The X Factor

by Bella Street

  “Oh.” Seffy couldn't bear the thought of stewing in her room alone with the new information. But it didn't look like she was going to have a choice. “Well, I'll see you at seven then.”

  Trent looked like there was something he wanted to say, but he just nodded. Seffy watched him walk away. When he was gone, she trudged into her room and fell face down onto the bed. Maybe if she fell asleep quickly, she wouldn't have to think about the nasties crawling around inside her body. Scratching at the faded scars inside her arms, Seffy wondered whether she should tell Gareth of her findings, and whether he would care at all.

  ***

  “Wake up.”

  Seffy's eyes snapped open. The room was dark. Sitting up, she looked around, wondering if she'd imagined the voice. She reached for the lamp and turned it on. Next she picked up the clock and saw that it was seven. That time meant something but she couldn't remember what.

  “Persephone.”

  Seffy's breath hitched in her throat. Who would use that name here? She heard it again and slid from the bed. Seffy checked the bathroom after looking around her room, and saw nothing out of the norm. At the closet door, she slowly reached for the knob, her heart stuttering behind her sternum. Opening the door, she found nothing beyond the clothes on hangers.

  But it was still waiting—the voice. She knew she was expected to keep looking. Seffy walked to the main door and opened it. When she looked out into the hall, she gasped. A little girl stood in the empty hallway, staring at her with large, unnerving eyes. And not just any girl. The polka dot dress—that's what the girl who wanted strawberries had been wearing. Seffy suppressed a shudder. “Who are you?”

  “It's time.”

  She didn't see the girl's lips move but she heard the words nonetheless. The girl turned and headed down the hall.

  “Why?”

  The girl didn't answer but continued walking. Seffy felt she had no choice but to follow her down a complex series of hallways. The fluorescent lights above buzzed like cicadas and the air around her seemed to waver in an artificial light, throwing her shadow ahead and then behind. Her footsteps echoed down the halls, unnaturally loud in her ears. Was this a dream?

  Seffy tried to focus on where the girl was taking her. At first, everything seemed the same—dreary, unmarked halls and an absence of residents—but then she began to notice mural artwork on the painted concrete block walls. She stopped and stared. A farm motif took up a huge swath of one of the walls. There were hills, fences, a big yellow sun among fluffy white clouds...horses and chickens and...

  Seffy peered closer at the painting and put her hand to her mouth. The cows were in pieces, lying in pools of blood. Her heart grew heavy. She looked at where the girl stood watching. “Where are we?”

  Her question was ignored.

  Seffy looked back at the wall and saw a cornfield near the mutilated cows. Strange green figures seemed to dart in and out of the corn. How could painted figures move? The images seemed a long way off as if she were looking through the wrong end of a telescope. She wanted to stay and study the mural but the girl pressed her to follow.

  They continued down another hall, going through a heavy set of doors and passing several rooms with open doorways. Seffy tried to make sense of what she was seeing in each one. Shadowy figures passed back and forth in front of the doorways, eclipsing white light radiating from within. As she turned a corner, she paused and saw one room was full of patients in hospital beds. A patient near the door turned to her, his body hooked up with dozens of tubes filled with bright colored liquids.

  Fenn.

  Seffy coughed as nausea washed over her. She braced her hands on her knees, unable to go on. The little girl came to her side and tugged on her arm. Her fingers were like ice. Seffy continued to cough. A dizzy feeling assailed her as she stumbled after the girl. I don't like it here. I want to go home.

  The ground suddenly shifted under her feet. When she looked down, she saw glittery sand and realized she was outside. A light wind whispered past her face carrying scents of newly mown hay and tilled earth. Being in the open air calmed her somewhat and her respiration slowly decreased.

  Fenn. Was he really in that room? Why? Was he sick?

  Pulling cool evening air into her lungs, she looked up and saw stars winking in the violet sky. It was so pretty and sparkly, and for some reason it made her sad. Tears made the colors blur together. As she gazed upward, a trio of stars pulsated in time then abruptly angled away and floated across the sky.

  Her tears dried at the sight. The three lights blinked a rotation of changing colors and grew larger after several moments. Seffy realized they belonged to a triangular object descending in a lazy zigzag across the expanse of the horizon. Finally it wafted down to the ground. The object was about the size of an SUV, ringed with smaller white lights along the edges. It was beautiful. She found herself smiling in amazement. Her throat thickened with inexpressible happiness and she wished she had someone to share the moment with.

  An opening appeared and the girl tugged on her hand. Seffy looked down at her in surprise, realizing she'd forgotten all about her. Seffy knew she should feel afraid but she willingly went along. As they approached the object, Seffy bent down and stepped through the doorway. The interior was misty white and festooned with lights of every color, swirling overhead, pulsing in time to a familiar rhythm that tickled at the edges of her consciousness.

  Gradually she became aware of several figures in the room with her, coalescing from the mist into slightly darker shapes. They were small like children, but had otherworldly faces. She looked around for the little girl, but no longer saw her.

  A taller figure emerged and stood in front of her. “We've been watching you.”

  Seffy furrowed her brows. She didn't hear its voice but the communication was clear. Just like the little girl. How do they do that? Is this the telepathy Lani talked about? She'll be so pleased I have a super power.

  “Come closer.”

  Seffy took another step until she was right in front of the creature. With a lowered head, its eyes asked her many questions—questions with answers that proved elusive. The figure wanted something from her, although she didn't understand its meaning. Despite motioning with its hands, Seffy could only stare helplessly and shake her head.

  They were disappointed—somehow she felt the weight of it crushing her—and she was disappointed in herself. Why couldn't she give them this thing they desired? Why? Frustration welled up inside her and she began to cry—weak, hopeless tears dribbled down her cold cheeks and dripped off her chin. Why couldn't she get something right? Just this once?

  Suddenly something slammed her in the chest. She felt weightless for a brief moment, then landed with a thud with her face in the sand. She coughed and sputtered at the sand in her mouth. Seffy rolled over and looked up. The lighted object was gone.

  With painful movements, she stretched out on her back. Opening her eyes to the fullest, she examined the stars above, searching in vain for what had been there earlier. Where had they gone? Why did they abandon her? Were they angry? She'd tried, hadn't she? Obviously it wasn't enough. Sometimes trying didn't fix anything. Seffy rose to her feet on unsteady legs, brushing the sand away and twisting in a circle, only to see nothing but vast sagebrush desert stretching toward the horizon.

  I'm alone. No little girl was nearby to lead the way. Seffy couldn't see the compound or any building at all.

  Panic grabbed her by the throat and she began to hyperventilate. Which direction had she come? Which way back to the compound? Think! She took a step forward and saw something flickering in the chilly breeze. A wheat stalk. She took another step and saw two more wheat plants.

  She must be on the edge of a field. The compound had fields of crops. Surely the building was just on the other side. All she had to do was walk along the outside of the wheat until she came to the compound. Relief washed over her in a wave.

  Seffy stumbled backward, tripping over another bunch of s
talks. She turned around, certain that hadn't been there before. It was then she realized she was in the field—the rows surrounded her, nearly waist high, lightly tapping against her hips. Her heart beat arhythmically, making it hard to catch her breath.

  Her fingertips brushed the stiff stalks. In the low light of the stars she saw that the crop was near harvest, every stalk weighted by heavy seed heads. The spiky tufts lifted lightly in the breeze. One tuft touched the tuft of another stalk...like they were talking to each other. Stalks bent toward one another. Whispering. About her.

  Seffy started forward, pushing her way through the stalks, hating the dry, dusty feel of the leaves against her hands. The whispering grew louder until it became a deafening clamor, eclipsing the noise of her pulse.

  She moved faster.

  A sliding sound, separate from the noise of the wheat, made her stop. She whirled around to see what it was, but only saw an ocean of ripe, bobbing golden tufted heads. Her breath came fast. The stalks rippled in waves as the wind rattled through the leaves. As she stared, a darker darkness coalesced in nearby rows, as if something serpentine slithered along the roots.

  Toward her.

  The sliding sound and the darkness grew closer, displacing stalks in its wake.

  Seffy turned and ran. She didn't care which direction she was going, she ran with every ounce of adrenaline that could be squeezed into her desperate muscles. Leaves sliced at her hands and the roots caused her to stagger, but she pushed herself harder and harder.

  She fell. Something pressed against her foot, grappling for a hold. Seffy screamed and flailed her legs, pawing through the stalks as terror crashed over her. Finally she gained purchase. Lurching upright, she ran. Over the din of her breathing and thundering heart, she heard the thing behind her picking up speed.

  And she knew it wanted her.

  Gasping for breath, she pressed on, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly she burst out from the wheat field. But she didn't slow down. Seffy saw a door and sprinted for it even as her strength waned.

  Just a little farther. The door grew closer and larger but still seemed so far off. Something was still behind her—the sliding sound now exchanged for a patter of feet. Her lungs burned like acid. She gulped for air as she dove for the doorknob. Wrenching it open, she burst inside, just as something grabbed her ankle with inhuman strength.

  Seffy screamed but no sound came out. Her body was yanked back out the door. As she slid across the floor, she scrabbled the door frame, caught it with the tips of her fingers, and held on with a desperate grip. With one massive kick, she dislodged the thing from her ankle.

  Seffy scrambled into the room, slammed the door shut and locked it tight.

  ***

  Vodka. Check.

  Assorted fruit juices. Check.

  Ice. Check.

  Trent looked at his watch next. Almost time.

  He wasn't sure whether to use the hall or passageway, then decided he needed to score every point he could with Seffy so he headed out to the hallway and made his way to her room. When he got there, he noticed the door was ajar. Trent pushed it open and said her name.

  No response.

  Maybe she was taking a nap—it was dark. Or maybe she was still freaking about seeing her medical records. He knew he would be. From what little he'd been able to see over her shoulder, he knew she wasn't the picture of health. But was that in spite of or due to the effects of the compound and all its dangers? Trent entered her room all the way and noticed the lamp on its side and a chair knocked over. Fear gripped his gut.

  “Sef?”

  He heard something in the bathroom. Trent approached the door with caution and eased it open slightly. Seffy was on the floor on her side, next to the toilet, her arms around her stomach. The toilet tank was filling up with water as if had just been flushed. He went to her side and knelt down next to her. “Seffy, what are you doing?”

  She slowly opened her eyes and peered up at him, her face matching the white floor tiles. “How about that drink?”

  He stared at her in disbelief. “What happened?”

  Trent helped her to a sitting position and she leaned heavily against him. He gave her a few minutes wondering if he'd ever not found her in some kind of crisis. He eased back and looked down at her. “You have little scratches on your face.” Trent lifted her hand and noticed criss-crossing scrapes. “And on your hands.”

  “Bad dream.” Her dark eyes were forlorn. He helped her up and walked her to his room down the passageway. When they arrived, she looked around.

  “You have a couch,” she said in a weak voice. “It seems like everyone has a couch but me.”

  “And you have no idea how hard it was getting it in here under the radar.” By dint of prowling through other rooms via jimmied locks, he'd been able to feather his own nest with some of the comforts of home. The whole time-travel thing made his real desire—escape—difficult to manage, so he figured he needed a few compensations.

  Trent helped Seffy onto the couch, where she collapsed and curled up against the arm. “I see you also have a coffeemaker,” she said quietly.

  “I have to deal with this rotten situation on my own terms, which includes caffeine.”

  “And booze?”

  He smiled slightly, trying not to show how alarmed he was by her disheveled appearance. But she was here and in a relatively mellow mood. Intent on capitalizing on her acquiescence, he pulled out two highball glasses. “You have a choice of vodka and fruit juice. It's all I was able to get on short notice.”

  “How about a screwdriver?”

  “Coming right up.” As he quickly mixed the drink, he tried to sort through this interesting development. Regardless of his hopes, it never really occurred to him that she'd end up on his stolen couch asking for a cocktail.

  “So, does the compound stock alcohol? For some reason that surprises me.”

  He noticed her voice wobbled. “No...I paid someone to get it for me.”

  Seffy was silent for several moments. Trent turned to face her with the drinks. She stared up at him, pursing her lips. “Those drivers knew we were in the back of the jeep that day, didn't they? You paid them, too.”

  He shrugged and handed her a drink. “What am I supposed to do? Just accept my fate?”

  Seffy scowled into her glass. He noticed something stuck in her hair and plucked it out. He stared at a piece of wheat in amazement. “How in the world did this get in your hair?” Trent held it out to her.

  The drink slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor. When Trent looked up from the mess and saw the blood drain from her face, he grabbed her arms. “Seffy, what is wrong? I swear to God you better tell me this time.”

  Breathing hard, she tugged her arms free and pulled up her pant leg. He followed her line of sight and saw a horrible red and black bruise around her ankle. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with horror. “I thought it was a dream.” She put her hands over her face and began to weep, great shuddering heaves that rocked her frame.

  Trent sat next to her and pulled her against him. She didn't fight it and he held her until her sobs slowed. Unable to resist, he touched her hair, feeling the silken strands against his fingers. He pressed his cheek against her head and inhaled her scent. “You smell like moonlight.”

  Seffy pulled back and stared up at him, her eyes rimmed red. “That's because I was outside.” She struggled to catch her breath. “But there wasn't any moon. Just stars.”

  “Sef,” he said gently, “you couldn't have been outside.”

  She wrested herself from his embrace but Trent managed to keep her from standing.

  “Okay, I'm sorry. Just relax and tell me what happened.”

  Closing her eyes momentarily, she took a deep breath. “There was that girl, the one who talked about strawberries, and she took me outside.”

  Trent studied her confused expression. He didn't have a clue about any girl. “Strawberries?”

  She pinched the bridge of her
nose. “Known to you as the blood dream.”

  “Oh.” That didn't help much. “So when you went outside, you went through the main entrance?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I mean, don't know how I got there. One minute we were in the hall and then we were outside and there was sand and stars and there was a...” She put a shaking hand up to her face. “Well, I guess it was a spaceship.” Seffy let out a hysterical laugh, then clapped her hand over her mouth.

  “Okay,” Trent said quietly, noticing the way her hands shook. “So when you say 'we', you mean you and this girl?”

  Seffy nodded.

  “What next?”

  “I went inside the craft with her and there were...beings.” She pressed her trembling lips together. “I couldn't really see them, but they wanted something from me, wanted it really bad. And I wanted to give it to them but I just couldn't. I tried so hard!” Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “What couldn't you give them?”

  “I don't know!” Seffy swiped her hair back from her face. Trent noticed a distended vein in her forehead and the same red line he'd seen before. Only this time it looked swollen and irritated.

  “Let me look at your stomach.”

  Seffy lifted her shirt as if it was a normal request. Trent swallowed. The same mysterious lines were there, only redder, deeper and aggravated. Holy crap. “Tell me what else you saw,” he said with a calm belying his growing dread.

  She dropped her shirt and sagged against the couch cushions “When I couldn't give them what they wanted, I guess they shoved me out of the craft, onto the ground.”

  “Alien bastards.”

  A corner of Seffy's lip lifted in a wan smile. “And then I was alone in the dark and I didn't know how to get back.”

  Trent jumped up and headed to the desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a pocket planner he'd found there. Sitting back down on the couch, he flipped open a page. “Let's see, today's date there's...a new moon.”

  “That's the one you can't see, right?”