L7

Allan stared down at The Illusion Lock. The pattern on the wings of the butterfly enchanted him, but he also knew the dangers it held. With a glance down at his pocket, he took out the rest of his locks, and sorted through them. They were all so big that he couldn't hold all six of them at once.
Allan looked over at Shan, who was lightly napping after eating his breakfast on Allan's desktop.
"Shan?" Allan asked.
"Um hmm?" Shan asked.
"Well, I was wondering, I'm getting alot of locks, and-"
"There are around fifty locks." Shan grumbled.
"I know that!" Allan objected, "But-"
"Allan!" Leonardo Danvillian called from downstairs, "You'll be late!"
"Okay!" Allan called and turned back to Shan, "But Shan-"
"Allan! Hurry up!" Leonardo called.
"I'm coming! Now Shan-" Allan started.
"Allan!"
"You'll be late." Shan murmered sleepily.
"ALLAN!"
Allan let out a cry of frustration, and stomped out of his room.

"You gonna stand there all day?"
Allan turned on the wheels of his skates to see Don standing behind him.
"Just waiting for you." Allan replied with a smile.
"Are you calling me slow?" Don joked.
"You know it."
Allan shoved the Illusion Lock, which he had been standing and looking at for awhile, into his pocket, and began to skate.
"Why were you stareing at that lock?" Don asked.
"Just thinking." Allan replied.
'' 'Bout what?" Don asked.
"Well, I-" Allan started.
Briiinngg!!!
"We're late!" Don cried, skating ahead of Allan.
"Rrrr..." Allan growled in frustration, and started to catch up with Don.
Allan skated furiously, wizzing past Don, and once he reached the school steps, he jumped up, spun his body to the side, reached down and touched his skates, and landed on the top of the small threshold to the school.
"How do you do that?" Don gasped, skating to the bottom of the stairs.
"Practice." Allan replied, unhooking the buckle on his skates and pulling them off.
"It's like you can fly. I whish I could do that." Don went on.
"Yeah. Maybe you can." Allan said, only half-listening.
"Yeah."

Allan slumped dpwn in his seat just as Ms. McLoan, Allan's science and history teacher, walked into the room. She sat her small shoulder bag on the desk, and walked to the front of the classroom. Her green eyes sparkled as she gazed over the class.
"Good morning class. No doubt you heard the exciting news on the announcements before the bell this morning..." She paused and glanced at Allan and Don, "... But for those who didn't, our class is going to have an exciting history project on the history of the very town you live in."
A history report on our town? Allan thought, What could have possibly happened here? This place is so boring.
"We will be breaking into groups of two," Allan and Don smiled, "and going downtown to the library to do some reading." Ms. McLoan walked back over tom her desk, "Then you're on your own."
"When's it due?" Someone asked.
"The end of the week. Two pages for each person." Ms. McLoan replied.
The end of the week??? Only four days to find something exciting about this place?? Allan thought for a moment, Something that I can write about without exposing the Locks.
"This'll be great." Don said to himself, pulling out a pad of paper from his binder.

Allan leaned against a shelf of books int he local library as Don skimmed through a thick, old-looking book.
"Cool." Don murmered, stopping at one of the pages.
"What?" Allan asked.
"Well, back in Colonial times, a British Loyalist was hung on Main Street, and afterwards---" Don said.
Allan only half-listened as Don told him what he had read. Allan was busy stareing out the large glass section of the ceiling above him.
Don snapped the book closed, and smiled, "I'm gonna check this one out!"
"O-okay." Allan said, snapping out of his daze.
Don grabbed another book off the shelf, and pushed it against Allan's chest, "You take this one. Find some interesting stuff." Don said, smiling as Allan took the book, "I've got the interveiws and the two points of interest," Don began reading off his progect discriptor the teacher had given them not long before, "You get the timeline and a few interesting things."
"Yeah. Okay." Allan replied, putting the book to his side.
"Let's get started." Don said, snatching his notebook off the shelf and heading over to a few round wooden tables a few feet off. Allan sighed and looked out the glass ceiling once again, watching a few white birds fly off in the distance, and he silently wished he could be with them.

Allan sat hunched over some papers and a book at his desk, which was placed against the east wall. Shan sat on Allan's bed on the other side of the room, munching on some Spicey Cajun Pringles.
Allan stared blankly at the book, tapping his pencil against a sheet of completely blank notebook paper.
"Ooh..." Allan groaned, cradling his head in his hands, "I don't know what to do..."
"Try starting out with the name of the town." Shan suggested from Allan's bed.
"Okay..." Allan said wearily, picking up his pencil and scribbling down the name of his town: EASTVEIW, ILLINOIS.
"Hey..." Allan siad, perking up, "Shan! How'd the Locks get here in the first place?! There had to be someone from China here, right? How'd they get here?!"
"I dunno. I was asleep." Shan replied with a touch of grumpiness as he tossed the empty Pringles can aside.
"Oh." Allan said, all the energy seeming to drain out of his body. He yawned, and streached his arms above his head, "I'm sleepy. G'night Shan."
"Goodnight?! But-But you haven't done anything yet!" Shan stammered.
"I've still got three days." Allan replied, shoving his books into his backpack.
"Are all children like this now?" Shan asked, floating over to Allan.
"Yeah, I guess." Allan answered.
"Disipline is all but gone now." Shan murmered to himself, "They said it would happen. Children commanding their parents, not doing their work, not doing anything."
Allan stared at Shan.
"Sorry, just had to get that out." Shan said, laughing.
Allan yawned again, "G'night Shan."
"G'night Allan."

The night passed swiftly. It seemed to Alan he had just closed his eyes, and then the sunlight was burning his eyes through his eyelids.
"Ooh.." Allan groaned, sitting up. He rubbed his arm and winced when the sunlight hit his eyes.
"Good mourning." Shan said from his desk, eating some Spicey Cajun Pringles.
"Mourning." Allan grumbled, sitting on the edge of his bed, "What happened? I feel so achey all over."
"You were groaning alot last night." Shan replied, "Like you were having a really bad dream."
"I feel like I've ran around the school track until I fainted." Allan replied, standing up, "I'm glad we only have a half day of school today."
"Don't get too excited. You have to meet Don downtown after school, remember?" Shan asked through his constant munching.
Allan walked over to his closet, stripping off his shirt, "Hey Shan, yesterday I tried to ask you something. I have six locks," Allan slipped on another shirt, "So how am I going to carry all of them? I can barely fit all six into my pockets now."
"Just stick them all in your pocket." Shan replied.
"But-" Allan started.
"Just do it, please." Shan said, picking up another chip and eating it in one big bite.
Allan knelt down, and pulled the Seona Chest out from the hole in his closet. The Gold glinted in the sunlight as he opened it. Six sparkling locks floated out, hovering around Allan a bit before they stacked ontop of eachother on the carpet infront of him.
Allan picked up the locks, and slipped them into the small pocket on the sides of his pajama bottoms.
"Huh?" Allan gaped, feeling the locks collapse as they slipped into the pocket. He patted his pocket, feeling his leg underneath the soft cotton, but no locks.
"Hey! They're gone!" Allan gasped.
"Reach in and pull out the Good Lock." Shan replied.
"How'll I know which one it is?" Allan asked, sticking his hand in his pocket.
"You just will." Shan replied.
Allan pulled out his hand, holding the Good Lock.
"Cool!" Allan said in awe.
"Yes. Seona found that transporting the locks was a bit of a struggle, so she made the locks do that." Shan replied, eating the last chip. He picked up the can and held it above his head, looking inside it. Crumbs tumbled out of the can and hit his face.
"We're out..." Shan said, putting down the can, "... Again."

"...Yes, and about the srtructure of the building..." Don said.
Allan stood beside him, only half-listening as Don and the old woman at the front desk droaned on and on and on...
How can he find this interesting? Allan thought, leaning on the desk with his elbows.
They were downtown at Eastview's oldest and largest building. Don was gathering more information on the place. Allan was steadlily getting more and more bored, and it showed. He was gradually slumping down and every second his eyelids would go down a little bit.
"...First statehouse...Fire in....."
Now Allan was only getting bits and pieces of the conversation as he slumped down.
Running...
"...and rebuilt in..."
Running to something... Running to someone...
"....very interesting..."
Allan was running. Running down the street in a costume. He stared up at the large building in the middle of the town... The clock...
He stopped, stareing up at it, but seing someone else at the same time...
A girl... Black hair... A board, no, an anchient compass...
"Allan?"
"Allan?"
"Huh?! Huh?!" Allan cried, jerking up, realizing he was back inside the old, mold-smelling building.
The lady and Don held the same expression on their face as they stared at Allan.
"Oh..." Allan said, embarrased, "Sorry."
The old lady smiled, "Go take a look around it you'd like." She said.
"Okay, thank you." Don said, grabbing Allan's arm and pulling him towards the stairwell at the other side of the room.
They walked up the creaking stairs, and as soon as they were out of hearing range, Don said, "What were you doing?!"
"Sorry." Allan laughed, "It just got a little boring, that's all."
"Well, remember, you have to do the timeline and the interesting stuff." Don replied.
"I know," Allan lied, "I remember."
Allan looked up the spiraling stairwell above them, seeing the very top of the skylights far above.
"Hey! Let's climb to the top!" Allan said, an idea sparking in him.
"What? No way!" Don objected.
"Please?! I need soem frest air!" Allan whined, "And it would be so cool! C'mon!"
"I dunno." Don replied, eyeing him suspiciouly, "What're you gonna do?"
"Just look." Allan replied.
"Well, I guess." Don replied, smiling, "Let's go!"

The skylight of the very top of the building opened, and Allan and Don cautiously stepped out. Allan held a wild leam in his eyes, and Don clutched his papers and notes he had taken, fearing he might drop them off the building.
"This is great!" Allan cried, runnign up to the edge of the roof, "Look! The school! Wow!"
Allan ran around the roof, looking at all angles of the city, "This is great! Don, come look!"
"O-Okay." Don replied, stepping up to the edge, and lookng over.
"Isn't it great?" Allan asked.
Don didn't answer.
"Don?" Allan asked.
Don's head raised, and what Allan saw caused him to gasp.
Don's eyes had gone completely white.
"D-Don?" Allan asked.
Something on Don's back began to shimmer. Somekind of golden object appearred on his bac, sticking out like one of those keys you stick in those old wind-up soldiers to make them run. Except this thing had a golden U-shaped thing at the bottom, a series of think, golden layres, and a large jewel lined with gold, and ater a few more layres, a long golden point. Wings suddenly spouted from the object, nearly tweo times bigger than Don himself.
"Don!!" Allan cried, stumbling backwards, falling flat on his backside.
'Don' flapped his wings a few times, and took to the air, flying away from Allan.
"Don! Come back!" Allan cried, jumping up.
Allan pulled out his key.
"Key of Seona! Evil of Darkness! Goodness of Light! Surrender the wand, so I may fight! Release!" Allan cried.
The Seona symbol appearred under him as magical energy flew around him, eveloping the key. The key grew swiftly into the long wand, and Allan grabbed it.
"A Lock! I know it!" Allan cried, running up to the edge of the building.
He looked down, "How'm I going to do this?" He asked.
He looked at the building about five feet below. It was only about two feet away from the building he stood on.
"I can make it..." Allan said, and jumped off.
He hit the building on his feet, and fell to his knees, cursing loudly.
He stood back up, seeing 'Don' flying overhead.
"This is like Arrow..." Allan said, "It's got him!"
Allan took out a lock, "It worked with the Arrow lock!" He cried.
Allan threw the lock into the air, the image of a male angel on it's front.
"Good Lock! Release and Dispell!" Allan cried, slipping the key-part of his wand into the lock's keyhole.
The lock burst open, golden lights flying out of it. From the lights, the angel appearred, flying infront of Don.
But Don flew right through the angel. The angel flashed brightly, and a lock fell back towards Allan.
"It didn't work!" Allan cried, running after 'Don', "Maybe..."
Allan threw out another lock, "Illusion!"
The butterfly flew into the sky, infront of 'Don'. Its wings flashed brightly, reflecting the same pattern the was on it's wings onto Don's face.
But Don flew right through the butterfly, and another lock fell back to Allan.
Allan caught the lock, and looked ahead, seeing the edgeof the building.
"AHHH!" Allan crtied, leaping off the building, and landing on the next building, which was set extremely close to the previous building.
Allan pulled out another lock, knowing what he had to do.
The lock showed the image of a golden bow that looked like a curved arrow with wings at the bottom.
"Arrow Lock! Grant your powers to my key! Release and dispell!" Allan cried, hitting the lock.
The lock snapped open, and golden lights billowed out oft the lock, swirling around the wand. When the lights faded, Allan held the bow in his hand. Allan held out his free hand, and a golden haze appearred above it. An arrow formed from the yellow haze, and fell into his hand.
Allan leveled the arrow with the bow, and aimed at the golden object sticking out of 'Don's' back.
"Sorry Don." Allan whispered, closing his eyes and releasng the arrow.
The arrow whizzed through the air, and struck 'Don' in the back.
The thing in Don's back flashed brightly, and Don fell from the sky. He landed with th hard thump on the roof of the building. Allan ran up to him.
"Don?! Don?!" Allan cried.
The wings beat a few times, and the golden object seperated from Don's back, flying up, 'facing' Allan.
Alllan leveled his wand, glaring at the thing.
"Seona Lock! I command you, return to your power confined! Seona Lock!" Allan cried, swinging his wand down.
A ripple went through the air around key-part of his wand, and a small translucent lock appearred around it. Bright white lights flew out of the lock, wrapping around the wings of the thing. The wings struggled, flapping and trying to get away form the lights. But in the end, it was sucked into the lock. The lock snapped shut, and clattered to the ground.
Allan rubbed his eyes, and picked up the lock.
The image of the golden thing with wings materialized on the face of the lock, and the words on the scroll below it read: The Fly.
"Ooh..." Don groaned, sitting up, "What happened?"
"This happened." Allan replied, holding up the Fly Lock.
"The Fly?" Don asked, "But... how?"
Don looked down at his hands, and gasped.
"Our report! It's gone!" Don cried.
"It must be back on the roof!" Allan gasped, "Oh no! How'll we get it?!"
Don stared at The Fly Lock, "Maybe..."
Allan looked at the lock, and smiled.

Allan and Don flew up the building, seated on Allan's wand, which now had the golden thing on the top instead of the two curved rectangles. Large wings came out of the wand, flapping and letting the two fly.
"This is soo cool!" Don cried as they flew up the side of the building.
"Yeah!" Allan replied, laughing.

Allan wqalked into his room that night, sitting his backpack on the floor, and laying down on his bed. He looked over at his desk and spotted the library book. Allan got up and turned on his desk light, reading the title of the book for the first time.
Allan sat down, and flipped open the book, reading, really reading, the first few lines of the book.
"Hmm. He said, "Cool."

Next Time on Lockcaptors!!
A series of mysterious break-ins
occur in town, making everyone
alittle edgy. Except Wanda.
"They'll catch whoever is doing
this, I'm sure."
But when Wanda discovers her
room is too destroyed, she
becomes as scared as the rest.
"I walked out for a second and
when I went back in it was all
destroyed!"
But when Allan witnesses one
of these break-ins, he sees that
it's nothing human.
"It's a Seona Lock."
Now Alla, Don and Shan are on
a search for whatever is doing
this, and to find a missing Lock!
Will they find it? Find out in
Episode 8: Allan and the Mysterious Green Squirrel!