Room 508, Saturday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy and Sarah had managed to escape from their parents for a little while. Immediately after the school tour, Mrs. Li had declared she needed to rest and Mr. Li had announced that he needed to make a very important business call, which he'd need absolute silence for. Neither Li daughter needed to be a meteorologist to recognize that a storm was

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[the_family_li]

"So, let me guess. Your talent show will be some gymnastics routine?" Sarah asked. "Set to some boring song from two hundred years ago? You do know that sometimes people use good music in their performances. Even at the Olympics! Good music is possible to flip to! I know, I watched them on TV!"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Actually, no," Kathy said, blushing. "Umm, I'm going to be singing. A song. I guess. And--hey! The songs I used to perform to weren't that boring! I didn't even pick them! My coach did!"

[the_family_li]

"Wait." Sarah was grinning now. "You. Are going to be singing. On stage. In front of, like, hundreds of people? That's hilarious! I was just talking about the time you got a B- because you were too scared to sing in front of your class!"

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"Who were you even telling that to?" Kathy asked, bewildered. "When were you talking to them? You've been with me the whole day! No one's talked to you!"

[the_family_li]

"I have my ways," Sarah said smugly. "Never underestimate your adorable little sister, Kathy. I've got more powers than you can imagine."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Wait, do you?" Kathy froze, uncertain how to take that. On the one hand, it sounded like the kind of thing her sister would say to sound cool. On the other hand, with the powers that Kathy had developed, it was possible that Sarah might have something special that she was doing, too. "Like, for real and for serious?"

[the_family_li]

"Yeah," Sarah snarked. "I'm the only normal member of my family. You are so weird, sis. You know that Y-People stuff is crazy right?"

Shaking her head, she sauntered over to Kathy's closet. "Let's see if we can find something for you to wear that won't cause me secondhand embarrassment to see you in."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh my god, you sound like Sparkle," Kathy groaned. "Besides, I'm singing a traditional Korean ballad. I figure Mom and Dad can't complain too much if I'm doing something properly cultural."

Otherwise, she'd have to explain why she was putting herself out there or something.

[the_family_li]

"So you mean you're friends with someone with taste? Thank God. And please don't tell me you're going to wear that ugly temple dress, are you? Those waistbands are flattering on no one."

Sarah flung open Kathy's closet door--and stared down at a gremlin wearing a pair of Kathy's heels and practicing its strut.

"Kath? Are you hiding the world's ugliest cat in your closet?" she asked, somewhere between confused and afraid.

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"What? No, I don't have a--Sarah!" Kathy finally saw what her sister was looking at. "Don't touch it! That's a gremlin--it'll bite you!"

Oh god, there was no way Kathy could explain hallucinations from gremlin venom to her parents!

"Just back away and shut the door, okay?"

[the_family_li]

"Gremlins?" Sarah asked, half-turning to face her sister. "You're joking, right? Isn't that some cheesy 80s flick or something?"

The gremlin, incensed at first being called an ugly cat, having its very existence denied, and then being compared to one of those assholes that had invaded the island a few years ago, did the only thing that made sense in this situation.

It lunged for Sarah.

[spin_kick_snap]

Aww hell no. Not on Kathy's watch. Throwing her cover to the winds, Kathy sprinted for Sarah, practically blurring the few steps between them. Just before the gremlin could sink his fangs into Sarah's calf, Kathy picked her sister up and pivoted her away.

The gremlin bit down anyway. Flesh was flesh.

"God--fuck--dammit!" Kathy howled as it scampered away.

[the_family_li]

Sarah's jaw dropped. She didn't know what was crazier, Kathy breaking the frigging sound barrier to get to her or the way she was cussing now. Either way, the creepy critter wearing her sister's shoes was ranked third on the 'what was wrong with this picture'

"Kathy--what--?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"No time!" Kathy said, already feeling the venom get to work. Things were blurring around the edges and the colors of the room were running. "Hallucinogenic venom. I'm gonna start seeing things and acting weird. Go find Mom and Dad. Keep them busy. Don't let them find me till I find them."

She began giggling then, high-pitched and creepy.

"Go!"