after ten minutes. Right now.”

  Sam still looking at Chris closes her eyes and rubs them with her hands, and then opens her eyes. She has done thing every day since she has started blacking out. She never remembers what happens but knows she has small blanks in her memory, she does not like people worrying about her so she never brought it up. “Erik? Jason? Chris? Elmondo?” She called Ricardo Elmondo as she does not know him, she has known Jason for years and knows Chris by reputation.

  “Ricardo.” Ric responds but Sam does not respond.

  “Do you remember what happened Sam? Do you know what happened in the last ten minutes?” Erik asked still doubting there is anything strange going on. “You were just deep in thought right?”

  “I. I don't think so. I blacked out, it's been happened a lot lately. How long has it been?” Sam asks Erik.

  “Ten minutes according to Jason anyway.” Erik moves over to Sam and helps her up, “We should get help, do you feel sick?”

  “No. I just don't remember, wait was I staring at Chris?” Sam doesn't know why she asked that but it just feels right.

  “Yes, do you know why?” Chris asks her.

  “No.” She opens up her phone and sees that it is time for her next class. “We should get going, see you guys around.”

  As Sam leaves with her friends Jason calls out to her, “How about we met up after school, us three you, Erik, and Alison and we try to figure this out.” Alison is the third member of Sam's band.

  Sam looks at Erik who nods, “Yes I think that would be fine.” She and Erik along with the rest of their friends walk out of the cafeteria.

  Ric pats his friend on the back, “Was this all some elaborate plan on your part to actually talk to Sam? Man if it was that's just sad.”

  Chapter Three