“Where am I?” I thought to myself.
The boy cried after being struck two more times in his face. I was filled with rage but all I could was watch. The shorter man pulled out what looked to be a tattoo needle and started piercing the back of the little boy’s neck. I watched Zola stand up and make a run for the exit. She made it through the first door but was captured by another man at the next door. The man was tall and he carried her back to the other children. He dropped her like a piece of trash to the floor. Two more men entered the room. One of the men pushed another red headed child to the floor with the children. I knew this man, he was a much younger version of the mad doctor. The man next to him had a small little girl with him and she was holding onto the man’s leg.
“I want to leave Daddy, this is a bad place,” the little voice cried.
“It’s ok sweetheart, daddy has some business he needs to take care of and then we will go,” the man reassured.
My whole body went cold. I stepped closer to the man. I knew this man too. He had a full beard and he was dressed in uniform. The same uniform I saw him wear everyday to work. My stomach sank further and further until I was pretty sure it was completely gone. I stood frozen unable to move for what felt like eternity. My eyes dropped to the little girl hiding behind her father. It was me. I had been in this horrible place before and I hadn’t remembered. I watched the child me glance from behind my father's leg to the children on the floor. A single tear slid down my face and I quickly wiped it away with my little hand.
I followed her eyes to the boy in the chair. He had fallen silent and seemed to be in a sedated state. They removed him from the chair and grabbed another child. This time a little girl. The girl didn’t cry or fight them, she sat and zoned out completely. The little girl in the chair was staring at the child me. She smiled at the child me and I smiled back. I saw I was holding my hand out and a small little spark ignited in my hand and then faded out.
Dr. Mills spoke with my father.
“You’ve brought all the children I requested and for that I will keep to my word.”
He walked to a cabinet and pulled out a briefcase. He then handed it to my father. I watched my father open it, inside the suitcase was money. There was an insane amount of money in the suitcase.
“Where is the medicine?” My father asked.
Dr. Mills went to a refrigerator looking thing and pulled out another briefcase only this one was smaller. He placed it on the counter and opened it. There were three syringes lined in the case with a blueish green liquid stirring and moving around inside.
“Is this going to be enough?” My father asked, examining the contents.
“Yes, I will inject her immediately and then you will inject another in one week and the last injection in one month,” Dr. Mills explained calmly, “It is vital you follow my directions or there could be side effects. This will be her second and final set of injections.”
“I want you to know I am done bringing children to you. I have done everything you requested and I don’t ever want to hear from you again. Is that understood,” my father belted.
Dr. Mills smiled his crooked grin and agreed with my father. I glanced over to the children and thought this can’t be real, my father wasn’t a monster. He was no better than Dr. Mills. Why would he have done this? Zola was staring at the child me and then I swear she looked directly at me and said, “remember.” The room started to spin and I felt my body drifting back to the bedside. My hand slipped away from her hand. I was standing next to the now grown and comatose Zola. I thought Zola must have somehow showed me a memory. A haunting memory that my mind had somehow blocked. Was Zola gifted like me or did we have a strange connection? All these thoughts swirled around in my head. I hadn’t noticed Silas had entered the room and was standing across the bed from me. He reached for the IV bag attached to a pole and changed it. He worked quietly and I was surprised he knew how to change the saline bag and unclasp the lines.
“I’m sorry for snapping at you,” I said.
“Yeah, okay,” was his only reply.
He finished working and exited the room as quietly as he entered.
Day 108:
Quinn promised today would be a great day! I would learn how to control my gift and learn what my ability entitled. I made my way outside to the parking lot and was surprised to find all twelve of the gifted waiting. I approached with caution not sure how happy everyone would be to see me.
“Hi Layla, how are you feeling?” Lucy asked with genuine concern in her voice.
“I’m feeling much better, thanks for asking,” I returned.
“Alright everyone, listen up. Thank you for coming out this morning to help Layla,” Quinn started.
“Like we really have a choice in the matter. If we don’t help her she will probably end up teleporting us to our deaths,” Addy hissed.
I heard a few chuckle at her comment.
“I’m not forcing any of you to help or be here if you don’t want to. I want you all to understand something. The world isn’t a playground anymore, it’s a battlefield and if you want to survive then I suggest you put your petty differences aside and start working together. It’s us against the screamers. We have found out in recent days, there are other people out there too. We need to work together, here at the warehouse,” Quinn explained.
Silas stepped up and stood next to Quinn, “We all know Layla is powerful and has in one way or another surpassed all of our abilities. I know some of you fear her and are even angry with her for taking your abilities and messing with your emotions. She isn’t doing this to hurt you. Each of us woke up from the sickness with abilities we have had to learn. Layla never complained when she helped us get a handle on our gifts, so let’s just cool it and see what we can do to help.”
I was surprised to hear Silas defend me after the way we fought yesterday. I quietly thanked him.
He acknowledged me with a smile and wrapped his hand around mine. His hand was warm and soft and it made little butterflies dance around in my stomach.
“I would like to know how each of you have learned to control your abilities? Is it the same for all of you? If not this could explain why Layla can’t seem to get a solid grip on her gift,” Quinn said.
“I feel an electric energy in my body. It starts in my head and then moves and pulses around in me,” Sara explained.
“Same for me,” others added.
“And me,” Wes added.
The group all agreed that it was an electric energy they felt and learned to control. They had to control their emotions in order to use their gift. I knew this already and felt frustrated but didn’t want to seem ungrateful so I smiled and listened.
“I want you to gather your energy and focus on where it is directing you and then move it around and own it,” Quinn told me.
Everyone stepped back and gave me space. I closed my eyes and gathered my energy. I felt it zap around and move wildly inside me. My mind shot the energy out, I grabbed Addy and Silas’ gifts. I felt a hot panic inside me the same one that always came over me. It felt good to hold onto their gifts but I quickly remembered they weren't mine, so painfully I let them go. I hated the empty feeling it left each time I gave it back. I opened my eyes and saw Addy and Silas staring at me. They knew what I had done but they also knew I hadn’t meant to upset them.