“Layla, how are this morning?” Quinn asked.
He was sitting at a table with the doctor and Mabel. They appeared to be in deep conversation when I entered. I did a quick scan of the room, the lights were dimmed, the dead male screamer was replaced with a female that appeared to be breathing. I cautiously approached the table where she lay. At further inspection I saw she was indeed breathing. There were chains at her wrists and ankles, also across her throat and chest. They obviously weren't taking any chances of her escaping. She was wearing a dirty ripped white dress, red blood stained streaks ran down the front. Her hair once a beautiful curly brown now lay tangled and knotted into rats nests. Dried cracked blood ran out her ears, eyes, nose and mouth. It was a sight I always pictured when I thought of the screamers. I held my breath and examined her. I knew this girl laying on the table. I knew her not from before the world changed but from every night when I closed my eyes. She was in all my nightmares and here she was in front of me. I reached out and was inches from touching her when my hand was yanked back roughly.
“You don’t want to touch her without gloves. We don’t know enough about these things yet,” Dr. Nickels informed.
He was standing at my side. Quinn and Mabel were across the table facing us.
“I know her,” I blurted out.
“I’m sorry Layla, it isn’t fair seeing people we loved and cared about this way,” he cried.
“No, not from before I mean, I’ve been dreaming about her every night. It started shortly after I woke up from the illness,” I stammered.
“There is an uncanny resemblance between the two of you,” Dr. Nickels stated, glancing from the girl on the table and back to me.
“Don’t you remember anything from last night? Quinn asked you, Silas and Gabe captured her and brought her here.”
“What? Have you seen them?” I asked, “I have been looking all over for them.”
“They are in the pool,” Quinn stated.
Quinn assisted me to a chair and I willingly sat down. I replayed the events from the previous night. I remembered the girl on the table had almost eaten my face off but after we teleported I had no memory. Did that mean I wasn’t dreaming? I shivered at the thought, all those times I was there how did I escape? I was confused and my brain was on overload. The sun was shining in my dream. I thought to myself. I pushed the questions aside and wanted to see Silas and Gabe.
“Hey,” Quinn said shaking my arm lightly, “Are you ok?” Lines of worry edged his eyes.
“You have to get rid of her. She is different then the others, I can feel it,” I quaked.
“We are running test on her blood as we speak. We need her here, the doctor thinks he may be able to find a cure for the screamers,” Quinn explained.
“We all have loved ones out there and if there is a way, anyway we can bring them back we have to try; you understand?” Doctor Nickels stated.
I didn’t reply I stood up and walked out, leaving my nightmare behind. I needed to speak with Silas and Gabe. I ran outside to the pool, my timing was perfect. The two were exiting the pool when I approached. Silas smiled shyly at me and Gabe smerked in his usual manner.
“What happened last night,” I asked.
“Why don’t you tell us Layla?” Gabe commanded rudely.
“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking. I remember going to bed and entering the nightmare. Next thing I know the two of you are there then, I wake up in my bed,” I recalled quickly.
“We were there too but I don’t think it was a dream. I believe you pulled us to you somehow,” Silas responded.
I watched men move cars out of the parking lot, clearing the area for us to have more room to practice. They drove the vehicles around the building and out of sight. Another group exited the gate in three big trucks.
“Where are they going?” I asked, pointing to the gate.
“The doctor requested medical supplies and other stuff. They planned on leaving earlier but the screamer we brought back caused some uprise this morning,” Silas explained, rubbing his fingers through his wet hair.
Gabe dried off with a towel and tossed a dry one to Silas.
“How did we bring one back?” I questioned.
“That is an excellent question Layla, we thought you might know seeing you can do all sorts of weird shit,” Gabe said in a snarky tone.
“Well, I don’t know why is it I always end up with more damn questions and never answers?” I shouted.
“Maybe because you are a damn freak and do shit without knowing you’re doing it. You think you are getting a grip on your gift but all I see you doing is making my life more of a living hell then it already is,” Gabe yelled back.
He was clearly angry with me and I hadn’t purposely done anything to hurt him.
“Silas will you please explain what happened? Possibly without biting my head off,” I begged.
“Sure first, I’d like to put on dry clothes then we can talk.”
He kissed my forehead and gave me a quick squeeze
“I’m glad you are ok, I thought the screamer was eating you when we appeared. I’ll meet you on the roof in a half hour.”
A half hour later I found Silas waiting for me on the roof. He was handsome as always, in dry clothes. He was wearing a Nike t-shirt and blue jeans. He smiled his amazing smile as I approached. He took my hand and lead me to the edge of the roof. We sat with our feet dangling over.
“I used to have a severe fear of heights. I would feel queasy looking out my second story bedroom window,” Silas said chuckling.
“I find that hard to believe, considering the last time we were up here you pulled me off. I believe it was this very spot if memory serves me correctly,” I replied.
We laughed at the strangeness our lives had become. I caught Silas up on everything I remembered from the previous night. He listened intently, not saying anything until I finished. I glanced out into the city the view wasn’t great from the roof. I could see a few birds flying around in the sky. I wondered like so many other times if any people were out there.
“Somehow you pulled Gabe and me into your dream or whatever it was. One minute I was sleeping in my bed and the next I am standing in the field. I saw the screamer on top of you. Gabe was next to me and much to my surprise we were holding hands. Can you believe that we, were holding hands?”
He glanced at his hand as if the thought still made him uncomfortable then he continued.
“Gabe and I jumped to action and ran towards you. It wasn’t until we had gotten her off from you that we realized we were surrounded by screamers. They were screaming and charging at us. Gabe grabbed you and me not noticing that screamer chick had grabbed onto your leg. She came back with us, thankfully she was out cold. She didn’t do well teleporting she has been out since we got back,” Silas explained.
A scream echoed throughout the warehouse making me start.
“I don’t think she is out anymore, sounds like she is pissed off to me,” I stated covering my ears.
“What exactly is Dr. Nickels planning to do to her?” I asked.
“I’m not sure I know he is trying to find a cure but other then that I don’t know,” Silas replied.
Manic screams echoed followed by more. The screamer sounded different then the other ones. Stress or maybe pain sounded in her screams. I kind of felt bad for her but that thought only lasted a minute. I wondered if Dr. Nickels could find a cure?