by Kadin, Karri
“That is true. We have had some setbacks,” he forced the words from his lips as he fought the anxiety building in his chest. “Her abilities are stronger than I originally estimated. But I will find her. I have every available man out looking for her and the others she is with.”
Natasha sighed. Dr. Neff walked the stark white halls to his office, his chest tightening with every step. He locked his door before falling onto his back on the couch.
“Baby, I can do this. I will do this. I need you to bring Christopher here so once I have her I can start treatment immediately. I have a gift for you as well.”
“No, absolutely not. Your Resistance problem is out of control. Just crossing the zone’s border is nearly impossible. They are ambushing all government vehicles that pass through. Christopher and I are staying here until you get your shit together. Grow some fucking balls, Nicholas, and eliminate the problem.” The line went dead.
Dr. Neff threw his phone across the room. It cracked into the concrete wall shattering into hundreds of shiny black pieces. He took a pillow from the couch and pressed it against his face and he let out a scream. The doorknob jiggled, then a sharp knock pounded against the door. He bit the pillow and swallowed the scream still aching for release from his throat. Dr. Neff didn’t move, hoping whoever it was would go away. But they were persistent and the knocking continued. He walked to the door, unlocked the knob, and yanked it open. A wide-eyed Collector stood before him. He couldn’t be older than twenty and was probably fresh out of training. The young Collector must have drawn the short stick to be the one sent to knock on Dr. Neff’s office door.
“Sir, someone is here to see you,” the Collector stuttered.
“Not now. Send them away!” Dr. Neff snapped. The Collector hesitated.
“I’m sorry Doctor, but I think you’ll really want to see this person.” He pointed down the hall. Dr. Neff’s gaze shifted to the end of the hall and he smiled.
Allison
Allison took the long way home so she could enjoy the cool breeze and the changing color of the leaves. Fall was Allison’s favorite time of year and she was going to make this fall the best on record. When she neared her house, it was oddly dark inside and even the porch light was off. Allison was never the first person home and seeing the house dark and empty made her nervous. This was it, Dr. Neff had found her and was waiting inside with his goons to pounce on her and take her away. Her heart raced; beads of sweat formed along her hairline. Her breath caught in her throat, tightening her chest as her thoughts raced. She should just leave, not even go into the house, just keep walking down the street. But what if her friends came home, what would he do to them? What if they were already inside? She had to go in. Allison took a deep breath and started up the path to the door.
Allison’s hand froze when it touched the cool metal of the door handle. Her pulse drummed in her ears as she felt the rage build in the center of her body and began to radiate outward. She didn’t try to stop it. She pressed her ear against the door but didn’t hear any sounds inside. She slowly opened it and slipped inside. It was dark but no boogeyman appeared. Allison quietly walked into the living room, ready to defend herself, when suddenly the lights flashed on followed by shouts and people jumping up from behind the couch. She was starry eyed from the sudden light flooding the room and her pulse in her ears was deafening. She reached for the console table she knew was near her and flung it into the living room toward the couch. Screams and a crash erupted as the table smashed clear through the wall and into the kitchen. The starriness in her vision was clearing and her pulse in her ears reduced to a low hum. Why had no one attacked her yet? Then she saw the pink streamers hanging from the ceiling and Gabby staring at Allison aghast. Oh, no! Oh, fuck! Gabby!
“What the fuck, Allison?” Gabby shrieked.
“I didn’t know it was you! I will fix it all. I promise. Fuck, I’m so sorry!” Allison pleaded.
“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” she demanded, her voice ragged with shock and hurt. “One of those Infected with abilities?” Gabby paced the room, hands on her hips. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why would you keep this from me?” Gabby glared at Allison. Don’t hate me. Matt and Trevor stood in the corner, silent. Matt shifted his eyes to the floor. Trevor’s compassionate gaze fell to Allison.
“I was afraid.” I need you. I need to be the version of me that I am with you.
“Afraid of what? That I’d turn you in? That I’d tell people? What?” Gabby stopped pacing and looked at the boys. “Did you know? Of course you did.” Matt nodded reluctantly.
“It wasn’t our place to tell, Gabby,” Trevor said. Don’t blame them for my stupidity. Gabby threw her arms in the air and turned to face Allison.
“Afraid that you would look at me the way you are looking at me right now.” Allison shot back. “Different. Not like I’m Allison your best friend, but like I’m Allison the monster. I can’t take it.”
“I don’t think you’re a monster, but right now you are a liar. Lying by omission is still a lie. And we don’t lie to each other.” Gabby put her hands on her hips and looked at Allison the way a scolding mother looks at a child.
“Are you sure about that? Because to me it seems I’m not the only one here keeping secrets. Don’t think I didn’t notice you disappearing all the time. Everyone notices,” Allison said. Gabby’s stern face faltered briefly but then she turned her attention to Matt and Trevor.
“How could all of you keep this from me!” Gabby stormed away, slamming the door as she left the house.
“I’ll go talk to her,” Matt said as he scurried out of the house right behind Gabby.
Allison collapsed on the couch, viewing the kitchen through the hole she put in the wall. Trevor sat next to her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close.
“She will come around,” Trevor said without a hint of righteousness in his voice, “But I don’t blame her for being upset. I told you she would be.”
“I messed up. But did you see her face when I brought up her disappearing all the time? What’s up with that?” Allison curled into Trevor’s side, breathing in his musky scent.
“She’s hiding something, probably for the same reason you hid your abilities. She’s worried about your judgement.” He caressed her arm with his fingertips, sending chills down her spine.
“You know I love you, right? I just . . .” Allison couldn’t find the words. I just don’t want to add even more to my complicated life or yours. I can’t give you the couplehood you deserve when I’m such a fucked up individual.
“I know. I love you too. You have so many things going on in your head and I don’t want to add to the chaos. I’m honestly in awe of how strong you are. If I were you I wouldn’t be handling things nearly as well. And for the record no one but you thinks you’re a monster. I for one think you are the most beautiful and bravest person I have ever met.” Trevor kissed the top of Allison’s head as he stroked her hair. Just as Allison felt tears welling up in her eyes, Trevor stood and pulled her up from the couch. “No tears tonight. It is your birthday, after all. We have dinner, cake, and chocolate milk waiting for us in the kitchen. Well, hopefully. I guess we will have to see if it all survived.” Trevor smiled as he took her into the kitchen.
“I totally forgot it was my birthday!”
“Well, thankfully Gabby didn’t,” Trevor said.
Gabby
Gabby stormed down the sidewalk, her face hot with anger. The beat of footsteps against the pavement behind her slowed as Matt came up beside her, matching her stride. He walked with her in silence so she let him stay. Allison was a former Infected with abilities. Gabby had suspected as much when Allison appeared in the gymnasium, but as time passed and Allison never said anything, she had assumed she was wrong. To find out her best friend had kept such a life-altering secret from her broke her heart.
“I’ve been trying to think about what I would have done in your situation, but I wouldn’t have handled it any better,�
�� Matt said. “You did better than I had expected you to when this secret finally found the light of day.”
“I thought we were so close. I can’t believe she would keep this from me.” Her pace slowed and her shoulders drooped.
“I’m sorry she didn’t tell you, but I hope you understand how hard this is for her.” Gabby stopped and sat at a bench on the edge of the park used as a town garden.
“I understand more than you know why it’s hard to tell people you are a former Infected. Especially one with abilities. But if the situation was reversed I would have told her,” Gabby said with a sigh.
“Gabby, you are the one thing she has connecting her from who she was to who she is now. She doesn’t like who she is now, so of course she didn’t want to tell you. Being with you makes her feel normal again.” Matt took a seat next to Gabby.
“I knew some of the cured Infected have abilities. I never met one in real life, though. Obviously, she’s super strong. Can she do anything else? I heard some can.” Gabby looked at Matt as she spoke.
“No. At least not that I know of. But there is something else you should know. I’m just going to tell you because I think you need to know.” Matt shifted uncomfortably on the bench. “A man is after Allison. His name is Dr. Neff and he is bad news. He has already sent people after her once and we barely escaped. I’m sure he is still looking for her and that he knows about her strength.” Gabby’s expression dropped at the mention of Dr. Neff.
“I know all about Dr. Neff. Allison is in big trouble.” Gabby paused. “Back at the house when Allison said I had a secret, she was right. I need to show you something.” Gabby stood and began walking across the park toward the town wall and Matt followed.
Allison
Allison saw Gabby in bed when she woke but decided to let her sleep. It was a good sign that she was home and still willing to sleep next to Allison. She stared at her friend and regret washed over her. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything. Allison took a moment to write a simple note in her journal.
Gabby,
I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you the whole truth. I was afraid of losing you. I was afraid of being judged. I was just afraid of everything, really. Being around you makes me feel normal again and I didn’t want that to end. Part of me convinced myself it was best, safest for you this way. But I was wrong to keep something so big from you. We need to talk because I have more I want to tell you and it’s best we do it in person. I hope you will feel comfortable sharing your secret with me.
Love,
Allison
She then ripped the page out and laid it on the bed next to Gabby. Allison slipped out the door quietly to not disturb the sleeping household and headed off to work.
Midday came around and Allison was spending her lunch break playing with the children in the fall leaves. She made piles and they jumped into them sending the leaves flying. This process repeated itself over and over again, as they never seemed to bore of it. Suddenly Allison heard horns honking and a voice over a loudspeaker. “Everyone report to the gymnasium for an urgent meeting. No exceptions.” Allison looked down the road where the noise was coming from and saw a convoy of Collectors. Her skin crawled at the sight of the black uniforms. Her mind raced to think of where all of her friends would be at this time of day. I have to find everyone. Her chest tightened and she looked for a place to hide but found the little faces of her charges instead. I can’t leave them.
“Get behind me.” The children crowded around Allison.
She had never seen so many Collectors in one place before, even at the medical camp. Units of Collectors were walking down the road, armed, going from building to building. They were in their armor, guns drawn, ready for a fight. They pulled people from their homes and businesses, pushing them in the direction of the gymnasium. Children screamed as Collectors scooped them up and away from their parents, holding up their guns to keep panicked parents at bay.
They approached Allison’s group of children and teachers and informed them they must go as well. A Collector glared at her, no recognition showed on his face. He pressed his rifle into her chest and pushed her to start walking. Rage boiled in her chest but Allison ushered the children along, holding tightly to the younger ones’ hands. Keep them safe. Get to your friends. That’s all that matters. They’re probably just here to take out supplies.
Before she entered the gym Collectors pulled the children away. Allison reached for them and was met with the barrel of a gun against her chest. Her insides shook as the fire at her center grew. She bite her lip to suppress her growl.
“It’s okay,” she told the children. “Do as you’re told. It’ll be okay.”
Allison squeezed into the crowded gym, shoulder to shoulder with people whose faces she recognized but names she did not know. A microphone cord was stretched from the intercom speaker and drew Allison’s attention to the top of the bleachers where the announcer’s box was. There were armed Collectors in the box and around the entire perimeter of the gym. This isn’t a supply collection. The vibe in the room was uneasy and it made her skin crawl. A feminine voice shouted over the intercom, “That’s her! She’s right there!” Allison looked at the announcer’s box and saw Morgan pointing at her. She’s alive. Relief rushed over Allison at the sight of Morgan, but then her stomach dropped as the crowd parted, moving away from her.
Dr. Neff appeared from behind a curtain and stood next to Morgan. His face was serious and determined. Allison’s gaze met his icy stare and a smirk formed on his lips. He waved his hand in her direction. Collectors surrounded her from all sides and she felt a pinch, then a jolt of electricity ran through her body sending her crashing to the ground. Her mind was in a fog, the world around her spinning. She was being lifted by her arms from the ground, but she couldn’t move her body. Her heart was racing. She was being dragged across the dirty laminate floor.
Allison felt her limbs begin to tingle and her muscles twitch. She struggled and another jolt of electricity blasted her, followed by the prick of a needle in her arm. She heard Gabby shouting her name, but she couldn’t see her. Her heart slowed, and that familiar warmth that always built toward her ragged strength wasn’t there. She felt normal. She tried to struggle again. Her movements lagged like an old computer and her body was numb.
The Collectors dragged Allison outside and tossed her into the back of a van. Before the gym doors closed, she saw Trevor forcing his way through the crowd, calling her name, his face frozen in fear and panic. Right as he almost pushed to the exit of the gym, a Collector slammed him in the face with the butt of his gun and people screamed. Some people tried to make a dash and were tackled by Collectors. Then others tried to push past the wall of Collectors, showing turned to cracking heads with nightsticks, which led to a crush of people surging against the Collectors, and Collectors pushing back with riot shields. The van doors slammed, cutting off her view of the chaos, and then she and the two Collectors restraining her rocked back as the tires scratched up grit and lurched onto the road. A gunshot rang out, then so many more, and the shooting didn’t stop.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Allison
Allison awoke on a cold, hard cot. Her head was heavy and her body tingled from top to bottom, but she could move. I don’t feel like me. Allison’s hair was damp and her skin felt fresh, like she had recently showered. She stared at her hands, pressing her fingertips together, confused by the numbness that engulfed her. I should feel angry. Where is the burn? It wasn’t just her body that was numb, so were her emotions. She looked down at her body. They had replaced her clothes with a simple white t-shirt, white shorts, and white non-skid socks like you get in hospitals to keep you from slipping. She sat up and looked around her room.
The sterile white walls were void of decoration. A table with benches attached sat at the center of the room; it was bolted to the floor. A small stainless steel sink was tucked away in the corner, bolted to both the floor and the wall. The cot she sat on had a single pillow, wh
ite linens, and like everything else was bolted down. Across the room was a steel door with a tiny glass window. Allison walked across the room on wobbly legs and tried the door. Locked. She looked out the window, but only an empty hall was on the other side. Doors, some with windows like hers, lined the hall. No signs or anything else identifying was in view. She turned to go back to the cot and noticed a security camera in the corner, too high to reach. Creepy, peeping fucking Toms. She flipped it off before returning to the cot. Her legs shook by the time she reached it and she let her body fall onto it. Trevor. Oh shit, Matt and Gabby! Her heart pounded against her chest as she thought of her friends trapped in a tiny room like her . . . or worse. The gunshots. Oh fuck, the gunshots! Morgan how could you do this?
A Collector appeared in the door’s window. The door opened and he stepped to the side allowing Dr. Neff to enter the room. The Collector attempted to follow Dr. Neff but he raised his hand to stop him.
“Where are my friends?” Allison demanded.
He ignored her and closed the door and motioned for Allison to take a seat at the table while he took a seat himself. In his hand was a long metal rod with a two-pronged fork at the end of it.
“Good evening, Allison. I’m glad to see you are well and your body has handled the sedative without any harsh side effects.” Dr. Neff’s eyes were fixated on her as she crossed the room and stood in front of him. He continued, “I assume you have many questions, but I ask that you refrain from asking until I have explained why you are here. Is that understood?”
“Fuck you, you piece of sh—” A jolt of electricity pulsed through her body, stronger than the previous ones. She fell to the floor, her body spasming in a heap on the ground. A burning sensation pulsated in the area where the fork had touched her bare skin. Dr. Neff leaned over her, needle in hand, and she felt a prick on her arm. Once she stopped shaking Allison looked down at her thigh and saw two slight burn marks surrounded by redness.